Evening star., 1940-11-22
Dubinsky Guarded F,
After ; Fist Fights
Al A. F. |. Convention
Accuses Executive Council
Of Repudioting Pledges;
War Chest Charged
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 22-The
dream Of a quiet business session
that had enveloped the American
Federation Of Labor convention has
been broken by David Dubinsky,
unperturbed today after three fist
fights and bitter charges he made
against ay-haired chieftains of the
group.
Photographed and nursing a
bruised lip, Mr.. Dubinsky, president
of the International Ladies Garment
Workers, announced he had de-
manded OF IAN A. r. of L. vice
president:
''I was out. Why the - did
you want me back? You had peace
before?"
Mr.. Dubinsky returned to the
A. F. of L. fold only last June after
deserting the Congress of Industrial
Organizations which he helped
found following his departure from
the A. F. of L.
Executive Council Accused.
Until Mr.. Dubinsky threw his fire
crackers under the rocking chair,
leaders had predicted a quiet two
week meeting rejecting the pacific
nature of the A. F. of L. as publicly
contrasted by President William
Green with the turbulent c. I. o
convention in Atlantic City.
Mr.. Dubinsky charged the Exec
tive Council, the guiding body Of the
A. F. of L.. had repudiated pledges
made to him as part of the condi-
tions under. which he returned to
the organization.
He charged the A. F. Of L., while
talking of making peace with the
C. I. O., was actually creating a
war chest"
He said that because of measure
he introduced at the convention here
to outlaw racketeering from unions
he was attacked by Joseph Fay, vice
president of the Operating Engineers
Union, and an unidentified red
headed" man.
The attacks, he said, occurred
twice in a hotel bar and once in
the lobby. The two men rolled on
the floor
Il don't know whether I got
punched" Mr.. Dubinsky said, "or
whether some one pushed cigar
was smoking into my face"
Mr.. Fay, who admitted ''browl''
with the 5-foot 4-inch Dubinsky
said the argument" started when
he blamed the garment workers
leader for helping organize the c.
I. o.
Then he asked me what ]
thought of mis- resolution on rack
eteering. and I told him it was all
right" Mr.. Fay related. i told him
I thought racketeers ought not to
be left in the union. I told him
there was one word, moral turpi-
tude,' in the resolution I didn't
like.
Listen, Dave said, that
could mean that If you and I were
arrested playing cards we could be
thrown out of the union"
Mr.. Dubinsky. asked-and was
given-a police bodyguard after the
fight. He requested the officer. who
now stays close to him, "to protect
my family"
Awaits Developments.
Il plan to wait until l see what
happens on the convention floor,
then if it Is not as I think il
should be I am going to start talk
ing, but I am not going to take my
union out of the A. F. L." he said.
Mr.. Dubinsky's "as I think it
should be- reference was to the
anti-racketeering resolution and
these two promises" which he said
were made to him by President
Green but repudiated by the Ex-
ecutive Council:
A 2-cent per capita tax on all
members instead of the present l.
cent per capita tax and a special l.
cent assessment on each member;
and stripping the Executive Council
of its present power of suspending a
union.
The special assessment, Mr.. Du-
binsky charged, is to create funds
for war chest against the C. 1. O..
There is nothing on the record
to show that it was for war;" he
said "but it was once So stated on
the convention floor There is a
resolution before this convention to
abolish the assessment and make the
per capita tax cents. We favor