The Washington times., 1937-03-04
SET FOR FINISH
FIGHT OVER
MEMBERSHIP
Refuses to CreditMine
Leader for Surrender
of Steel Industry
BY EDWARD B. LOCKETT
Copyright, 1897. by International News
Service)


Copyright, 1887. by International News
Service)
Sixty.five years and one day
old, President William Green of
the American Federation of Labor
returned to Washington today ex-
pecting finish fight with John
L. Lewis and his C. 1. o. over
union membership. and, he said,
quite ready for it,"
He told Internationa News SerV-
ice in an exclusive interview:
"The American Federation of
Labor will fight vigorously to
preserve its identity. Our Or
ganiZatiOn stretches into every
city in the country. We are
solid. We have our State fed.
eratiOnS, our central bodies. We
are ready for a conflict when
it comes, and it seems ineV-
table"
ANSWER TO LEWIS
With these words, Green an.
Swered the challenge of burly
John L. Lewis C. l. O., which the
great United States Steel Corpora
tion has just recognized for col
lective bargaining.
Green discounted the apparent
gains in membership which Lewis
industrial union movement has
recently made, as well as its &C
compliShmentS. Green refused to
credit the genius of Lewis with
a victory in big steel" recogni"
ton of c. I. o. He said:
"The Walsh -Healy bill, with
its requirements of a 4O-hOur
week, was mainly responsible
for the capitulatiOn of steel to
workers demands for q 4O-hOur
week.
"SteeI capitulated because it
could be seen that some of the
companies must abide by the
WalSh-HeaIey provisions, which
had been holding up the Nays
steel supply. The Navy has q
big construction program under
way.
ALL TOGETHER
"NOw a few of the steel COM
panieS could not 60 out by
themselves and establish a 40
hour week while others operated
on a 48-hour week. They all
had to 60 together. That was
the reason steel granted work
erS q 4O-hOur week.
"And the increases in wages?
Why, it is my opinion that the
steel executives got together Of
their own accord, and discussed
their realization of the tremen-
dOus public sentiment in this
country for higher wages. They
wisely decided to raisH wages.
The American Federation of
LabOr-all labOr-welcO ON es
these raises.
But these raises, and recOgni-
ton Of the C. /. o. as one
Of the bargaining agencies of
the wOrkerS-not the exclusive
bargaining agency, mind you
cannot be called a victory for
the C. 1. o. They comprise the
collective judgment Of the steel
executives who realized the way
public sentiment was swinging"
SOUNDS SENTIMENT
The labor leader who succeeded
Samuel GomperS as the leader of
organized labor in America said he
is now ready to sound out every
State federation, every local body
Of the A. F. of L., to see just
where they stand in the inevitable
controversy between the A. F. Of
L. and the c. 1. o
This was the reason, Green ex-
planned, why the executive council
of the Federation, through him,
has warned" all of the State fed.
erationS and central labor bodies
in letter that the A. F. of L.
expects allegiance to the Fedora
ton, and not to the C. I. o.
This letter went forward within
the past few days, and called on
each unit of the A. F. of L. to
renew pledges of allegiance to the
Federation, and to refuse member
ship privileges and voting rights
to all those not directly with
and not against" the A. F. Of L.