The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-12
. BEHIND THE SCENIESI WASHINGTON ASY RODNEY DUTcHER-S CIO As Yet Only In
 Transition Period
 of Passing From
 Committee To Or
 ganization.

Washington. July 12-W While the c. I. o. certainly is functioning as a rival of the A. F. of L., techni- cally it is little more than its name implies-a Committe for Industrial Organizations.
 There is no constitution and there has been no national con- vention. Future relationship of the international and local unions has not been Settled-aS the ques- tiOn has long been settled in the A. F. of l.. The career of c. I. O. has been too turbulent and hectic, as we'll as too rapid in pro- gress, to permit fussing over these details.
 Nevertheless, c. I. o. already is definitely in 8 period of transition from an organizing committee to an actual national central organiza- tion of labor unions. There no longer seems the slightest chance of reconciliation with the A. F. of L. The transition began last March when full meeting of the c. I. o. authorized issuance of cer- tif1cates of utilization to national, international, state, regional, city central and other local groups.
 Claims 3,OOO,0OO Members
 International unions affiliated have begun to pay per capita dues to c. I. O. in the same way they used to pay them to the A. F. of L. Some 227 local industrial unions chartered since March in various industries, which are not covered by the 26 national and international unions affiliated with c. I. O., are subject to definite regulations from the central c. I. O. and are also paying per capita dues to it. About 30 industrial union councils, corre- spending to state federations or central labor unions in the A. F. of L., also have been chartered.
 The c. I. o. unofficially claims about S,000,000 members and says that s more than the A. F. of L. has. It began with eight affiliated international unions and now claims to be adding about one a week and about 10 local industrial unions every 10 days.
 Some time during the late sum- mer or fall, c. I. O. is expected to call a national convention to or- ganize a national labor federation on a permanent basis. Most decis- ions of the past year have been sudden, and quick shifts to meet changing conditions have been so common that labor leaders wouldn't be surprised to see the convention call issued without warning at any time.
 Still Just a Committee
 Except for its policy of taking in and chartering new unions as part of its organization, the basic nature of the committee formed in Novem- Der of 1885 by John Lewis, Sidney Hillman and few other labor lead CTS, remains unaltered. It was a voluntary, self-appointed committee of heads of international unions and other prominent labor leaders who banded together to promote indus trial unionism, to exploit opportuni- ties for organizing which they be- lieved the A. F. of L. had neglected.
 In the days which followed, as their plans conflicted increasingly with those of the A. F. of L., this committee and most of the unions whose leadership it represented, split away from the federation. Hundreds of thousands of the un- organized joined, and dozens of organized unions affiliated with the c. I. o. But c. I. O. is still a committee, accepting new mem- bers as national and international unions and their leaders volunteer to join.
 Relationship of the industrial union councils, formed to unite To- cal unions thrown out of central labor unions by the A. F. of L., is still only vaguely defined. Many small local unions have affiliated with the c. I. O., but their rela- tionship, in voting strength for in- SCdLlCe, naS yet to pc SeCCleQ. Even in the c. I. O. itself there are unions claiming the same field and the jurisdictional plague which has caused the A. F. of L. such infinite grief-or should have-lies poten- tial in the c. I. o.
 
 Too Busy for That
 The relationship of such unions as the United Textile Workers and the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers is somewhat complex. Each has dele gated administrative powers of c. I. O. committees, the Steel and the Textile Workers Organizing Com mittees. Thus, as counsel for Inland Steel recently pointed out, the SWOC and TWOC are each a sort of labor holding company" These are presumed to be temporary agreements and the organizing com- mittees doubtless will disapnear if