World Labor Unity/Chapter 5
V. The American Federation of Labor Breaks Away
Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor, wrote to Jan Oudegeest, Secretary of the Amsterdam International, on March 5, 1921, severing the connections of the American Federation of Labor with the Amsterdam International.[1]
Three reasons were given for the action of the American Federation of Labor. First was that the new constitution of the Amsterdam International "abrogated the principle of complete autonomy for each national trade union Federation." The second reason was that “through the issuance of appeals and proclamations the Executive body of the International Federation had committed the Federation to a revolutionary principle to which the American Federation of Labor is and always has been uncompromisingly opposed and to which no labor movement guided by democratic ideals could give approval." The third objection related to the method of assessing dues for the support of the Amsterdam International.
The objections regarding autonomy and dues collection were disposed of by Mr. Gompers in a paragraph. "More serious than either of these questions is the conduct of the International officers during the months that have elapsed since the organization of the new international federation." These officers "have adopted and promulgated a policy calling for revolutionary action with the 'socialization' of industry as its objective. The American Federation of Labor is opposed to that policy and there can be no compromise between the two points of view."
The revolutionary viewpoint which gained control of the executive machinery of the International Federation of Trade Unions found its extreme manifestation in an appeal for revolutionary measures in aid of the Soviets, issued on September 8, 1919, which had been neither repudiated, modified, nor abandoned. From this appeal Mr. Gompers quoted the following language:
"The International Federation of Trade Unions calls upon all National Trade Union centres to prepare, if necessary, for mass action by means of a general strike (against war).
"'The production of war materials must cease in all countries. …'"
After citing other pronouncements of a similar nature Mr. Gompers wrote: "The American Federation of Labor denounces the revolutionary principles espoused by the executive officers of the International Federation of Trade Unions."
By this action the A. F. of L. divided the important labor movements of the world into three groups: the Amsterdam International, the Moscow International, and the A. F. of L. (or the Pan-American Federation of Labor, which includes several of the Latin-American countries). Though the Amsterdam International had the largest membership, it controlled, at best, only a minority of the world's labor movement.
- ↑ American Federationist, April, 1921, pp. 328–30,