Conference for Progressive Labor Action
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The Conference for Progressive Labor Action (CPLA) was a
left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
American political organization established in May 1929 by A. J. Muste, the director of Brookwood Labor College. The organization was established to promote
industrial unionism Industrial unionism is a trade union organising method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union, regardless of skill or trade, thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in b ...
and to work for reform of the
American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...
. It dissolved itself in December 1933 to form the
American Workers Party The American Workers Party (AWP) was a socialist organization established in December 1933 by activists in the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, a group headed by A. J. Muste. Formation The American Workers Party was established in De ...
.


Establishment

The CPLA was established by a group of activists in the trade union movement at a convention held in
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on May 25 and 26, 1929.Nathan Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1930: Volume 11''. New York: Rand School of Social Science, 1930; p. 86. Those uniting into a common organization at the founding conference included the professional staff and activists of Brookwood Labor College, a workers' education society; the editorial staff of '' Labor Age'' magazine, a radical monthly; and members of an array of independent
trade unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
. The primary force behind the new organization was A. J. Muste, a radical
clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
and committed
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
. Muste had become active in the American trade union movement from his belief in the
social gospel The Social Gospel is a social movement within Protestantism that aims to apply Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as economic inequality, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, unclean en ...
and its call for the application of
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to
social problems A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
and reduce
poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...
and suffering in the world. Muste had come to believe that the
American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...
(AFL), an umbrella organization of more than 100 independent
craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...
and industrial unions, was "hostile to genuine workers' education" and a fetter upon the growth of the power and scope of the American labor movement. Muste outlined a program for militant progressive union activists in the pages of ''Labor Age'', a New York monthly with which he was closely associated. In its February issue, that magazine opined that "honest, militant, progressive elements" in the American labor movement had no worthy option to the conservatism of the AFL and the extreme radicalism of the
Communist Party USA The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...
and its trade union auxiliary, the
Trade Union Unity League The Trade Union Unity League (TUUL) was an industrial union umbrella organization under the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) between 1929 and 1935. The group was an American affiliate of the Red International of Labor Unions. The fo ...
. A new organization was sought to advance a radical agenda for the trade union movement, including the organization of the unorganized into industrial unions;"The Challenge to Progressives," in ''The American Labor Year Book, 1930'', p. 90. exposure of the conservative, pro-business National Civic Federation with which conservative AFL leaders collaborated; an end to
racial discrimination Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their Race (human categorization), race, ancestry, ethnicity, ethnic or national origin, and/or Human skin color, skin color and Hair, hair texture. Individuals ...
in the union movement; active work for
unemployment insurance Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
,
health insurance Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...
, and
old age pensions A pension (; ) is a fund into which amounts are paid regularly during an individual's working career, and from which periodic payments are made to support the person's retirement from work. A pension may be either a "defined benefit plan", wher ...
; and the development of "a labor party based on the mass organization of industrial workers." A convention call was issued for a gathering to be held over the weekend of May 25 and 26, 1929, in New York City. The gathering was attended by 151 delegates, representing 33 unions in 18 states.Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1930'', p. 93. The constitution adopted by the founding conference, referred to as the CPLA's "Organizational Plan", specified that the purpose of the new group was "to carry on research, educational work, and agitation among the workers, both organized and unorganized in industry and agriculture, in order to stimulate in the existing and potential labor organizations a progressive, realistic, militant labor spirit and activity...."Leonard Bright, "CPLA Organizes: Deliberations and Accomplishments of Two Day Conference," ''Labor Age'' ew York vol. 18, no. 6 (June 1929), p. 4. Membership was open to any individual who belonged to a labor or farm organization and was "in agreement with the aims of the association and desirous of actively forwarding its purposes" or members of fully affiliated unions. The headquarters for the CPLA were established at 104 Fifth Avenue, New York City, June 15, 1929.


