Evening star., 1936-08-09
LABOR UN|TSPUSH
FIGHT FOR POWER.
Lewis Faction Opens Drive
to Enroll 100000 Coal
Processing Workers.

Organization attacking the executive
council of the American Federation
of Labor for being crazy with spite"
welcomed the support of local units
of unions generally. 1t also under
took to absorb an A. F. of L. Federal
Union in a campaign to enroll 100000
coal processing workers.
In turn, executive council members
sponsored a drive in the Interna-
tional Typographical Union to re-
pudiate Charles P. Howard, its presi-
dent, for personally joining the c. I.
o. and becoming its secretary. The
first crucial test in the labor war is
thus set for the I. T. U. convention
at Colorado Springs, Colo, Septem-
Der u.
This union is one of two which
escaped the A. F. Of l.. suspension
order. but was told to explain its
status. Howard's reputation would
be a signal triumph for the execu-
tive council.
Speakers Announced.
Meantime, on the complicated
fronts of hectic labor action the c. I.
o. chiefs made ready to advertise
their political leadership of labor.
John L. Lewis, c. l. o. chairman, and
Sidney Hillman, president of the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers and
c. I. o. leader, were announced as
the principal speakers tomorrow at
a conference of labor's Non-Partisan
League for President Roosevelt. Maj.
George L. Berry, president of the
league, predicted the delegates pres
ent from all the States would repre-
sent 100000 labor votes.
simultaneously, but from a separate
Office and in his governmental capac-
ity as co-ordinator for industrial CO.
operation, Maj. Berry extended indi-
rectly a helping hand to Lewis c. I.
o. drive to organize the workers of
the steel industry. The major issued
in behalf of his Council for Industrial
Progress a warning that the lag in
iron and steel industry wages raised
the serious menace" of return to
pre-depression conditions" in the in
dustry.
Productive capacity in iron and
steel from 1919 to 1929 increased
three and a half times faster than
wages, the report declared. Carrying
its figures only as far as 1888. the
report said that the average yearly
wage was 1908. 1t suggested that an
other depression would be the result
of a production outstripping ''prac-
tically unchanged" wage level.
Inroads Encouraged.
The Lewis c. I. o. headquarters
lent encouragement yesterday to in
roads in the old-line A. F. of L. Or
ganization by hailing efforts within
city central labor organizations to
| defy the executive council. The Lewis
associates hope to see these strong
local bodies serve notice on the execu-
Ytive council that units of c. I. o.
unions will not be ostracized locally
because the latter are being suspend
ed. The suspension goes into effect
September unless the G. I. o. dis
bands, which is out of the question.
The New Haven Central Labor
Union was one such city organization
6f local unions which sent word it
Would fight against exclusion of any
L.
bodies"
; The South Bend Qnd) Central
Trades and Labor Union was another
OF notify the C. I. o. it was asking
the A. F. of L. council to drop its
charges. Other support voiced by va
rious union locals were published in
q c. I. o. paper.
To Organize Coal Workers.
The United Mine Workers under
Lewis will do the organizing of the
coal processing workers and thereby
carry the labor war to the A. F. of L.
in another quarter. The drive is slated
to begin within a month James
Nelson, council president says the
drive probably will start with absorp-
ton of 1000 members now in Fed
eral unions banded together as the
National Council Of Gas and Coke
Workers.
The first public C. I. o. attack on
the executive council since the sus-
pension ultimatum was given out
cf1ara cterized the trial of the c. I. o.
unions as "farcical." The council
members were accused Of being crazy
with spite" and prediction was made
would "engulf false leaders"
Now is the time for every labor
man worthy of the name to rally be-
hind this great campaign for union
Meeting behind closed doors in
Washington, a little group of willful
men, speaking in the name of labor,
have perpetrated a foul conspiracy
against labor"
Howard May Be Rebuked.
AS foundation for the present con-
centration Of executive council action
against the C. I. O., information in
the possession of council members is
that number of the largest locals in
the Typographical Union, including
the big Six" of New York, are ready
to rebuke Howard for taking steps
Which pulls his union over toward the
@. I. O. There will undoubtedly be
a,-big fight in the I. T. U. convention,
but Howard's aids believe they have
the situation in hand.
If no action should be taken to be-
friend the c. l. o. it would be a major
victory for the executive council and
might emphatically turn the course
Of the labor war
The Typographical Union is one of
two internationals which was in
stfucted by the executive council to ex-
pain its status relative to the c. I. o.
The other was the United Hatters,
CAP and Millinery Workers. which has
its cap and millinery department
alsne connected with the Lewis move
ntent. However, this department forms
the bulk of the membership and the
executive council does not have strong
hopes Of recapturing the union.
AT the headquarters Of the c. I. o.
yesterday, Howards leadership was
represented in discussion of plans
to- repulse the executive council in
connection with the Typographical
Union. Confidence was expressed In
the success of a resolution at the