Evening star., 1936-09-05
Labor Head Says Few of
1900, 900 Affected Men,
bers Have Been Paying
Dues Regularly.
PLANS FOR RIVAL UNIT
PREDICTED BY LEADER
mo Change in Policy" Contem-
plated to Delay Action Which
Splits Organized Labor Into
Two Factions-Deadline Near.
BY JOHN C. HENRY.

~ hIANAhAs
William Green, president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, today
passed back to the Committee for In
dustrial Organization the onus Of split.
ting the labor movement in America
Contending that refusal to withdraw
from the c. I. o. or to dissolve that
organization constitutes voluntary
secession from the federation. rather
than suspension by the federation
nevertheless he made it plain that
the 10 recalcitrant unions are no longer
members in good standing Of the A
F. of L.
At the same time, Green predicted
that plans of the c. I. o. leaders for
a rival federation will unfold and
become publicly known in due course
of time.
100000 Affected.
Despite the split at this time in
which some 1900 900 members of the
A. F. of L. are becoming disassociated
from this body, Green declared in a
prepared statement that the Execu-
tive Council of the federation hopes
that an understanding will be ulti-
mately reached, differences adjusted
and unity restored. The Executive
Council asks nothing more than dis
solution of the c. I. O."
The federation president denied the
financial importance in the split by
disclosing that few Of the c. I. o.
unions have been paying dues regu-
larly. almost none of them making
contributions in recent months.
In closing his statement, Green
said the federation would carry on
aggressive organizing work in all fields
and among those employed in all in
dustries." He declined to clarity this
promise when asked if such work
might be pressed in the steel industry,
the coal mining industry and others
close to the c. I. o. unions.
Unions Enrolment.
The ousted unions have an en-
rollment Of about 1,174,500. In
addition, two other unions with a total
membership of about SO, 400 retain af-
filiation with the C. l. o. and undoubt-
edly face formal suspension action
eventually.
Effectiveness of the suspension Or
der voted by the Executive Council OF
the federation one month ago is just
one more step in what has been a
long drawn out fight between the in
dustrial unionists headed by John L.
Lewis and the United Mine Workers
as opposed to the craft union majority
faction Of the A. F. of L.
Appeal May Not Be Taken.
AS far as the c. I. o. Is concerned.
Lewis declared yesterday, there will
be mo change in policy, no tagging of
effort and no deadline for our fight
to organize the mass production in
dustries on an industrial basis"
Asked whether any appeal will be
made from the suspension order at
the federation convention in Florida
in November, Lewis said the question
has not been passed on formally by
the c. I. O., but added, MY own
thought is that it would be utterly
futile and a waste of time"
The G. I. o. spokesman pointed out
that the A. F. of L., if it seeks to be
consistent, must order all subordinate
bodies, such as State federations and
central labor unions, to purge them
selves OF c. I. o. affiliates. Such an
attempt, he continued, might prove
most embarrassing in such circum-
stances as that of the Pennsylvania
(See GREEN, Page A-2.)