Evening star., 1937-03-14
c. |. D. PLANS DRIVE
IN TEXAS OIL BELT.
Campaign to Unionize Vast
Petroleum Industry 10
Open Soon.

John L. LeUiS' drive to bring
the petroleum industry into the
fold OF the Committee for Indus
trial Organization, to start erten-
sipely soon after April 1, likely ,Oil
center in the cast East TerdS oil
field. The current situation is re-
ported in series of stories, OF
1Uhich this is the frstJ
By the Associated Press.
KILGORE, Tex, March 13.-Three
weeks hence and John L. Lewis labor
organizing strategy will invade the
derricked land of make believe-East
Texas black gold belt.
Over miles dotted with $4,000 der
ricks, born of martial law and mad
lease grabbing, his organizers plan
to thread their way in a drive to
marshal the vast petroleum industry
under the banner of his Committee
for Industrial Organization. Workers
in the 10 branches of the industry
will be solicited by crack organizers.
If successful in that, demands will
follow.
Union contract recognition, COL
lective bargaining, higher wages and
36-hour week are the aims, said
ponderous John T. Allen, organizer
for the third district, International
Oil Field Gas Well and Refinery
Workers, expelled unit of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
Salaries Worlds Worst"
Cheapest, chisellingest field in the
world" declared Allen. Salaries in
the worlds largest Oil field are the
worlds worst Living conditions are
deplorable.
What do We want? Remedying
contracts.
I'VE ask the major and independ-
ent operators to sit across the table
and negotiate We don't want trou-
ble-don't anticipate it. We want
every one to come off hap. In 81
years of organizing have seen some
knotty and snarled negotiations. Never
have l been embroiled in a strike. y
But, said Allen, funds are avail
able for strikes if "our efforts to
avoid WalkoutS and difficulties fail.
Detailed strategy for the organiza-
. ton campaign will come out of a
Houston meeting of the international
Executive Committee, starting April
5. International President Harvey
Fremming and Vice President John
l.. Coulter, transferred from California
to the district embracing fields from
- Hobbs, N. Mex, to Shreveport, La
will give the orders. union leaders
agreed.
200 Specialists" Assigned.
Two hundred specialists" groomed
70" the job, have been assigned to
preach Lewis gospel. About 40 OF
his best have drawn the East Texas
area for contact work.
Into 10 branches of work organizers
will carry their union arguments, hold
ing stump meetings in homes,
churches, schools and labor halls.
Radio broadcasting and newspaper
advertising will be utilized. Branches
tagged for enlistment include drill
ing, refining, production, rig building,
machinists, boilermakers, marketing
division, pipeliners, welders, construc-
ton and maintenance.
To initiate their campaign, union
leaders emphasized dealings must
start with the major companies. Col
lective bargaining among the some
1900 Independents would follow, they
said.
Organization workers are expected
to concentrate on the industrys pipe
10 A l.
len marked that division as a potent
group of the low-wage class that would
receive careful attention from Lewis
Ieutenants.
Local Drive Started.
Quiet organization work has started
. In the East Texas field, but Allen
stressed it was purely a local drive
and not yet a part of the c. 1. o.
movement"
Guarded but pointed coment came
from the operators in answer to every
labor charge. Vigorous denisls of
wage, hour and living condition as
sertions from the union camp were
given, and evidence offered to support
the denials.
Operators however, appeared dis
posed to let the labor force play its
cards first Majors and independents
kion:
The worlds largest oil field will
never be unionized."