The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-18

AAAASG OkI L11C 1SouCo h1NAOAAk \. The two organizations with Q membership of nearly 5000, 900 work CTS met separately last week in 8 Denver, Colo, and in Atlantic City, N. J. Both adopted resolutions crit- icising recent decisions of the Na- tlonal Labor Relations Board which they held had favored the other. ! They took common position in en- dcrsing the federal housing bill, a wages and hours measure and other social legislation.
 ,yN Gap Not Closed
 Although united on these matters i affecting the workers, they opened wider the sc1iSn1 between them by Statement, action, and charges,
 John L. Lewis, chairman of the { Q. I. O., made an overture for peace. '. He proposed to the federation's con- sivention that 100 delegates from each organization meet to seek & per- p,1nanent settlement.
 The federation replied that 1t had . set up a three man committee two < years ago to work for such peace; complained that a 200 man confer < ence would be unwieldly but offered Ito expand its committee to a "rea- sonable" number. Lewis yielded and notified the convention that Q l0- < man committee had been named by sthe CIO delegates and proposed a date for the meeting which was ac- cepted by the federation.
 Earlier, President William Green of the federation had pleaded for an armistice. He appealed to the c. I, O.. rebels" to "come home"
 Defends c. I. o. Unions
 Lewis was cheered by l50 of his igideS when he protested that the 0. I. o. was not to blame; that the z O. I. o. unions had been "unlaw- filly" suspended from the federation i'A:t.d that the organization would CO., operate with the A. P. of L. to ob- tain a united labor movement. x The obstacle to the peace which hoth organizations profess to want ia that each sidc wants to dictate tie terms-terInS 50 potentially im- | srtant that they could easily con- tHol the size and the power of the trades union movement and the fate of some of It's present leaders.
 The committees from the rival or- ganizations will meet here october 26 to make preliminary arrange TlientS for the real peace conference. The attitude at the first meeting on vital Issues probably will determine whether the second conference should be held.
 Delegates Instructed
 The delegates will come to the initial conference fully Instructed. ," The executive council of the Amer ican Federation of Labor that 1t con- giders the CIO unions outlaws" and that harmony can be restored only If they return to the federation and abide by future decisions made by majority rule.
 The council declined to grant Lewis demand that 1t recognize as a stipulation to @ peace conference the "record of success" of the indus trial form of unionism-the heart of the 0. I. o. movement and cause of the Scisin-as opposed to the A. F of L. craft union policy.
 Green repeatedly has contendeo that industrial unionism is not tho cause of the present conflict. But the Denver convention rejected @ reso. lution which, by relaxing the fedora tion's attitude toward increasing the number of "one big union' charters for mass production industries would have been step toward peace with the c. I. O.
 ExpeI When They Wish
 So bitterly opposed IS the A. P. oi L. council to the c. I. o. that they asked for and obtained power tt expel the rebel unions whenever they wish. They were on the verge of ex. polling Lewis United Mine Workers and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, headed by Sidney Hillman when the peace negotiations began
 The best informed opinion at thC Denver convention was that fedora. ton representatives might be willing to make some concessions on indus. trial union in peace talks with tht c. !. o. but that any plan woult have to protect the jurisdictions oi craft unions. Any reunion on such 6 basis would involve hundreds of jur. isdictional disputes which Lewis ant his aides would be unwilling to leave to the final determination of thC council on which they would be 6 minority.
 Lewis Started c. I. o.
 Because he and his aides who favor industrial unionism were in the