Development

Although the CPLA was made up of individual members of the AFL, it had no direct membership status in it. Its criticism of the AFL's leader, William Green, and leadership cut both ways, as the Executive Council of that trade union body was quick to denounce the CPLA as a dual union. That criticism drew an official response from Muste in a July 23, 1929 statement that declared the CPLA was "not a dual union or federation of labor" and criticized the Communist Party for its attempt to form a "disruptive" communist trade union center, which he deemed "totally out of accord with the needs of the workers in America today." The official magazine of the CPLA, '' Labor Age'', reiterated its bitter disappointment with the Communist Party's performance in a June 1929 article:
The Communists, presented with a golden opportunity for service to the workers y the lethargic performance of the official AFLhave miserably muffed the ball. They have aroused the unorganized in
Passaic Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city was the state's 16th-most-populous municipality,Gastonia; but they have given no promise of leaving anything permanent to them, and they have resorted to a campaign of vituperation and strikebreaking that is not helpful to progress, to say the least. It is only a matter of time until they pass out of the picture, torn asunder by naive doctrinaire differences.
At the time of its launch, the CPLA was governed by a 26-member National Executive Committee, which elected Muste as its chairman and James H. Maurer and Carl Holderman as its vice-chairmen.Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1930'', p. 94. Day-to-day operations were conducted by a pair of Executive Secretaries: Louis F. Budenz and Israel Mufson. A local unit of the CLPA was known as a "branch".Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1930'', pp. 95. In 1929, branches were formed in 13 cities clustered in the
Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...
, including in New York City,
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,
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, Buffalo,
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, and
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. The CPLA held periodic conferences and educational seminars, including a gathering over
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
in 1930 in Katonah, New York.Nathan Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1931: Volume 12''. New York: Rand School Press, 1931; p. 123. The gatherings concentrated discussion on practical matters of labor organization, such as the situation facing organizers in the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
, developments in the United Mine Workers Union and the steelworkers, studies of the development and effects of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, and the problems facing black and female workers. The group published a flurry of
pamphlets A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a Hardcover, hard cover or Bookbinding, binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' ...
that publicized it and its perspectives, and it circulated 50,000 copies of a single leaflet in 1930, ''Insure Your Pay''.Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1931'', p. 124. The CPLA also sent speakers into the field to speak to various union gatherings, workers groups, college classes, and public forums. The group also attempted to mobilize unemployed workers by speaking before thousands at New York City's Free Municipal Employment Bureau.


Left turn

Although the CPLA was extremely close to the
Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of America ...
during its first two years of existence, including such prominent party leaders and
Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian religious minister, minister, political activist, and perennial candidate for president. He achieved fame as a socialism, socialist and pacifism, pacifis ...
, James H. Maurer, and James Oneal among its ranks, the National Executive Committee declared its dissatisfaction with both Socialist and Communist Parties in 1931.Nathan Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1932: Volume 13''. New York: Rand School Press, 1932; p. 71. The Socialist Party was singled out for particular criticism for not having "a clear working class orientation":
he Socialist Partyhas not, as a matter of fact, succeeded in winning the confidence of American workers. Some of its exponents have publicly abandoned
Marxism Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, ...
as a labor philosophy, and have no philosophy to offer in its place. Others profess to retain Marxism but exhibit no militancy in carrying on the
class struggle In political science, the term class conflict, class struggle, or class war refers to the economic antagonism and political tension that exist among social classes because of clashing interests, competition for limited resources, and inequali ...
. It pursues a policy of 'neutrality' toward the trade unions which in practice amounts to leaving them in the hands of the bureaucrats and corruptionists.... It has lacked vigor and aggressiveness in supporting, inspiring, and leading efforts to organize the masses of unskilled and semi-skilled workers in the basic industries.... It is confused and at times distinctly antagonistic in its attitude toward
Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
. It is not aggressive and militant in the struggle against
militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
. It is not out and out Socialist, neither has it yet demonstrated that it can be an effective left-progressive American party.
That was a left turn for the organization despite its continued distrust and ideological distance by the Communist Party USA and its trade union auxiliary. In April 1931, CPLA Chairman Muste declared the Communists' Third Period obsession with forming exclusively-communist independent unions and "exercising a minute party dictatorship" over them as "utterly unsuited to such periods as the present and obviously suicidal." Despite its political aspirations, the CPLA remained focused on the labor movement in 1931 and worked hand in glove with Alexander Howat in support of a dissident Reorganized United Mine Workers Union. When Illinois officials of that union decided to return to the old organization, headed by
John L. Lewis John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of Labor unions in the United States, organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers, United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. ...
, the CPLA intensified its effort to assist Howat and his associates with the organization of its own convention in
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, which began on April 15, 1931. That effort did not succeed in building a lasting "rank and file union", however. The CPLA was also active from January to March 1931 in assisting in the organization of
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
miners in
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
's Kanawha Valley mine fields.Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1932'', p. 73. CPLA organizers sent to the region included Muste, Tom Tippett, and Katherine Pollack. The organization continued to co-operate with the West Virginia Mine Workers Union after the conclusion of the strike. In the summer of 1931, the organization also worked
Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.United Textile Workers, in the AFL. The CPLA also maintained a permanent organizer in the field who attempted to organize textile workers in the
Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...
. The call for a new political party by the CPLA leadership began to grow in 1931, with Muste authoring a lengthy April 1931 article, calling for formation of a new political party. Six necessary characteristics were enumerated by Muste: the new organization must be organized "on a class basis" and "out to do away with the present capitalist economy" and upon the "organization of the workers upon the economic field into industrial unions." Furthermore, Muste declared that the new organization needed to offer a "sound view of Soviet Russia", with a demand for
diplomatic recognition Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral declarative political act of a state that acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state (may be also a recognized state). Recognition can be acc ...
, to recognize the limitations of parliamentary action, and to "be realistic" and to "grow out of the American soil."


