Evening star., 1926-09-30
UNIONS ADOPTING
PUBLICITY POLICY
Change From Old Secretive
Methods Being Made to Give
Public Facts.
BY JAMES NJ. LYNCH.


DETROIT, September 30.-One new
development in trade union philosophy
that is certain to attract notice at the
convention of the American Fedora
tion of Labor here next week is the
disposition of influential labor leaders
70 accept the general public as an in
terested party in all union issues.
Among the active unionists in at
tendance at the advance conferences
now in session are several aggressive
proponents of the principle of pub
licity in labor affairs. A number of
the larger and more influential inter
rational unions have already taken
steps to acquaint the public with their
activities and aspirations by way of
inviting sympathy and understanding.
The United Garment Workers, the
United Mine Workers, the Interna-
tional Printing Pressmens and AS
Sistants' Union and the International
Typographical Union have expended
considerable sums in the last year in
publicity campaigns. hoping to pro-
mote a feeling OF trust and sympathy
toward trade union programs officials
OF these organizations will urge adop-
tion of similar policies by other unions.
Green Favors Open Action.
President Green OF the a. F. Of l..
is one of the WarmeSt dvocates of
frank and open transaction of union
;tffairs.
1T must he remembered" said
President Green. that 81 trade union
is a quasi-public institution. Many
union problems and courses Of action
affect the general public very init
mately. and the public is entitled to
all the enlightenment htat either
party to a labor controversy can Of
fer. Furthermore, it is a wise thing
TO acquaint all those who read with
the character of a union, upon which
he may be called to pass Judgment
If we are to urge men to approve
the principle Of unionism. we GER
tainly owe 1t to them to supply good
reasons why they should do so.'
There was a time when large cor
porations. notably the railroads, coy
lv avoided all appearances before the
public in the press, assuming that
rs far as they were concerned no
news was good news. This reticence
eventually raised public curiosity to
such a pitch that downright hostility
set in. Wise in their generation. the
railroads. for the most part, adopted
new tactics. Newspaper reporters
once barred from the premises. were
welcomed with open arms. 1t was
even learned that positive benefits
were to he derived from candid deal
ing with the press and public.
Unions Have Been Reticent.
Never since the days Of the pub.
lie be damned railroad president has
any large institution deigned to as
sumo SO forbidding an aspect toward
The public as have some union lead
rrs. Officials of several international
unions are insisting here that some
Thing be done to remedy this situa-
ton.
The plant that the newspapers
are unfriendly toward labor and will
print nothing favorable to its inter-
est is simply not true" said one
official whose organization has adopt
I'd policy of publicity. newspapers
will print any information that is
really news and of general interest.
The trouble is that many unionists,
especially local leaders. deny access
20 information that the public Is
entitled to and then complain because
their cause is misrepresented."
Need OF media for the dissemina
ton Of labor's views has long been
n subject of discussion at union as
semblies and the cause Of many lach
rymoSc complaints against the mach
nations OF the "Capitalist press" At
,empts to increase the influence Of
labor papers and to make them more
powerful agencies Of propag ganda
have not been uniformly successful
for the reason that union members
will not support them as generously
~ might he hoped. Modern labor
leaders are coming to believe that It
IS a mistake to depend entirely upon