The Washington times., 1937-10-25
LabOr's Problems

DEACE negotiations between the American Fedora
Il ton of Labor and the Committee for Industrial
Organization, which began today mark very definite
cross-road for American labor
If thew succeed there will develop labor party in
the United States. If they fail, the of labor will
have been given another serious setback-for which it
will have only itself to blame.
At no time in the history of the United States has
labor been given more favorable breaks than during
the Administration of President Roosevelt and at no
time has it muffed its major opportunities pa
thetically.
The passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act
in 1888 with its famous section Ia and its right of col
lectve bargaining nothing short of an invitation
to labor to 90 out and organize with the blessing of the
Federal Government. John L. Lewis was the first to
see this and as a result his United Mine Workers,
whose membership had sunk to new
Thousands low during the depression, recouped
Enrolled Its losses by the hundredS OF tnou-
sands.
David Dubnsky and two three other leaders who
since have followed Lewis into the c. I. o. equally
energetic But the old line craft leaders of the A. F.
of L. were content to sit tight keep close rein
their little groups of highly skilled relatively well paid
men and do nothing
Not only did they do nothing but they resented the
activity of their energetic colleagues who believed
in the industrial, or vertical type of union.
Thus at the most opportune moment for labor in
American history was born the split which has caused
greater bitterness and recently Strikes than ever
have existed between capital and labor.
Nothing could have better played into the hands of
employers who wanted to oppose unionizahon Nothing
could have more embarrassed employers who wanted
to cooperate with labor.
The former group invariably threw its weight to
the A. F. Of L. the ground that it conserva
tve and usually weaker The latter group faced the
dilemma of being damned by A. F. of L. if it favored
CI O. and damned by c. I. O. if it favored A. F. of L.
Result Not since the steel strikes in the early part
of the summer have there been any important disputes
1J1. between capital and labor. Labor
has been too busy disputing within
Essential
between labor and labor-but at the publics and the
employers expense.
To end this deadlock will require real leadership
and leadership is something which the labor movement
in this country sadly has lacked John Lewis, when he
keeps his temper, has shown leadership. Sidney Hill
of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, although
not magnetic personality, has shown it. Railroad
Brotherhood executives and Matthew Wol A. F. of L.
vice president also have shown signs of
But it will take more leadership than the appeals of
William Green the clustering of 'Bi" Hutcheson
of the Carpenters Union to heal the bitterness within
labor ranks 1t will take real sacrifice on both sides
including the surrender of ushsalared jobs by several
union potentates
This country stand strong and healthy labor
movement But it cannot and is not going to tolerate
continued pickering between labor despots who carry
on their feud at the public's expense
Washington Needs