Termination

Gradually, the CPLA came to see itself less as a cheerleader for a new independent labor party and more as the kernel of a political party itself. While averring that the CPLA did not contemplate "putting up candidates, etc.", Muste nonetheless announced in 1932 that the group sought "a more closely knit and disciplined membership than was formerly the case."Fine (ed.), ''The American Labor Year Book, 1932'', p. 72. According to Muste, the CPLA sought to forge cooperative partnerships with other organizations in establishing "a genuinely militant left-wing political group in the United States." Despite having had at least seven educational and political conferences over the first three years of its existence, the CPLA did not hold its "1st Official Convention" until the
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
weekend of September 1932."CPLA Convention Call," ''Labor Age'' ew York vol. 21, no. 7 (July 1932), pp. 1-2. The convention call specified:
The convention will adopt a permanent name and a constitution for this organization of militants. It will determine policies and map out programs for industrial organization in the basic industries, progressive activities in the unions, work among the unemployed, the building of a mass labor party, agitation for unity in the American labor movement, and for building up the CPLA itself as a rallying center for militants who desire to serve in an effective vanguard for American labor.
No procedure for the systematic selection of delegates was specified but rather "existing political or propagandist groups which are in agreement with CPLA aims and methods are invited to correspond with the NEC in regard to attendance and representation at the convention." Delegates attending the convention represented 20 CPLA branches in 8 states as well as representatives of trade unions, purporting to represent 40,000 workers.A.J. Muste, "The Meaning of the Convention," ''Labor Age'' ew York vol. 21, no. 9 (September 1932), p. 3. The gathering voted to replace the CPLA's monthly magazine, ''Labor Age'', with a new weekly newspaper to be called ''Labor Action''. A new set of officers was elected, including Muste as chairman and a 22-member National Executive Committee."The National Executive Committee and Officers," ''Labor Age'' ew York vol. 21, no. 9 (September 1932), p. 5. The organization was forthright in its objectives, with Muste declaring that "the CPLA aims to abolish capitalism, not to reform it, and to build a workers' republic and a planned economic system operated by and for the workers."Muste, "The Meaning of the Convention," p. 4. The group remained unwilling to declare itself a political party, however, with Muste maintaining a union-oriented perspective, asserting that "members will work within existing economic organizations." The evolution of the CPLA into its successor organization, the
American Workers Party The American Workers Party (AWP) was a socialist organization established in December 1933 by activists in the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, a group headed by A. J. Muste. Formation The American Workers Party was established in De ...
, had begun, which culminated in December 1933 with the establishment of the new party.


