▁free ▁speech ▁f ights ▁in ▁Sp ok ane , ▁Washington . ▁ ▁F oster ▁became ▁a ▁prominent ▁figure ▁within ▁the ▁union , ▁serving ▁as ▁its ▁representative ▁at ▁an ▁international ▁labor ▁conference ▁in ▁Budapest ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁a ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁its ▁papers . ▁F oster ' s ▁politics , ▁however , ▁were ▁moving ▁him ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁I W W . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁committed ▁synd ical ist ▁after ▁tour ing ▁Europe ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁and ▁critic ized ▁the ▁I W W ▁for ▁not ▁working ▁within ▁established ▁un ions ▁or ▁within ▁the ▁work shop ▁in ▁any ▁event . ▁He ▁ur ged ▁American ▁left ists ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁A FL ▁un ions , ▁rather ▁than ▁establish ▁rival ▁un ions , ▁as ▁the ▁I W W ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁do . ▁He ▁also ▁den ounced ▁elect oral ▁politics ▁as ▁a ▁dead ▁end ▁that ▁sm other ed ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁ar dor ▁of ▁these ▁groups ▁by ▁channel ing ▁their ▁energ ies ▁into ▁purs uit ▁of ▁office , ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁comprom ises ▁that ▁ent ails . ▁F oster ▁lost ▁the ▁battle , ▁however , ▁and ▁soon ▁there after ▁left ▁the ▁I W W ▁and ▁formed ▁his ▁own ▁organization , ▁the ▁Sy nd ical ist ▁League ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁( SL NA ). ▁ ▁The ▁SL NA ' s ▁policies ▁— ▁direct ▁action ▁at ▁the ▁shop ▁floor ▁level ▁leading ▁to ▁workers ' ▁govern ance ▁of ▁society , ▁but ▁without ▁the ▁dead ▁weight ▁of