The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1937-03-19


CIO has taken the first step toward
setting up state, city and local feder
ations Of unions, where CIO unions
have been expelled from A. F. Of L.
central organizations. A conference
in Washington of representatives of
the 13 CIO unions unanimously adopt
ed the following resolution:
"The executive officers of the
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
tion are authorized to issue certificates
of affliation to national, international,
state, regional, city central bodies and
local groups whenever it is deemed
such action is desirable
William Green, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, stated
that he had predicted such action by
the CIO year ago, when he and the
executive council of the A. F. of L.
declared that the Lewis Committee
for Industrial Organization aimed to
set itself up as a rival of the feder
alton.
CIO Objective Plain, Says Green
1t was clearly evident from the
beginning that this objective would
be reached" said Green. by that
| mean that the CIO would reach
the point where they desired to func-
ton as a rival to the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. You recall that the
executive council (of the A. F. of L.)
classified the CIO as a rival organiza-
tion year ago
The resolution passed by the CIO
union Representatives is the latest Of
recent moves all tending to sharpen
the conflict between the union headed
by John l.. Lewis and the unions
headed by William Green.
First, the Maryland State Fedora
tion of Labor, acting on a letter re-
ceived from Green, announced that
local unions affiliated with the 10 sus-
pended CIO unions were not eligible
for membership in the state fedora
ton Mr.. Green's letter had stated
that the A. F. of L. would not tolerate
support of dual or rival organization.
A. f. of L. Pushes Organization
Second, Mr.. Green, after an all-day
conference with SO organizers Of A.
f. Of L. unions from all parts Of the
country, announced that organization
drives in several industries would be
intensified. He stated that the feder-
alton had ruled that workers in steel
fabrication plants came under the
jurisdiction of the international As
sociation of Bridge, Structural and
Ornamental Iron Workers. The CIO
has been enrolling them in the ranks
of the Amalgamated Association of
Iron, Steel and Tin Workers.
Third, the meeting of CIO represen-
tatives and the passage Of the reso-
luton quoted earlier.
CIO Drives Planned
The expectation in labor circles
is that the first state federation Of
CIO affiliates will be formed in
Maryland, on account of the action
ruling these affiliates out of the A. f.
of L. city central labor bodies are
likely to come first in Cleveland and
Columbus, Ohio. In Cleveland, the
city central labor organization has
ruled the CI0 unions out of affiliation,
and the A. F. of L. has cancelled the
charter of the central body of Colum-
bus.
Lewis stated in giving out the reso-
luton of the CIO unions that his or
ganization will take action only in
cases where the A. f. of L. has acted
first.
Two special committees have been
created by the CIO to make organiza-
tion drives in two industries.
Textiles and Oil on List
The Textile Workers Organizing
Committee, aiming to bring into the
United Textile Workers, a CI0 un-
ion, at least a majority of the more
than a million workers in the textile
industry, is headed by Sidney Hillman