The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-05

ers who not only listen to but invite
into their midst such people as RED
Gross officials and Chamber Of Com
merce officers.
IT have only one vote in the con-
vention. I am one of the 318 dele
gates who have only one vote a piece,
and who represent State declarations
of Labor, Federal Unions and Central
Labor Councils, having a total, I'M
questionably of more than 100000
dues paying members Of the A. F. OF
L. against these 318 votes, John L.
Lewis alone casts 5000 votes Lewis
claims to represent only around ESQ.,
900 members. Think of it-300O votes
for 100000 and 318 votes for 100000.
Supposed Representatives.
"This system of apportioning votes
is one method by which control Of
the A. F. L. is kept in the hands
of the bureaucracy under the mask
of democracy The heads of In
ternational Unions, such as Lewis,
supposedly speak for the entire mem
bership of the unions, but as a matter
of fact and record, they are much
further away from the rank and file
than are officials of Central Labor
Councils, State declarations and Fed
eral Unions. In fact, it is well known
that revolts in the A. F. of L. gen.
orally start in Central Labor Bodies.
Supposed Is right for the Interna-
tional Union officials speaking for
the rank and file.'
"Those 318 delegates from Central
Labor bodies know these facts. They
know that the delegation excluded
today brought a program vital to the
interests of the A. F. of L. member
ship. Although these delegats are
intimidated by the bureaucracy, I feel
certain many of them will fight.
"Of course, the usual red scare
was raised against the rank and file
delegation. Well, have no idea how
many of them are Communists-I'd
guess two or three. But this much
know: They represented 1900 unions
which are not Communist unions, but
unions of workers who feel that the
present leadership of the A. F. OF l..
does not represent its own dues-pay-
ing membership. Furthermore,
whether or not these brothers are
Communists or what not, has nothing
to do with the case, since the very
A. F. Of L. constitution specifically
guarantees against any discrimination
on the grounds of political views"
All resolutions adopted by the A.
F. Of L. Committee for Unemployment
Insurance have been introduced and
are printed in Tuesdays and We'd
nesday's convention proceedings. This
assures that they will be the subject
of some debate on the floor, although
VOL, Chairman of the Resolution
Committee and Victor A. Olander,
Secretary of Resolutions Committee,
expert strangers of membership pro-
test, will do their best to bury them.
A resolution for exemption of un-
employed from dues, sponsored by the
Kenossa Central Labor Council, shows
that this is considered vital issue
in many parts of the country.
Resolutions before convention now
include withdrawal Of A. F. of L. Of
ficials from MIRA, no discrimination
against Negroes, exemption Of unem-
ployed from dues, abolition of racket
eering gangsterism, for compulsory
Federal Unemployment Insurance, for
mass violation of the injunction, and
lowering initiation fees of Federal
Labor Unions, and against Hitlerism.
No resolution for or against recog-
milton Of the Soviet Union appears
in the printed proceedings. 1t seems