The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-01

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their statements claiming that the
big danger to labor comes from
Communism. This convention is
going to prove, much to the sur
prise of these leaders, that the red
menace" no longer serves as an
alibi for official bankruptcy and
corruption.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Sept. 80
The crisis in the Official leader
ship of the A. F. of L. has broken
into the open. This is the main
conclusion to be drawn from the
internecine war in the Building
Ira d eS Department Convention
which so far has resulted in a re-
fusal to reinstate the Carpenter,
Electrical Workers and Bricklayers
Unions with the announcement Of
withdrawal as as result of this rul-
ing by the Transfers (truck driv-
ers), Operating Engineers, Marble
Workers and Tile Settlers and the
threatened secession of the Hod
Carriers and Building Laborers.
Rift Result of Crisis
The open rift in the official fam
lily of the Building Trades Depart
ment is the reflection of a fact long
known but not discussed, except in
whispers in official union labor
circles. 1t is the more or less in
evitable result of the fiye-year
crisis which has been felt most
keenly in building and construction
and practically destroyed this in
dustry-once the greatest consumer
of steel and iron products-bringing
mass unemployment to building and
construction workers which official
estimates put as high as rs per cent.
Something like the popular desire
to get rid of President Hoover re-
sulting in the Roosevelt landslide
is going on in the building trades.
Face Split
McDonough, the present head,
faces bitter opposition. Feeling fairly
sure that the three unions seeking
reinstatement would muster all their
forces agains him, McDonough
simply ruled their applications out
Of order. Now the department
confronts a split which would cut
it in about two equal halves. This
breach can be healed only on the
basis of agreement on the personnel
for elective official positions in the
department, in the Executive Coun-
Gil of the A. F. Of L. itself and
agreement on the position to be
taken on the issue considered by
officialdom to be the central queS-
ton in the coming convention, lie,
how to vote on the proposal to en-
large the Executive Council. The
latter proposal, everyone under
stands, contains the main issue of
changing structure of the A. F. of
L. and its affiliated unions from
the craft form to the John L, Lewis
brand of industrial unionism.
Daniel Tobin, president of the
teamsters union, either because he
is alarmed by the two Minneapolis
strikes, and the rank and file char
acter of the desperate battles in
spite of the Trotzkyite leadership,
by the enthusiasm with which the
Frisco Transfers Union kicked
over the Michael Casey leadership
in the general strike issue, and the
growing militancy of the member
ship of his union generally, or else
because he has been picked because
of his Irish background, his recent
trip to Europe and the atmosphere
of profound and specialized knowl-
edge Of labor problems he has be-
gun to eXude recently. to take the
lead in the anti-red drive and Or
game against Green another Off
cial wing Of this employer inspired,
fascist dominated and government
supported movement, is getting the
headlines for his anti-red inter
views.
The unemployment situation has
brought forth Communism and
radicalism in various forms. For
instance, in meeting Of 500 men,
200 of whom were out Of work, the
majority would vote for a radical
program if it offered some outlook
for work. This is the danger that
organized labor must guard against
today