Evening star., 1938-02-02
new MAJOR SPLIT
IN LABOR IS SEEN
A. F. |. and c. !. b. in Row
Over Craft Change in
Wagner Act.
BACKGROUND

Dispute ODef Dhethef t0OOf
should be organized along craft or
industrial lines caused split in
ranks OF American Federation OF
Labor about tUo years ago. In
dustrtnl untonisna advocates joined
John L. LeDts in forming Commit
tee for Industrial Organization.
A. F. L. decreed c. I. o. and MEM
bers should be expelled, a procedure
schich has not been completely car
ried out. Efforts to bring about
reconciliation haze failed and t,Do
factions continue separate meet.
ings, con nficting policies.
b the Associated Press.
MIAMI, Fla, Feb. 2.-Another
major split between the American
Federation of Labor and the Commit
tee for Industrial Organization de-
veloped today over = proposal to
amend the Wagner Labor Relations
Act.
AAo "a. +. -. GsACSutIfc NOu1lCll III.
dorsed a change that would insure the
members of craft unions within an in
dustry the right to elect their own
representatives for collective bargain
ing. The A. F. L. will press for enact
ment of the amendment at this ses-
sion of Congress.
The United Mine Workers, of which
John L. Lewis is president, voted
unanimously at their Washington
convention yesterday to oppose any
change in the act.
Provisions Of Law.
The law now provides that collective
bargaining representatives shall be
elected by "the majority of the en-
ployes in a unit appropriate for such
purposes; that those elected shall be
the exclusive representatives of all
the employees in such unit" and that
the National Labor Relations Board
shall decide in each case whether
- the unit appropriate for the
purposes OF collective bargaining shall
be the employer unit, craft unit or
subdivision thereof"
The A. F. of L. would change these
sections to provide that "the majority
OF any craft or class of employees shall
have the right to determine who shall
be the representative of the craft or
class" and that in any Labor Relations
Board investigation ANY labor organ
isation may intervene in the proceed
ings as the representative of any craft
or class Of employees and in any elec-
ton the board shall place
upon the ballot the name of such labor
organization together with the names
Of other parties to the controversy"
Frey's Complaint.
John P. Frey, president of the A. F.
Of L. Metal Trades Department, who
raised the matter. said that in some
elections held by the Labor Board the
form Of the ballot was such that en-
ployes had to vote either for or against
the c. I. o. with no opportunity to
choose an A. F. of L. craft union for
bargaining representative.
So eager are A. F. of l.. officials for
immediate enactment of the amend
ment that they oppose any Senate in
vestigation Of the N. L. r. B. at this
time. fearing protracted inquiry
would delay the legislation. although
they criticize the Labor Board for
alleged partisanship toward the c. I. o.
The miners convention also opposed
the investigation and criticized the
board for some recent decisions which
the miners held had favored A. F, of L.
craft unions.
Green Dares Howard.
1rked by what he considered to be
heckllng from the sidelines, Mr.. Green
yesterday renewed his dare to Charles
p. Howard, president of the Interna-
tional Typographical Union. 70 call a
referendum of the printers on the
question Of joining the C. 10.
Howard. who is secretary of the c.
I. o. although his outfit is affiliated
with the A. F. of L.. is not a member
OF the A. p. of L. Executive Council,
meeting here, but has been prominent
about the hotel lobby.
In a typewriter statement he
charged that the accusation of foster
ing dual unionism on which Mr.. Green
faces expulsion from the United Mine
Workers was true-that the charter
the A. F. Of L. granted the Progressive
Mines of America. which Mr.. Green
terms local Federal charter in
Illinois. was identical with the certifi-
cate the A. F. of L. issued to the
q. M. w. and other international
unions.
Mr.. Howard speaks as an official
OF the c. I. o." was Mr. Green's reply