Evening star., 1936-08-07
NEW MINE UNION
A. FL. PROSPECT
UNIV. Expulsion at Tampa
Would Raise AffiIiation
Application.

The admission Of the Progressive
Miners Union to replace the United
Mine Workers. If the latter is ex-
PEELED at the American Federation of
Labor Convention at Tampa, Fla, in
November, was seen today as "a per-
feet course" by Arthur o. Wharton,
president of the International Asso-
citation of Machinists.
Wharton, member Of the A. F..
Of L. Executive Council, which We'd
nesday voted to suspend the U. M. w.
and nine other insurgent unions after
finding them guilty of dual unionism
and insurrection. belongs to the craft
faction of the A. F. of L., which has
been answering In its attempts to
bring the insurgents to account. The
machinists' union has about 00,000
members.
Declining to comment on the state
ment of President william Keck of
the Progressive Miners of America
that the unions convention in Sep
tember would consider the question
of applying for membership in the A.
F. of L., Wharton cited the law in
the case.
THE power to expel member union
lies with the federation convention
alone" he pointed out.
New Affiliations.
IF the convention expels the U. M.
w., there will then be no organization
of that classification in the A. F. of L
1t is the duty of the Executive Com
mittee to charter organizations seek
ing affiliation. provided they do not
conflict with the jurisdiction of unions
already affiliated.
Should there be no group within
the federation of conflicting jurisdic-
tion after the Tampa convention, the
admission of body such as the Pro-
gressive Miners of America would be
| perfectly natural course and entirely
in accord with the constitution Of the
federation"
In statement at Gillespie, H.,
headquarters Of the Progressive
Miners. Keck declared the issue con-
fronting the federation was the same
as confronted his own organization
in 1882, when it broke away from
the U. NJ. w. Keck's union has its
membership entirely in Illinois. and is
composed of about 10000 to $4,000
miners working mostly in mines op-
Grated by Independents. The U. M.
w. membership in Illinois is about
$4,000 and its total membership is
about $4,000.
-Four years ago we made a plea
to the rest Of the labor movement to
| maintain democracy in labor organ
| izations," Keck said. I'VE pointed
out that sooner or later other unions
would be faced with the same issue.
It is now here.
John L. Lewis, head of the United
Mine Workers, used the same un-
democratic tactics in the U. M. w. as
he is now using in an effort to split
the A. F. Of L. Whenever any labor
movement refuses to abide by the
wishes of the majority. my guess Is
that labor won't last long"
President William Green Of the A.
F. of L. has declined to comment on
whether the Progressive group would
be recognized in the event the U. M.
w, Is expelled in November. Some Of
the Executive Council members, how
ever, have privately stated that, with
the Progressive Union as a nucleus.
| considerable portion of the member
ship Of the U. NJ W.. which has op-
posed Lewis on the local autonomy"
issue, might be DETECTED to any new
organization recognized by the A.
F. of L.
Districts Near Extinction,
When several districts of the U. M.
W. became financially insolvent and
practically non-existent during the
low OF the depression several years
ago. Lewis appointed district officials
to revive them. AS a result of the
vigorous organization campaigns dur
ing and since the N. r. A., these dis
tricts are regaining their former
strength, but the last convention here
voted to withhold local autonomy, the
right to elect their own officers and
govern their own affairs on local mat
ters, for the present.
Officials at the U. M. w. headquar-
ters admitted difference of opinion
in some districts on the local auton-
omy question, but were Of the opinion
that it was not of sufficient conse-
quence to cause secession movement.