,GRAMSCI & SYNDICALISM 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,TOM ,WETZEL 

,TEXT 3 

,9 A POLEMIC AGA9/ ! SYNDICALI/S1 ,ANTONIO ,GRAMSCI >GU$ ?AT ! SYNDICALI/S W]E WRONG 9 MA9TA9+ ?AT UNIONS W]E CAPABLE ( BE+ ORGANS ( WORK]S' REVOLUTION4 ,HE SAID ?IS CONFUS$ A M>KET+ ORGANIZATION ( LABOR )9 CAPITALISM -- ! TRADE UNIONS -- ) AN ORGANIZATION = RUNN+ PRODUCTION 9 A SOCIALIZ$ ECONOMY -- ! WORK]S C\NCILS4 ,BECAUSE ! FUNCTION ( A UNION IS TO AFFECT ! T]MS & CONDITIONS ( ! SALE ( LABOR TO ! EMPLOY]S1 HE >GU$1 IT IS AN ORGANIZATION SPECIFIC TO A CAPITALI/ SOCIETY4 

,H[EV]1 IF WE LOOK AT ! ACTUAL FUNCTIONS ( ! ,TUR9 %OP C\NCILS1 AS DESCRIB$ 9 ! ,%OP ,/EW>DS' ,PROGRAM1 WE F9D ?AT MU* ( !IR ACTUAL FUNCTION IS ! ORGANIZATION ( ! /RUGGLE ) ! EMPLOY]S OV] ! 0T]MS & CONDITIONS0 ( LABOR )9 CAPITALISM4 ,= EXAMPLE1 ! %OP /EW>DS W]E CALL$ UPON TO 0EX]CIZE SURVEILLANCE0 OV] ! 5=CEM5T ( ! EXI/+ LABOR CONTRACTS & 0RESOLVE DISPUTES ?AT MAY >ISE BETWE5 ! WORK=CE & MANAGEM5T40 ,9 O!R WORDS1 ! %OP /EW>DS MOVEM5T WAS 9EVITABLY A %OPFLOOR UNIONI/ =CE PRECISELY BECAUSE IT EXPRESS$ ! DESIRE ( ! WORK=CE = A MORE EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION 9 ! /RUGGLES )9 ! CURR5T CAPITALI/ SY/EM AS WELL AS EXPRESS+ !IR ASPIRATIONS = COMPLETE CONTROL4 ,S9CE ANY MASS WORK]S MOVEM5T ( ?IS SORT >ISES 9ITIALLY )9 ! CAPITALI/ SY/EM1 ?IS 0DUAL0 FUNCTION SEEMS 9EVITABLE4 

,MOREOV]1 ,GRAMSCI'S REAL >GUM5T AGA9/ ! POSSIBILITY ( 0REVOLUTION>Y UNIONISM0 WAS BAS$ ON ! 9/ITUTIONALIZ$1 BUREAUCRATIC *>ACT] ( ! (FICIAL ,C,G,L TRADE UNIONS4 ,&1 BY ! SAME TOK51 HIS >GUM5T = ! REVOLUTION>Y POT5TIAL ( ! %OP C\NCILS1 WAS NOT !IR COMPLETE NON9VOLVEM5T 9 PRES5T-DAY UNIONI/ /RUGGLES1 BUT1 RA!R1 !IR 9DEP5D5T1 NON-HI]>*ICAL *>ACT]4 

,GRAMSCI SEES ?AT UNIONS DEVELOP A TOP-D[N REGIME ONCE !Y BECOME 9/ITUTIONALIZ$ 9 B>GA9+ ) ! EMPLOY]S BECAUSE ?IS 5ABLES ! EM]G5T LEAD]%IP TO 5SURE ?AT ! WORK=CE DOES NOT VIOLATE ITS P>T ( ! B>GA9 ) MANAGEM5T3 

0.<,AS IT DEVELOPS1.> ! UNION CONC5TRATES & G5]ALIZES ITS SCOPE SO ?AT ! P[] & DISCIPL9E ( ! MOVEM5T >E FOCUS$ 9 A C5TRAL (FICE4 ,?IS (FICE DETA*ES ITSELF FROM ! MASSES IT REGIM5TS1 REMOV+ ITSELF FROM ! FICKLE $DY ( MOODS & CURR5TS ?AT >E TYPICAL ( ! GREAT TUMULTU\S MASSES4 ,! UNION ?US ACQUIRES ! ABILITY TO SIGN AGREEM5TS & TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITIES1 OBLIG+ ! 5TREPR5EUR TO ACCEPT A C]TA9 LEGALITY 9 HIS RELATIONS ) ! WORK]S4 ,?IS LEGALITY IS CONDITIONAL ON ! TRU/ ! 5TREPR5EUR HAS 9 ! SOLV5CY ( ! UNION & ITS ABILITY TO 5SURE ?AT ! WORK+ MASSES RESPECT !IR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS40 

