Evening star., 1936-07-12
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

latter mere summoned to dnsDer
charges OF fostering dual untonisrn.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
Armed with legal opinion prepared
by counsel Of the American Federation
of Labor to the effect that its Execu-
tive Council possesses authority to sus-
pend member unions without a man
date from full convention, a militant
bloc of members Of the council is pre-
pared to wage knockdown fight Tues
day in favor of suspension Of the IL
unions affiliated with the Committee
for Industrial Organization.
Watching the pending battle royal
with intense interest are the forces
Of capital In general and the steel in
dustry in particular, not at all dis
pleased at the prospect Of the organ
lied labor movement in America being
split formally and conclusively.
Watching with almost equal interest
are leaders Of the two major political
parties. those on the Democratic side
being fearful that a split in labor's or
ganization will mean a split in labor's
vote, and those on the Republican
side being hopeful Of exactly the same
thing.
c. I. o. Refusal Debated.
During Ave sessions in the past week,
the council debated the defiant re-
fusal Of the c. I. o. unions to send
representatives to explain their fall
f4
ordered. At each of four sessions they
had invited" single union to present
its defense, but curt letters of refusal
were the sole response.
Tomorrow, two others are scheduled
end on Tuesday a final pair, but
notice already has been served on the
council that there will be no repre-
sehtation for the defense.
Instead, q spokesman for the c. l. o.
has declared without reservation that
the member unions OF that organiza-
ton are completely indifferent about
the eventual action of the council and
would make no appeal from its deci-
sion if it should finally vote suspen-
sion Of the insurgents.
Within the council such a close
division exists that personal bitter
ness has become evident as those for
and against suspension seek to swing
few members not yet committed
And so close is this division that
major Importance Is being attached
to the parliamentary question Of
whether absent members Of the coun-
Gil may be allowed TO cast q ballot
David Dubinsky. president Of the In
ternational Ladies' Garment Workers,
c. 7. o. union. cabled the commit
tee from Europe last week that he
desired to vote against suspension
w. D. Mahon, president Of the Street
and Electrical Railway Employees, i'll
in Detroit, has requested permission
to vote by mail. His sentiments are
not known for certain. but it is be.
lieved ne also would vote against the
suspension. After more than an hour
of debate Friday on this issue of ab-
sentee voting. the question was passed
over until Tuesday.
Pressure for Suspension.
AhCoA2H4AAAC, tACAAAC1lNOuc Rl lCoSulG 1OI
suspension is being directed at the
council by John p Frey, heading q
large metal trades department of the
federation, and by william L.
HutcheSon. president of the United
Brotherhood Of Carpenters and join
ers. The latter Is q member Of the
council, while Frey has been allowed
To odSrarc hat ~ fyyir 70
immediate punitive action against the
G. I. o.
Frey's department numbers nearly
$4,000 A. F. OF L. members, while
Hutcheson's union has an enrolment
Of more than 100000. Frey realizes
that c. I. o. organization Of the steel
industry on industrial rather than
craft lines would brush many workers
eligible for metal trades unions into
the iron, steel and tin workers, as
planned by the c. I. O. Hutcheson
remembers equally well the physical
clash with John L. Lewis, chairman of
the c. I. o. at the Atlantic City con-
vention last year. Antagonistic to
Lewis, both have powerful arguments
in their leadership Of large factions Of
the federation.
Facing them within the council,
however, are several who would pre-
fer any reconciliation rather than
suspension action. A leader in this
group is Daniel Tobin Of the Team
sters' Union, who has raised the issue
Of legal authority of the council to
suspend members. Tobin suggested
Friday, for instance, that q court
might uphold an appeal from such
council action and thus enable the c.
I. o. unions to enter the November
convention Of the federation at Tampa
and block expulsion by mastering
more than the necessary one-third OBJ
jecting vote.
Opinion to Be Introduced.
Counsels opinion that the council
has authority to suspend and thus
withhold voting privileges at q full
convention probably will be introduced
at the Tuesday session by those Tight
ing for the suspension.
While this factional crisis thus was
heading for some sort Of . solution
within the next 90 hours. other de-
velopments important to labor and in
dustry were recorded yesterday. They
follow:
O An agreement was reached to
end the seven-week strike at the
Portsmouth. Ohio, plant of the
Wheeling Steel Corp. G. !. o. oficials
directing the steel organizing drive
have considered the Portsmouth dis
pute focal point for the entire cam
paign. Although full details of the
settlement have not yet been made
public, 1t was declared q major VIC
tory for labor.
90 Following Intervention Of the
Labor Depsrtment. the International