Montana labor news., 1938-09-08
Los Angeles 00
Revolt (oIIapses De-
spite Press Support

LOS ANGELES.-(FP)-What the
Hearst press has heralded as a full
Pledged revolt of CLIO unions
against the leadership of Harry
Bridges, Pacific coast CLIO director,
is recognized here as minor shipping.
The action Of four local unions in
withdrawing from the Los Angeles
Industrial Union Council is much
less serious than it has been cracked
up to be on the front pages of re-
dictionary newspapers.
In the first place, the ~revolters do
not number 10000 as reported, but
at the very most only 7,00O-about
4 per cent of the total CLIO member
ship in California. The local of the
United Shoe Workers, for example,
has less than 200 members.
Second, most of the rebel locals
had already either quit the indus
trial union council or been suspend
ed for nonpayment of per capita tax,
Third, the rebels program for a
boycott of the state CLIO convention
in Los Angeles on Aug. 1921 has
been shot full of holes. Although
the uprising has the benediction OF
Pres. Homer Martin of the United
Automobile Workers, the General
Motors local in Los Angeles-largest
UAW unit in the state-has voted to
send delegates to the state conven-
ton. And so have five other JAW
locals: Chrysler, Ford, Studebaker,
WHY'S and the job shops.
Sherman Dalrymple, international
president of the United Rubber
Workers, lost no time in calling a
halt to the rebellious activity OF
George Roberts, URW representative
here who pulled his local out of the
city council. Roberts reprimanded
and ordered to withdraw" Dali
rymple telegraphed the New York
CLIO office. mot involved in any
anti-CIO move" Dalrymple's tele-
gram asked the New York office to
see that The New York Times pub
lished his reputation of Roberts
action.
The third seeding local, the
United Shoe Workers, acted without
consulting its national office. Con
corning the fourth, the Init. Ladies
Garment Workers Union, Sec. L. H
Kitchener of the Los Angeles Indus
trial Union Council said:
"Of the so-called revolving unions
the ILGWU is the only one of con-
sequence. 1t is interesting to note
that Los Angeles is the only city
where the ILGWU has affiliated with
and sent delegates to an industrial
union council. This was done, moi
for the purpose of building a strong
and powerful CLIO movement ir
southern California, but for the pur.
pose of Selling control of the council
Failing to do this, the ILGWU lead
ers withdrew and carried on a cam
paign of sabotage and disruption that
has eliminated with this latest
move"
Kitchener spoke scathingly of the
rebels use of secret meetings and
%"cloakroom c~onspiracies." He point
ed out that the industrial union
council affords ''ample opportunity
to every organization to present its
program, policies and constructive
criticism"
GAS secretary, l went to these off
Gals in an attempt to enlist their
support in formulating a program
that the entire CLIO could unite upon
They did not even give me a chance
to present it to the council, let alone
put it into effect" Kitchener de-
clared.
Local CLIO officers pointed out that
although the revolving locals insist
that they are loyal" to the CLIO,
their action was Immediately hailed
by Gov. Frank Merriam as "backine
up everything I have said about
these labor organizations" One Of
Merriam's most recent remarks was,
81 have nc sympathy for the CLIO
We must determine that these
things r going to end" The gov
ernor also characterized successful
CLIO strikes as "a form of labor
racketeering."
Thus embarrassed by the ardent
blessing of Merriam and the Hearst
newspapers, which somehow man
aged to be on the inside of the secret
meetings, the rebel locals have founc
no sympathy in national CLIO head.
quarters. It has been announced Al
Washington that John Brophy, ma.
tional CLIO director, will attend the
Los Angeles convention, putting the
full approval of John L. Lewis be.
hind the Pacific coast leadership o!
Harry Bridges. AS for Bridges, he
has characterized the uprising as &
loose splinter from an otherwise
solid block, a descriptive maneuvel