Conventions


Prominent members

* Leonard Bright * Louis F. Budenz * J.M. Budish * Frank Crosswaith * Winston Dancis * Justus Ebert * Nathan Fine * Francis J. Gorman * J.B.S. Hardman * Mary Hillyer * Carl Holderman * Andrew J. Kennedy * John C. Kennedy * Abraham Lefkowitz * Algernon Lee * Ludwig Lore * Benjamin Mandel (as Bert Miller) * J.B. Matthews * James H. Maurer * Israel Mufson * A.J. Muste * Harvey O'Connor * James Oneal * Frank L. Palmer * David J. Saposs * Nathaniel Spector *
Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian religious minister, minister, political activist, and perennial candidate for president. He achieved fame as a socialism, socialist and pacifism, pacifis ...
* Tom Tippett


Publications

The official organ of the CPLA was the monthly magazine ''Labor Age'', which was succeeded in January 1933 by a newspaper, ''Labor Action'' that was the official organ of the successor, the American Workers Party. Pamphlets published by the CPLA include: * ''What is the Conference for Progressive Labor Action? A Statement of Policy.'' New York: Labor Publication Society, n.d. . 1929 * Francis J. Gorman; Tom Tippett; and A.J. Muste, ''The Marion Murder: The Story of the Tragic Day of October 2, 1929: Funeral Addresses.'' New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1929. * A.J. Muste, ''Why a Labor Party — And the Folly of the Non-Partisan Policy.'' New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1929. * ''One Year of CPLA.'' New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, n.d. . 1930 * Abram Lincoln Harris, ''The Negro Worker: A Problem of Concern to the Entire Labor Movement.'' New York: National Executive Committee of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1930. * Jessie Lloyd O'Connor, ''Gastonia: A Graphic Chapter in Southern Organization.'' New York: National Executive Committee of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1930. * Jame Oneal and J.B.S. Hardman
''Why Unions Go Smash! : Certain Dangerous Trends in American Trade Unionism and What is to be Done.''
New York: National Executive Committee of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1930. * ''Labor's Share in the Late Lamented Prosperity: Analyzing How Much of the Good Things Trickle Down to Labor.'' New York: National Executive Committee, Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1930. * ''The Call to Action: 2nd year of CPLA: A Short Review of the Origin, Purposes, and Activities of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action.'' New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, n.d. . 1931 * A.J. Muste
''The AF of L in 1931.''
New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, n.d.
931 Year 931 ( CMXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place North Africa * The Ummayad Caliphate of Córdoba invades and conquers the city of Ceuta, which was ruled by the Berber dynasty Banu I ...
* Louis F. Budenz (ed.), ''Labor Age Cartoons.'' New York: Conference for Progressive Labor Action, 1932. * John C. Kennedy, ''Ending the Depression.'' New York: National Executive Committee of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, n.d. . 1932 * A.J. Muste and Louis F. Budenz, ''CPLA at Work.'' New York: Conference of Progressive Labor Action, 1932. * ''CPLA: Program, Policies.'' New York: National Executive Committee of the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, n.d. . 1932


See also

* League for Independent Political Action


References


Sources

* William Z. Foster
''Little Brothers of the Big Labor Fakers: Report of a Speech against the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, Made in New Star Casino, New York City on May 10, 1931.''
New York: Trade Union Unity League, 1931.


External links


Archive.org
A.J. Muste on "My Experience in the Labor and Radical Struggles of the Thirties" (mp3 audio) American Archive Pilot Project, Illinois Public Media, WILL. Speech of February 9, 1966 — Original resides in the archives of the University of Illinois

''Labor Age'' archives 1921-1933 {{DEFAULTSORT:Conference for Progressive Labor Action Political parties established in 1929 Defunct political parties in the United States Defunct social democratic parties in the United States 1933 disestablishments in New York (state) American Federation of Labor Trade unions in the United States 1929 establishments in New York City