The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-14
GOMPEUS' PAL
ADMITS DRIVE
FOR WAGE CUTS
O'COnneH, Pensioner of
Machinists, COnfesses
lspeeIaI to ths DaIIy w0rksrl

NSPeStdl 10 tne Ddlty Worker)
Ell PASO, Texas, Nov. 49,
James O'Connell, president of
the metal trades department of
the American Federation of
Labor and pensioned ex-presi-
dent of the international AS
ISOLATION of Machinists, prophe-
sled a drive on wages yesterday
to the metal trades delegates
here to attend the convention
of the A. f. of l.. which opens
on Nov. IL.
Has No Remedy.
O'Connell said that this winter
weuld see the opening of vicious cam.
paign by the employers against the
wage standards of the workers. He
suggested no remedy and made not
the slightest reference to the amalga-
nation of all metal trades unions into
a powerful industrial union, which is
advocated by T. U. E. l.. groups in the
industry.
At the Machinist's convention during
September at Detroit .O'Connell made
a speech saying that he, being an old
pensioner, had nothing to do but to
go around and make the speeches that
the officials of the union told him to
make.
Building Trades Internal War.
The Building Trades department Of
the A. F. of L.. comprising the sixteen
crafts affiliated to the A. F. of L.
through the department, has demand.
ed the suspension of the Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners from the
A. f. of l.. by action taken in the
departments convention being held
here prior to the opening of the A.
F. of L. convention.
The complaint against the carpen-
ters is a grievance of years standing
and illustrates the need for amalga-
nation. of all building trades unions
into union embracing all workers in
the industry as proposed by the Trade
Union Educational League.
Unions Fight Each other.
The judisdictional squabble over
which the present action arose was
conflict between the carpenters and the
sheet metal workers over which should
do certain construction work. When
the arbitration commission which took
up the conflict decided in favor of
the sheet metal workers, the carpen-
ters withdrew from the Building
Trades department, although retaining
affliation to the A. f. of L. direct.
BY the action taken by the Building
Trades department, the executive
council of the A. F. of L. will be called
upon to suspend the whole carpenters
union of 100000 members from affilia-
ton with the A. f. of l. 1t is expect
ed that the officials of the carpenters
union will resist this demand in the
A. f. of l.. convention. President Hut
cheson Of the carpenters supported
Coolidge in the election, contrary to
the wish of the Gompers' machine.
Sam Explores Political Woods.
Gompers, full OF reaction and vim
despite his IA years has arrived in El
Paso and after Settling" all the ma
jor problems of labor on the indus
trial field, is turning attention to the
new political horizon.
A series of executive meetings is
beginning at which special report
is to be formulated embodying the
councils recommendation upon pos
sible relations between the A. F. OF
l.. and any new party movement
which some see springing from the
recent campaign. The report will not
be made public until it is presented
at the convention next Tuesday.