Montana labor news., 1932-11-24
ROYSTER HURLS DEFY
AT RAIL LABOR FAD
CONTINUED from Page Onel

nedteuly ucIllcS Tie uudliSui CHdISt.
The executive council resolution,
which will be reported to the con
vention of the American Federation
of Labor at Cincinnati, Nov. 81, also
directs President William Green to
fight the Hatfield-K Keller industrial
retirement pension bill, now pending
in Congress, and to support instead
the Wagner-C rosser bill, subsequent
ly introduced and which Register
characterizes as "infamous" and "a
nefarious, calling insurance non
strosity."
Register Hurls Defy.
Defying the chiefs of the q stand
ard railroad labor organizations and
the executive council of the A. F. of
L. to do their worst, Chairman Roys-
ter advises the members Of his or
ganization to "take up the notches
in your belts and fight onl" The
full text of his circular letter fol-
lows:
"Our labor chiefs of the q stand
ard railroad labor organizations, re-
alizing their loss of prestige with
their membership for espousing the
infamous Wagner-Crosser retirement
annuity insurance bill, frantically ap-
peal to the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor for
help to saddle their nefarious, calling
insurance monstrosity on the backs
of the transportation workers.
Like a we'll co-ordinated machine,
the executive council of the A. F. Of
L. throws a sop to the 81 railroad
labor chiefs by ~indorsing the Wag-
ner-C rosser bill and then grandilo-
quently and with a great show Of
understanding presumes to advise
Senator Hatfield and Congressman
Keller who we are and the purpose
of the Railroad Employees National
Pension Association.
Not a Dual Organization.
"The membership of our associa-
ton is composed of members of the
81 standard railroad labor organi-
cations who recognize the incompe-
tency of our labor chiefs to handle
legislation providing a retirement
pension for transportation workers.
That it may be handled competently
by themselves is the n purpose of
the Railroad Employees National
Pension Associations existence, and
we have no other purpose. viii the
members Of the executive council tell
the members Of Congress this? No!
They are labor chiefs themselves
and cannot conceive that, after their
own election as heads of their respec-
tive organizations, there is enough
intelligence left in the rank and file
to promote anything.
"The executive council of the A. f.
of L. further salves the labor chiefs
hatred of the Railway Employees Ma
tional Pension Association by de-
nouncing US as dual to and destruc-
tive of the 81 standard railroad la
Dor organizations. Again we deny
the charge and repeat that, by eason
of the purblindness and incompetency
of our railroad labor chiefs in hand
ling the social question of retirement
pensions for the transportation work
ers, the Railroad Employees National
Pension Association has been estab-
lished for the purpose of promoting
that work and none other.
Steamr0ller Tactics.
eve are sorry that the executive
council of the A. F. Of L. yielded
to the wailing opportunities of the
railroad labor chiefs, yet it has done
just what we had expected it to do.
The American Federation of Labor
is machined like our own craft or
CARNATIONS, but is farther removed
from the rank and file to such an
extent that your voice is scarcely
heard. Notwithstanding its faulty
structure, there are some noble, high
minded, well-intentioned men on its
official staff, dependent on their jobs
for a living, who are coerced and
driven to act contrary to their better
judgment.
I. L. N. S. Criticized.
"The International Labor News
Service, a subsidiary of the A. F. of
L., endeavoring to fill a very much
needed and necessary function for all
workers, is to be used as a club to
browbeat, bully and intimidate the
transportation worker to give up the
beneficial provisions Of the Hatfield
Keller bill and accept the infamous,
vicious and calling Wagner-C rosser
bill. We are sorry the International
Labor News Service is to assume
the role of a ~racketeer; we had hoped
it could be used in a more useful
orI ooncfr,o%,yo f,o1J The uotop