The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-10-16
Few Unions Gathering Ali
Power. States N. B. Of
Q. P. President
OPPOSES CONCESSION
Speech Loudly Applauded.
But Votes Cast In Favor
Of Large Unions

Seattle, Wash.-If few large and
powerful American Federation of
Labor unions continue to gather "all
the power" a new secession, worse
than that which led to formation Of
the Congress Of Industrial Organiza-
tions in 1884, is bound to result,
President James NJ. Duffy of the Ma
tional Brotherhood of Operative Pot
ters charged late Friday as the 6lst
annual A. F. Of L. convention ran into
| its first controversy.
| The dispute, short lived, one-man
affair, arose over the recommendation
Of the committee on laws to adopt the
/ Executive Councils motion to reduce
per capita assessments against indi-
vidual unions, granting the larger
-unions a special concession.
The Council proposed a reduction
from 2 to ~ cents month per men,
Der for all members up to 100000,
and reduction from cents to l cent
on all members over 100000.
The two unions with 100000 or
more members are the Teamsters'
Union and the United Brotherhood Of
Carpenters and Joiners of America.
Despite two impassioned pleas
against the recommendation by the
potters' chief, it carried overwhelm-
ingly. Many delegates, though ap-
plauding Duffy vigorously, voted
against him.
Duffy, realizing he was the lore
voice of the opposition, told delegates:
"If we had an opportunity to record
our vote by secret ballot, the motion
would not be adopted. But by our
method Of voting everyone shrugs his
shoulders and says, What's the user
They have the vote. If you oppose
a measure like this you're probably
marked and face reprisals."
Duffy, stating he was not opposed
to general reduction of equality for
all unions, said he couldn't go
along" on the idea of granting spe-
cial concessions to the great unions Of
over 100000 members"
at seems to me we have before Us
legislation contrary to the spirit, in
tent and purposes of the A. +. of L."
Duffy declared.
"We like to talk about our great
democratic organization and want it
known we are unalterably for equality
of opportunity Yet this idea Of plac-
ing the membership on a cash-and
carry basis encourages the larger or
ganizations to gain additional tre-
mendous power.
81 believe 50 per cent Of the dele
gates entertain my thoughts, but |
know this is all cut and dried. l do
ask you to do everything in your
power to stop it before it's too late"
Duffy warned of trend in the Fed
Grafton toward a few organizations
bringing to themselves enormous
power"
"They are not content" he declared,
"to remain in their own industries,
but are reaching out on all sides to
take in groups from industries in
which they were not originally given
jurisdiction"
Duffy charged the 'voting strength
has got to the place where some
eight or ten unions absolutely control
the whole works" The Federation in
cludes about $50 unions.
"Only few organizations dominate
this situation and they determine our
policy" Duffy said. "Now we are
asked to place a premium on this
trend of further entrenching them
- f,,,+ roJ,,oi,,cr oh
for honest-to-G democratic ways Of
deciding problems for labor's men
and women.
Third Group Seen
'If we don't do something, within
the next five or six years you're going
to have a worse situation than you
did in 1884 in San Francisco when
nearly million members rebelled-
there'll be not only two distinct
groups, but third.
| "There are a sufficient number,
who, if the trend isn't stopped, are
going to become parties to a third
group, and God forbid that that hap
pens
A large number of delegates ap-
plauded Dutfy's remarks, some thump-
ing the floor noisily with their heels.
Speaking in favor of the discrimin-
alton reduction, Daniel j. Tobin,
president of the Teamsters' Union
and chairman of the committee on
laws, said the reduction was asked
because "there is enough money in
the treasury to carry on for year"
The financial report shows the Fed
Grafton has S1,007, 1896 on hand.
Tobin pointed out the Teamsters'
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