OUTSIDE THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT

 

The Congregational Council has crystallized its belief in research. It has
written and illustrated a magazine, Social Action, reprints of social science
materials, worship services, study outlines, and pamphlets so that they may
be understood by workers who are deeply religious and wary of social move-
ments outside of the Church. The National Religion and Labor Foundation
has an official publication, Economic Justice, which carries on a year-round
interpretation of labor problems. The Catholic trade union association pub-
lishes a periodical, The Catholic W orker, as well as pamphlets and leaflets.

All three religious groups may circulate their material nationally. The
Catholic Worker has branches throughout the country, which sponsor round-
table discussions; the Council’s literature is partly distributed through its com-
munity program; and the Foundation has executive committee members in
many branches of the workers’ education movement.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THOSE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE TRADE UNIONS

Workers’ education in trade unions is available only to organized workers.
Concentration upon collective bargaining, therefore, is natural. Unionized
and non-unionized adults form only one part of broad community organiza-
tions, including political parties, community centers, and churches. Although
as a “labor” educational unit they may draw apart from the general con-
stituency, they are influenced, nevertheless, by the philosophy of their parent
body. Collective bargaining, therefore, is not their main goal.

More specifically, in the majority of trade unions, education and organiza-
tion are related functionally. Emphasis upon intensive community participa-
tion and broad social change is only incidental. On the other hand, political,
community and religious groups utilize education for workers to induce trans-
formation of a political, religious or social nature. Trade unionism, however,
may be shown to be one agency significant as a tool.

Labor organizations which have economic, political and social aims—
namely, the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers’ Union, and the American Federation of Hosiery Work-
ers—therefore may well consider other educational programs supplementary
to their own, Consequently, they have used the trade union institutes of
political schools; they have met in settlements, with whom they have merged
educational programs; they have held joint classes with Y.W.C.A.s,

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