Montana labor news., 1938-09-15
Butte, Montana,
August 10, 1888.


National Labor Relations Board,
Denver, Colorado:
Mr.. Green and his chief lieutenant,
John P. Frey, are now very vocifer-
u in attempting to smear all who
differ from their views with the
faint of Communism.
They dislike the Wagner-C onnery
Act and the Wagner National Labor
Relations Act. This Magma Charta
for labor is attacked because it lib
crates labor from the despotic yoke
forged upon it by the American
Federation of Labor.
When an attempt is made to exer-
else the privilege given to labor by
this Bill of Rights under the N. L.
R. A., n is Immediately accused
of Communistic leanings and affilia-
tons.
1t seems that no despot is more to
be feared than one who has risen
from the ranks.
The A. F. of L. is, through its
bureaucratic methods, deliberately
attempting to prevent the rank-and-
file of its membership from having
any part in negotiating with the
employer for increased wages and
improved working conditions.
The reason for the origination of
the international organizations com
prising the A. F. of L., and also for
the latter's continued existence, has
become submerged in a desperate
attempt to prevent the craftsmen
who form the backbone of these or
CARNATIONS and maintain them fl
nancially-from having any voice in
the conditions of work covering the
craftsmen's well being.
1t is no wonder that the CLIO is
rapidly gaining ground and sup
planting the A. F. of L. The re-
markable part Of it is that the men,
bership and the internationals form
ing the A. F. of L. have SO long
submitted to such despotic methods
as have been practiced upon them
by the A. F. of l.. officials in collu-
sion with some of their international
b~oot-licking adjuncts.
Does Mr.. Green expect that the
thinking men and women compris-
ing the rank and file of his A. F..
of l.. will continue to be sold into
perpetual serfdom as he evidently
SO greatly desires?
Who, except themselves, claims
that VIM. Green and John P. Frey
represent the workers affiliated with
the A. F. of L.?
AS an active member of organized
labor during the past thirty years,
the writer has never had any OPP
portunity of voting, either directly
or indirectly, for VIM. Green or Mr..
Frey. They have more positive and
effective means of retaining their
well paid positions than by relying
on a popular vote which would be
very doubtful at least.
The conditions existing in Mon
tana at present is a striking example
of the depths of infamy to which
the A.. F. of L. and its subservient
internationals will go in its desperate
attempt to rivet their bureaucratic
yoke on the necks of the unsuspect-
ing workers who furnish the neces-
sary finances to pay their excessive
salaries and permit them to continue
in office and perpetuate a racket
which would make Al Capone seem
a piker.
In 1884 the employees of the Ana
conda Copper Mining Company in
Butte, Anaconda and Great Falls
were bludgeoned into a working con-
tract with the company in which all
of the internationals involved lost
their identities as well as their pow
ers and privileges of negotiating with
the company for any change in
working conditions and wages af-
fecting the craftsmen affiliated with
them.
The different internationals dele
gated to the Metal and Building
Trades Depts. Of the A. F. of L. the
exclusive right to act for them in
all matters pertaining to the we'll
being of the members of the diff
ferent internationals insofar as their
working relationship with their en-
ployer was concerned.
Mr.. Frey came to Montana with
a prepared agreement between the
Anaconda Copper Mining Co. and
the Building and Metal Trades
Depts. of the A. F. of l.. and he told
the membership of the different
crafts, Here is your agreement,
already signed and sealed by lis at
Washington" He said, "Your ac-
ceptance or rejection of it is i'm
material. This is your agreement
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