MIA: Glossary: Publications: Labor Unity
1927 – 1935
The Trade Union Unity League’s
Labor Unity—A Joint Project—
of the Holt Labor Library/Riazanov Library Project/Marxists Internet Archive
Labor Unity was the official organ of the Trade Union Unity League (TUEL). The TUUL was an industrial union umbrella organization of the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) between 1929 and 1935. The group was the American affiliate to the Red International of Labor Unions. It was the result of the Communist International’s Third Period policy, which dictated that affiliated Communist Parties pursue a strategy of dual unionism and thus abandon attempts to “bore from within” existing trade unions.
The TUUL had its roots in an earlier Communist Party foray into the trade union movement, the Trade Union Educational League (1920-1929), headed by William Z. Foster. This earlier organization sought to pursue a “boring from within” tactic inside the previously existing unions, inside and outside of the American Federation of Labor — seeking to organize left wing “militants” within these unions with a view to transforming the unions themselves into revolutionary instruments.
Despite his lifelong enmity towards dual unionism, Foster remained at the helm of the TUEL organization when it changed its name and tactics at its 1929 convention. This change of line was externally driven, Foster explained to his associate from the United Mine Workers of America, Powers Hapgood at the time of the change, declaring “Powers, the Communist Party decided that policy. As a good Communist I just have to go along."
The TUUL was founded at a convention held in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 31, 1929.
This period in the Party’s history has been called its “hey day” and is notable for Communists’ unyielding antagonism to more moderate organizers, who were branded “social fascists.” TUUL activists attempted to organize some of the most marginal populations of the working class, such as the unemployed, women, and Blacks in the racially segregated American South.
The TUUL was dismantled in 1935 when the Comintern switched to the Popular Front strategy. CPUSA organizers then joined the industrial union movement under the Congress of Industrial Organizations, where they applied skills developed during the TUUL era.
These issues of Labor Unity were scanned from older, very scratched and poor quality microfilm. We will endeavor to obtain original hard copy in order to raise the quality of the PDFs of the journal.
Labor Unity issues
1927
Volume 1, No. 1, January 1, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 4, February 15, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 7, April 1, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 8, April 15, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 10, May 15, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 11, June 1, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 12, June 15, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 13, July 1, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
Volume 1, No. 16, October 1, 1927, Chicago, Ill
The Voice of Militant Labor
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published twice a month at 376 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Ill. The Labor Unity Publishing Association, PublishersEditor: Earl R. Browder
1928
Volume 2, No. 1, (whole No. 20) February, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 2, (whole No. 21) March, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 3, (whole No. 22) April, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 4, (whole No. 23) May, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 5, (whole No. 24) June, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 6, (whole No. 25) July, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 7, (whole No. 26) August, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 8, (whole No. 27) September, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 9, (whole No. 28) October, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 10, (whole No. 29) November, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
Volume 2, No. 11, (whole No. 30) December, 1928, Chicago, Ill
An Illustrated Monthly Magazine
Labor Unity
Official Organ of the Trade Union Educational League
Published monthly at 2 West 15th Street, New York City by Trade Union Educational LeagueEditor: Vern Smith
We will uploaded more issues of Labor Monthly as they become available.
Last updated on 12 July 2013