policy of craft organization. Consequently the workers are demoralized and helpless in front of their ruthless exploiters.
Amalgamation sentiment, propagated by the International Committee for Amalgamation in the Metal Industry, is rapidly spreading in these basic trades. A definite plan of consolidation has been put out by the Committee, scientifically providing for the merging of all the existing organizations into one body. A number of years ago the International Association of Machinists, by referendum vote, went on record to bring about amalgamation. But inasmuch as the whole matter was left in the hands of the officials nothing further was done about it. The new moment is strictly a rank and file proposition. Its aim is to educate the great masses to its concrete goal of amalgamation and to fight the thing through at all the conventions off the metal trades organizations. Amalgamation is now a burning issue in this industry.
The Needle Trades
In the clothing industry there are seven International Unions, totaling about 300,000 members of the 520,777 employed in the entire industry. There is a strong movement on foot, led by the International Committee of the Needle Trades Section, T. U. E. L., to combine all these into one powerful industrial organization. To this end a concrete plan of amalgamation has been worked out and printed, and is being popularized widespread amongst the broad masses of clothing workers. On May 5-6, 1923, the Needle Trades Section held its first national conference in New York, with all important clothing centers in the country represented. Chief among its acts was the working out of plans to push through amalgamation in the near future.
One great union in the industry, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, stands committed to the calling of a general convention to amalgamate all the unions. The other organizations quite generally endorse the principle of a needle trades alliance, or federation. Since the amalgamation movement has grown so strong in the industry the advocates of alliance have the more vigorously put forth their proposition as a substitute. But the great rank and file will have none of it. The needle trades workers wilt probably be the first in this country to actually combine their several unions into one industrial organization.
