New-York tribune., 1920-02-03
Union of Four
Labor Bodies
Now Assured
Consolidation Is Expected
to Weld Into One Unit
100000 Workers of Five
Boroughs of the City
Called Blow at s'Reds"
Merger Proposed at Confer
ence Here Attended bv
Compers; Men to Vote

The amalgamation Of the four CEN
trail labor bodies of greater New York
was assured yesterday as the result Of
action taken at q conference Of labor
leaders at the Continental Hotel.
The conference was presided over
by Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor. with
whom sat members of the executive
council of the national organization
and representatives. of the Central
Federated Union of Manhattan and the
Central Labor Union of Brooklyn. The
consolidation is expected to weld into
harmonious central body 100000
workers of the five boroughs of the
city, and place under control certain
radical elements that have for long
time been working at cross purposes
with the national body.
The merger is proposed in a resolu-
tion adopted at the conference in which
it is planned to bring together the New
York Central Federated Union, the
brooklyn and Queens Central Labor
bodies, which have long remained in
active. The proposition will be
thrashed out at meeting of commit
tees of the central bodies and the
executive council of the American
Federation of Labor within the next
sixty days, and then placed before the
workers for a referendum vote. Mr..
Gompers stated at the close of yes
terday's proceedings he had no doubt
the amalgamation would be accom-
plished.
Politics Seen in Action
Representing the executive council
besides Mr.. Gompers were James Dun
can, first vice president of the A. F. of
L.; Matthew Woll, vice-president, and
Frank Morrison. secretary. For the
Central Federated Union were Edward
|. Hannah, president; Morris Brown,
Edward Gould, Ernest Bohm, E. C.
Rybicki and William Kohn. James P
Coughlin, president; F. Kehoe, j. Cos
tello, r. Behling and f. Rauscher rep
resented the Central Labor Union of
Brooklyn.
taken to bring about closer co0pera-
tion between the various labor bodies
OF the city, there were intimations that
politics played no small part in bring
ing about the move. 1t was stated one
Of the objects in the reorganization was
to throw cold water" on the American
Labor party movement, to which the
A. F. of L. has been opposed from its
inception.
president Of the party, who was pres
ent at yesterdays conference as a dele
gate from the Central Federated Union,
issued statement in which he de-
clared that "if any attempt should be
made to disrupt INT American Labor
party or to hamper it in any way the
movers in a scheme of that sort know
they would strike snag. l have not
been informed officially that that is
the idea in mind at this conference.
but the American Labor party is too
we'll lntrenched to be hampered by any
one"
Disobedlence Laid to Members
The plans for the amalgamation of
the four borough unions are said to
have grown out of series Of acts of
to be in direct violation of the orders
and policies of the A. F. of L. The
unions Endorsement of the American
Labor party, its attempt to foment a
general strike last August during the
b. K. L. walk-out and it's tardiness in
dropping two outlawed unions from
its rolls on the orders Of the A. F. of
L. were pointed to as some Of the in
stances of insurgency"
cident, which grew out OF the print
ers' strike three months ago, repre-
sentatives of the uni,:, were yesterday
brought up on charges of disobedience
before the executive council commit
tee. The charges were preferred by
George l.. Berry, president of the In
ternational Printing Pressmen's and
Assistants Union. NO decision on
these charges was reached yesterday.
and it was said that in view of the
unions agreement to the consolidation
1t is probable they will be dropped. If
pressed, the union is in danger Of los
ing it's charter.
Before leaving tor Washington last
night, Mr.. Gompers said: "The de-
cision to amalgamate was arrived at
harmonlously and unanimously and
there is every prospect that it will be
accomplished"
Ro;1rno1 WAGE noc;ainr