,BUT IT IS PRECISELY ?IS BUREAUCRATIC /RUCTURE ( 9/ITUTIONALIZ$ TRADE UNIONISM ?AT MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE = IT TO BE AN 9/RUM5T ( REVOLUTION1 S9CE !SE /RUCTURES EXI/ TO 0P]PETUATE & UNIV]SALIZE0 ! 09DU/RIAL LEGALITY0 DEVELOP$ 9 ! ACCUMULAT$ COMPROMISES ) ! EMPLOY]S4 ,! UNION 0REPRES5TS LEGALITY1 & MU/ AIM TO MAKE IT RESPECT$ BY ITS MEMB]S40 

,ON ! O!R H&1 ! %OP C\NCILS >E SE5 AS POT5TIALLY REVOLUTION>Y1 ACCORD+ TO ,GRAMSCI1 PRECISELY BECAUSE !Y >E NOT SUBJECT TO A BUREAUCRACY EXT]NAL TO ! WORK=CE3 

0,! FACTORY C\NCIL IS ! NEGATION ( 9DU/RIAL LEGALITY4 ,IT T5DS AT EV]Y MOM5T TO DE/ROY IT4444,BY ITS REVOLUTION>Y SPONTANEITY1 ! FACTORY C\NCIL T5DS TO UNLEA% ! CLASS W> AT ANY MOM5T2 BY ITS BUREAUCRATIC =M1 ! TRADE UNION T5DS TO PREV5T ! CLASS W> EV] BE+ UNLEA%$40 

,BUT ONCE WE UND]/& :AT ,GRAMSCI MEANS BY 0UNION0 -- ?AT IS1 9/ITUTIONALIZ$1 BUREAUCRATIZ$ TRADE UNIONS -- !N WE CAN SEE ?AT AN>*O-SYNDICALI/S W\LD AGREE ) ,GRAMSCI'S VIEWS ON ! LIMITS ( TRADE UNIONS S9CE !Y AGREE ?AT ! BUREAUCRATIZ$ TRADE UNIONS T5D TO CON/RA9 WORK]S ACTION )9 ! LIMITS ( :AT IS ACCEPTABLE TO ! EMPLOY+ CLASS4 ,SU* TOP-D[N /RUCTURES >E1 ?US1 NOT CAPABLE ( BE+ ORGANS ( REVOLUTION4 

,H[EV]1 AN>*O-SYNDICALI/S W\LD PO9T \T ?AT :5 !Y ADVOCATE 0REVOLUTION>Y UNIONISM10 !Y >E US+ ! T]M 0UNION0 9 A DIFF]5T S5SE4 ,!RE IS ANO!R S5SE ( ! T]M 0UNION10 REF]R+ TO ASSOCIATION ( ! WORK]S !MSELVES 9 OPPOSITION TO ! EMPLOY]S3 ! WORK]S 09 UNION0 ) EA* O!R4 ,&1 9 ?IS S5SE1 ! %OP C\NCIL MOVEM5T WAS ALSO A =M ( UNIONISM4 ,MOREOV]1 ,GRAMSCI SOMETIMES USES ! WORD 0UNION0 9 ?IS O!R S5SE1 AS :5 HE SAYS ?AT ! ,TUR9 %OP C\NCIL MOVEM5T IS A =M ( 09DU/RIAL UNIONISM10 UNIT+ ! WORK=CE ACROSS DIVISIONS ( CRAFT & IDEOLOGY4 

,MOREOV]1 IF IT IS ! NON-BUREAUCRATIC1 MASS AUTONOM\S *>ACT] ( ! ,TUR9 %OP C\NCILS ?AT GIVES !M A REVOLUTION>Y POT5TIAL1 AS ,GRAMSCI HAD >GU$1 !N ,U,S,I ACTIVI/S C\LD >GUE ?AT ,GRAMSCI MU/ CONC$E ?AT ! 0UNIONS0 ADVOCAT$ BY ! AN>*O-SYNDICALI/S HAVE A REVOLUTION>Y POT5TIAL ALSO S9CE !Y HAVE ! SAME *>ACT] & /RUCTURE AS ! ,TUR9 %OP C\NCILS4 

,ONE LESSON ( ! ,ITALIAN REVOLUTION ( #a#i#a#i-#b IS ?AT ! SUPPOS$ OPPOSITION BETWE5 0C\NCILISM0 & 0SYNDICALISM0 IS MORE MY? ?AN REALITY4 ,! MA9 BODY ( ,ITALIAN SYNDICALISM -- ! ,U,S,I -- ADOPT$ ! ME?ODS & ORGANIZATIONAL =MS ( ! ,TUR9 %OP C\NCIL MOVEM5T4 ,AT ! SAME TIME1 ! AN>*O-SYNDICALI/S 9 ,TUR9 W]E SL[ TO BUILD AN ,U,S,I ORGANIZATION !RE BECAUSE ! 9DEP5D5T1 DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION ( ! ,TUR9 C\NCILS & !IR ORI5TATION TO DIRECT ACTION & WORK]S CONTROL MADE !M A LIV+ APPROXIMATION ( AN>*O-SYNDICALI/ IDEALS4 

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