Montana labor news., 1934-02-08

WASHINGTON-(FP) - Efforts
to smooth out antagonisms created
through the widespread organization
of federal labor unions in the last six
months and the claims of information
al unions were approved by the spec
ial conference of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor meeting in Washing
ton Jan. rs. Federal union charters
are again to be issued, after a halt
called several weeks ago. On the
other hand craft unions are guaran-
teed the right to claim membership
out of the newly-formed plant unions
in the various basic industries.
The conference adopted unanimous
ly the report of its special committee,
headed by Matthew Vol, only after
impassioned speeches from the floor
by international officers brought from
Vol the specific reply that in all
cases craft rights are to be preserved.
The granting of charters to new in
dustrial unions in rubber, auto,alum-
mum and other industries was not
touched upon specifically.
The committee called for organiza-
ton Sin whatever form or method is
best designed to rally the wage earn
ers to the case of organized labor,
bearing in mind that in the pursuit
of organization the present structure,
rights and interests of affiliated ma
tional and international unions must
be followed, observed and safeguard
ed.
The report pointed out that many
internationals had been formed out of
federal unions in the past and that
new internationals should be encour-
aged where no such organizations
now exist. Conflicts Of such new UNI
ions with existing internationals must
be met "in the spirit of tolerance"
with the executive council of the A.
F. of L.. serving as mediator.
Conferences are to be arranged To-
cally among craft and local organi-
zers to iron out conflicts over juris-
dictional disputes and methods of or
ganizing. Mass meetings are to be
held throughout the country to aid
in organization work.
Responding to protests by Pres. j..
A. Franklin of the boilermakers that
the committee report did not safe
guard the rights of international I'M
ions against "fly-by-night, catch-all"
federal unions, Woll summarized con-
flicts of the past six months. Local
organizers had offered the induce
ment of low initiation fees and dues
in federal unions to the prejudice of
international unions with higher dues,
some organizers had made a business
out of forming unions by pocketing a
part of each initiation fee and in many
instances the rights of craft unions
had been ignored. The committees
report, said VOL, set up machinery
to prevent such activities.
NRA, said Vol, expresses only the
abstract right of workers to union
ize, in contrast to the mandate given
employers to organize. A million
workers have been organized in COM
pany unions and Section Ia has been
interpreted in a manner which has
destroyed many trade union contracts.
Some union contracts have ever been
declared contrary to the spirit of
MIRA, he told delegates.
There has been too much lethar-
gy in our ranks, we have been too
supine. We must organize workers,
and then the Administration will
come to us, rather than us going beg
ging favors from the Administra-
ton.
No voice was raised on the floor
Of the convention for new industrial
union charters but from Indianapolis,
where the United Mine Workers are
in convention, came reports of Pres.
John l.. Lewis recommendations to
his convention concerning A. F. of L..
policy. He said:
at does seem reasonable that there
should be room in the A. F. of L. for
the formation of industry organiza-
lions in the mass production indus
tries, wherein the jurisdiction of the
craft union would be yielded in the
interest of a more comprehensive and
all-embracing form of organization,
of which the U. M. w. A. is an ex-
ample.
ut seems obvious hat in no other
way can collective bargaining be es-
tablished in certain of the basic in
dustries. The failure, of employees in
these industries to take advantage of
the privileges of the MIRA in itself
demonstrate the necessity for the for
nation of new policies to deal with
this problem.
"The lack of comprehensive organ
ization Of workers in the iron and
steel industry has cost the u. M. W.
A. heavily, because the steel corpora