The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-11-05

It called upon the council to permit the ten unions to be represented at the federations annual convention in Tampa on November Is, where the matter will be submitted to the judgment of labors highest authority" A second section of the resolution proposed that pending the action of the Tampa con- vention the council and the c. I. O. name subcommittees to explore the possibility of reconciling their differences and finding for mula for uniting the labor movement.
 MT Lewis as c. l. O. chairman announced that he was in agreement with both proposals in the resolution. The fedora tion'S council accepted the one which called for appoint ment of a subcommittee and proceeded to name such committee. MT. Lewis immedi- ately announced that he wanted the council to clarify it's position by answering that section of the matters resolution which called on it to restore the suspended unions to their pre- vious status of A. F. of L. members in good standing.
 The subcommittee named by the executive council informed MT. zaritsky that it would be free to explore, with c. T. o. representatives every possibility and avenue of reconciliation of all differences that caused the bfeach including the complete restoration of the former status" of the c. I. O. unions
 The sudden propulsion of peace talk above the surface of what had for some weeks been quiet conversations in union circles was sig nificant because of the mminence of the fed eration's convention. It was realized by those who formulated what they hoped would be the basis for peace that if the convention rati- fled the suspension order of the executive council, formation of an actual rival labor fed eraton was quite inevitable Such move they feared would bring with it years of con- flct and irreparable injury to both groups which would weaken all of OrOanized lahor for long time to come
 They knew that with the ten unions whose members comprise one-third of the A. E. F. barred from the convention the craft-union- dominated council would obtain overwhelming support for it's suspension order. Since the constitution provides that charter cannot be revoked unless such action is approved by two-thirds of the votes at an annual conven- ton, the Lewis bloc felt certain they could defeat such approval provided they were seated at the meeting
 The role of peacemaker was one to which MT Aarltsky had aspired as early as last January At that time he went to Miami where the council was holding its quarterly session, at which the c. l. O. was ordered to dissolve. He saw that the obstacles to set clement then were insuperabe and he deferred hlS sef-appolnted task. He resumed the role o1 mediator last week, and his conventions acton took his c. l. o. associates, including even MT Lewis, by surprise
 MT zartisky was in the position of a C. To member proposing a peace formula to his own group as well as to the executive council without consulting his associates on the CIO council. He defended this position by saving that his union had perfect freedom to take such action if it deemed it advisable Delay might be irreparable
 rrl.e
 The problem before MT. Zartsky and the craft-union members of the executive council who are in mood to meet him part of the way IS to obtain what they consider satisfac- tory concessions from two men who hold the best hands in the struggle for leadership in American labor: MT. Lewis and w. D Hut cheSon president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
 Last August MT. Hutcheson threatened to leave the A. F. of L. if Mir Lewis, his bitter opponent and personal enemy, and his C. IO associates went unpuniShed His threat was powerful for he said in effect to the craft union leaders: If I leave the federation LeWlS will get control and where will your iur- isdictions be then?'
 The council members recalled that the in dustrial-union group had been defeated at the last convention by vote of about 18O0O to ll,0O0 tthe unions have a vote for every l cheson quit the federation with his 3 O0O votes their votes would be reduced to IS GOO ana that Ii the c. I. O. group then gained a little over 2000 votes 1t could put through it's proposal for granting industrial-union charters to misrepresentation workers, irrespective of craft-unlon Jurlsdictional claims and could Selze entire control of the federations admin lstrative machinery and all the offices. busting the craft-union adherents from their rule Which has lasted half a century.
 With the executive council members it was either Hutcheson or Lewis" They chose the slX-1oot carpenter whose fist fight with the oury miners chief at the last federation con- Ventlon deepened the division in labor's ranks
 Having chosen the carpenter the council members are now aware that MT Hutcheson ls even more powerful than he was prior to the suspension of the dissident unions Then he had membership of 100000 and was head ol the second largest union in the federation the miners with 100000 being the first in size Ioday the carpenters pay dues on 3O0 noo members thaving added 100000 in the last year. and, with few allies are able to do inmate the federations policies.
 Therefore, if the council members are in win out in a conciliatory policy on the ndus- trlal-union controversy, they will have to carry with them the assent of the carpenters presi dent