The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-10-30
Labor Unity Hope
Renewed BY AFL
In 1q41 Convention
Gathering Denounces C1O
Rdids On AFL Unions
As Hitler Policy

Seattle, Wash.-The 61st annual
convention Of the American Fedora
tion of Labor adopted unanimously
the report of the Resolutions Com
mittee reaffirming the profound de-
sire Of the Federation for united
labor movement and expressed regret
that the continuation of a dual or
ganization was definitely attached to
the policy of division sponsored by
the forces that control the G. l. O., re-
sulting in a lowering Of the contri
button which organized labor would
otherwise have given to the nation
during the period of national emer-
gency.
AS a special hindrance to the de-
velopment of unity the report cited
the continued attempts to raid A. F.
of L. unions by the C. l. o.
"It is inescapable that when the
present crisis has been passed, that
this division in the ranks Of labor will
even more acutely disturb and dis
locate the relationships between man
agement and labor" the report de-
clared. Because we must take the
postwar period into consideration, it
is encouraging to find that the Of
ficers of the American Federation of
Labor are continuing their policy Of
an open door, and their effort to re-
establish a unifcation of the Ameri-
can trade union movement.
&C. %N
convention of the public statements
made by the master spirit of the c. /.
O., to indicate the outstanding reason
why unity has not been previously
established.
Because of the constant efforts
made by the C. I. o. to raid our
unions and their membership, and to
set up dual International Unions to
those within the fold of the American
Federation Of Labor, it is essential
that our trade union movement pro-
tect itself against the efforts to de-
stroy it; efforts which, unfortunately,
in many instances have received the
encouragement and assistance of in
dividuals holding public office. AS to
the question of maintaining what we
have and Of increasing our member
ship, the helpful influence of our In
ternational Unions affects the men,
bership locally as we'll as nationally
''The policy which has been carried
out by the C. l. O. from the begin
ming, in many instances, is similar TO
that which has been applied by
Adolph Hitler, promises and pledges
to be broken when it seems advan-
tageous. First, we were assured that
the sole purpose of the G. |. O. was
to carry on an educational campaign
We were then assured in an official
statement issued by the head of the
C. l. 0. that in such organizing work
as it would carry on, it would be con-
fined solely to the field of the unor-
ganized.
Hardly had this statement been
made than the first organizing efforts
made by the C. l. O. were raids upon
the membership of existing Interna-
tional Unions, in many instances an
effort to secure control of trade
unions at that time under trade union
agreements with their employers. The
similarity to Hitler's tactics does not
end here, but the carefully planned
program of the leaders of the C.. l. o.
led to campaigns first against one In
ternational Union, and then against
another.
"Had the original raiding policy
been carried out generally against all
Of our affiliated international Unions