Evening star., 1936-07-05

met at Pittsburgh in November, 1881,
to effect new federation. The crafts
men controlled the convention and the
articles of organization listed the new
group as the Federation of Organized
Trades Unions of the United States
and Canada.
The use of the phrase trades un-
ions" aroused the Knights and the
newly-formed Association of Amalga-
mated Iron and Steel Workers. Their
protest and threats to withdraw
brought a compromise, and the name
was changed to the Federation of
Organized Trades and Labor Unions.
One of the foremost leaders in the
new federation was Samuel Gompers,
who came to the front in the reorgan-
ization of the International Cigar
Makers Union. His own local, No. IA
in New York was a model of a union
for skilled workers.
Under Gompers' leadership, the
Federation called general Nation
wide strike on May Day, 1886.
Knights Leader Holds Out.
Principally because of the personal
differences. Grand Master Workman
Terrence v. Powderly, leader of the
Knights, urged his followers not to
rush into the eight hour movement,
and took no participatin in the May
Day strike.
However, thousands of knights par
ticipated. As result of Powderly's
action. the knights leadership was
placed in unfavorable light and,
coupled with the increasing strength
of the new federation. contributed
greatly to the collapse of the order.
In December of '86, the federation
| reorganized itself as the American
Federation of Labor. with the crafts
men still firmly in control of the
movement.
The efforts of the knights in behalf
of the unskilled, however, had left a
comparatively small but strong in
dustrial unionist movement, which
the leaders of the American Fedora
ton had to recognize.
The knights organization was based
on assembly groups, with coal miners
organized into one assembly, boot
and shoe workers into another, and
so forth.
One OF the strongest of these was
the coal mining assembly. In 1890,
this emerged into the United Mine
Workers of America and was affiliated
with the A. F. Of L.
There were similar denominations
OF former knights assemblies, which
came to form the industrial unionist
/ wing of the federation.
While the federation gave recog-
milton and membership to these new
unions, it held to craft lines where
they existed. The new unions were
not allowed to enter into any fields
where the craft unions previously had
| Jurisdiction.
On down through the last four
decades, this dispute has continued
within the federation. The United
Mine Workers, of which John l..
Lewis is president, has been in the
leadership Of the industrial unionist
movement since its af7liation with the
federation
Industrialists Gained.
The 1nduStrialistS gained strength
steadily with the organization of such
unions as the United Textile Workers.
the Amalgamated Clothing Workers,
the International Ladies Garment
Workers and International Union of
Mine. Mill and Smelter Workers.
AT the 1885 convention the division
of strength in voting between the
craft and industrial unionists aver
aged 18 to 10, with the craftsmen still
controlling.
Claiming the federation had not
exercised its full efforts in organizing
the mass production and unskilled
laborers, the Lewis faction, after the
1885 convention, organized the Com
mittee on Industrial Organization.
Its full membership, in addition to
those named above, includes the oil
field, gas we'll and refinery workers,
cap and millinery workers, the Inter-
national Typographical Union and the
fiat glass workers.
Mass Industry Is Target.
Ihe ultimate goal of the industrial
unlonlStS would be workers organiza-
tion by industries, instead of by crafts.
Instead of having numerous craft
unions in one industry, all workers
in one industry would be organized
into one union.
AT the outset, the Committee on
Industrial Organization announced it
would concentrate on such mass pro-
auctions industries as automobiles.
rubber workers and others.
Its efforts quickly brought action
from the Executive Council of the
federation. An ultimatum was issued,
ordering the C. 1. o. to cease and
disband. 1t was ignored.
Instead, the c. I. o. unions entered
into negotiations with the long-dor-
mant Amalgamated Association of Iron.
Steel and Tin Workers. The Executive
Council of the federation was ignored:
the association and the C. I. o. entered
into an agreement whereby the C. I. o.
will lend its aid in the forthcoming
campaign to organize the steel in
dustry.
For the federations Executive
Council to withdraw its ultimatum
would be to back down. If it holds to
the ultimatum, suspensions might we'll
follow. This is the decision facing the
Executive Council at its session next
week.
The consequences of suspension
cannot be minimized If both groups
hold to their present course, a new
federation composed of industrial
unions is possibility.
French Government