Evening star., 1936-07-10

mittee for Industrial Organization
stands for the exclusive application of
the industrial plan of organization.
This impression is wrong. The
facts are, the American Federation of
Labor has applied and will continue to
apply both the industrial and the
craft union form of organization in all
its organizing activities. 1t fully
recognizes that while industrial pro-
cesses have changed, human nature
remains the same. Skilled workers are
no different now than they were
before the advent of mass production
and the establishment of mass pro-
duction industries They still wish to
utilize their skill and training, and
as key men use tneir acquired skill,
genius and training 10 secure for them
selves the highest wage possible. 1t IS
this human equation which must be
taken into account in the application
of either the vertical or horizontal
plan of organization If the American
Federation of Labor would follow any
other plan it would ignore both the
facts and the realities of life.
Favors Both Systems.
I'm order that the issue which seems
to have confused the public mind may
be made clear and understandable,
assert in behalf of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor that its policy is 10
favor and apply both the craft and in
dustrial form of unlonism in all ITS
situation may require and as circum-
stances will permit.
The so-called industrial union
issue which has been so strongly EN-
phasized by the representatives of the
Committee for Industrial Organization
in the steel organizing campaign, falls
fiat under the keen, penetrating light
of analyZed facts What are these
facts? They warrant careful exami-
nation.
"It is loudly proclaimed that in the
steel campaign just launched by the
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
ton that all employees of the steel
corporations must belong to the one
union, big or little. The representa-
tives of the Committee for Industrial
announce that all ma
chinists, electricians, building trades
railway employees such as
engineers, fremen and brakemen en-
ployed on branch lines owned by these
steel corporations, and other miscel-
laneouS workers, must. if they become
be turned over to the
Association of Iron,
Steel and Tin Workers.
Unwilling to Turn Men Over.
However, none of these representa-
tives will agree to turn over the coal
miners and coke workers (over whom
the United Mine Workers have been
given jurisdiction by the American
Federation of Labor employed by the
United States Steel Corp, the Jones
and Laughlin Steel Co., the Bethlehem
Steel Corp. and other steel companies,
even though said workers may be
KEY men, to the one big union. Neither
will the Mine, Mill and Smelter Work
ers International Union agree to turn
over the ore miners, lover whom they
have been given jurisdiction by the
American Federation of Labor en-
ployed by the steel corporations in
Alabama, upon the Mesaba Range in
Northern Michigan and in other ore
producing plants, even though they
may be key men, to the one big union
Neither would the International Typo
Union agree, If they found
the steel corporations were operating
printing plants and employing print
ers, to turn over these workers lover
whom they have been given jurisdic-
ton by the American Federation of
Labor to the one big union.
THE same would be true of the
Textile Workers and the garment
making organization if they found the
steel corporations were employing tex
tile workers and garment workers in
some subsidiary plants owned by the
steel corporations.
''The situation, therefore, presents
itself about as follows:
Representatives of the organiza-
tions affiliated with the Committee for
Industrial Organization are willing,
in fact they urgently demand that
those workers employed in steel whom
they have not and could not have, be
turned over the the one big union;
but those workers they have, who come
under their own jurisdiction even
though employed by the steel corpora
1T is quite obvious that deductions
and conclusions reached
from a consideration of these facts
are that in the conduct of any or
ganizing campaign, common sense
must be used, that no rigid, dogmatic
rule can be followed, that the form
of organization best suited to the needs
Of the situation be applied in the
oroadest possible way, but in doing so
the legal and moral rights of all con-
J