Evening star., 1937-12-16
STEEL OPERATORS
flashed BY LEWIS
Tells Uproarious Convention
Dream of Mill Unionism
Has Come True.
By the Associated Press.

Has Come True.
By the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 16.-John l.
Lewis denounced operators Of Little
Steel" today and told an uproarious
convention Of steel workers that his
dream Of seeing the Nations mill
men banded together" in unionism
has come true"
The founder of the Committee fol
Industrial Organization, welcomed
amid wild demonstration to the floor
Of first national congress Of Steel
Workers Organizing Committee, Bit
terly assailed Tom Girdler, president
Of the Republic Steel Corp.
The shaggy-haired labor leader took
the platform after delay Of 20
minutes by the ovation, and then de-
clared:
"You have found out for the first
time in your respective lives that you
could organize If you wanted to
organize"
Speaks of Steel Operators.
Turning suddenly to speak Of the
steel operators, and the strike In
Little Steel" companies last year, he
went on:
mo one need have any fear that q
Weir or a Grace is going to destroy
this union in the future. ."
las the year 1887 draws to q close,
the great iron and steel industry Of
America has been organized for the
first time, dedicated to American prin-
ciples.
There are those who said it could
not be done, yet the impossible has
been accomplished. Even the efforts
of the American Federation of Labor
to degrade the efforts of the steel
workers to organize has not been sue
cessful.
Says LabOr's Voice Now Heard.
Labor in America can do what 1t
wants to do. The public Is being
told what you are thinking about and
your voice is heard for the first time" /"
"A new labor movement has been
formed and assembled under the ban
ner OF the G. I. Ga mighty modern
movement, propelled by the sentiment
and emotion at the heart Of the
worker in this country"
Mr.. Lewis, as usual. spoke extempo-
raneously and the 925 delegates and
gallery Of more than 1000 cheered
his remarks.
Before he spoke, scores of delegates
paraded around the convention floo,
with raised banners. An efigy Of Mr.
Girdler was hurled from a balcony
and strung by rope above the head.
OF the marchers. The crowd stopped
cheering and burst into a parody,
Well Hang Tom Girdler From Sour
Apple Tree"
Refers to Labor's Fight.
Late in his speech, referring to
labor's family fight between c. I. O.
and the A. F. of L., Mr.. Lewis de-
clared:
THE C. I. o. will keep faith in
steel and in every other industry
and IN negotiations with the A. r. of L.
ut will keep faith and not desert its
members.
THE G. I. O. has offered to walk
into the A. F. of L. with its entire
4,000,0 600 members. The A. F. of L.
has refused.
1T says it would like to take
100000 and set how 1t could digest
that million and later see how it could
digest the other 100000.
I'VE told them you will digest all
Of us or none of u.s."
The delegates leaped to their seats,
cheering loudly.
OF William Green, the labor Feder-
atoms president, Mr.. Lewis said:
His stomach is like his mind. Its
little weak. Well let him alone"
Murray Introduces Lewis.
Philip Murray, S. w. o. C.'s chair
man. upon introducing Lewis, said:
This is the most momentous occa-
sion in the history of labor in the
United States
Facing Lewis, Mr.. Murray de-
clared the demonstration accorded him
would have been impossible a veal
ago." then added
Eighteen months ago, Mr.. Lewis
we would not have convened a con-
ton in the steel industry with an
attendance of over SO anywhere in the
United States"
Drummer girls marched with cheer
ing delegates about the convention
floor while Mr.. Lewis stood on the
platform before his address.
Developments during the past two
days had strained the labor peace
negotiations. Mr.. Murray first called
Mr.. Green "blithering blatherskite'
and charged he and his Executive
Council were responsible for the labo,
split.
Adds to Charges.
Then, after James F. Dewey, United
States labor conciliator, hurried to
Pittsburgh, Mr.. Murray added the
charge yesterday that the Fedora
ton was attempting to utilize the
National Labor Relations Board in
subversive campaign to destroy in
dustrial unionism.