The union times., 1941-05-24
Clears Away Accusations ] With Figures
Tells House Judiciary Com. mittee Defense Program Not Endangered by
 Unionization

i President William Green earn RestIy defended the role of the Amer ican Federation of Labor in the na- tional defense program before the House Judiciary Committee, mar shalling a devastating barrage of facts to silence an attempted blitz- krieg of unsupported accusation and innuendo by anti-labor wit nesses.
 Reading a 15,OOO word statement to the committee, Mir. Green pro. duced detailed and unassailable evi- dence to show that American Feder- Ration of Labor unions have not en- Tagged in extensive initiation fee rackets and have not seriously inn Epeded the defense program by un- necessary strikes.
 Charges Untrue
 Taking up the case of each union that had been accused of charging new Inembers excessive initiation fees, Mir. Green proved from the records that he charges were untrue or grossly Exaggerated. Summarizing this por- ion of his testimony, he said:
 As general rule, large initiation fees have been charged in only excep- ional cases and have been drastically educed or altogether suspended in the peration of the defense program. The act that the fees and dues charged are necessary Is shown by the exten- sive benefits which the American Fed kefation of Labor has made available to Tits member ship. The fact that the llbractices are fair, equitable and not restrictive can be attested by 5,0O0,000 members of the American Federation #of Labor who have come into the Membership of our organization, who orm representative cross section of he American wage earners and who in he final analysis control and deter mine the policies of their unions.
 Become Benefciaries
 pew members who join the union md pay their initiation fee become benefciaries and participants in the unds already accumulated in the ocal treasury and available for ickness, death, accident and unem- bIoyment benefits. In addition. it must be realized that a newly ad- nitted member of union becomes beneficiary of wages and work ng conditions which it has taken eneratiOns of uniOnists to estab- ish, and for which the union has ought over many years.
 Practically all of our unions have aken cognizance of the situation and ave acted accordingly. Within the limitations of our authority, we in he American Federation of Labor lave established reasonable and uni orm standard initiation fees in every instance known to us and have done
 
 way with abuses"
 Strikes
 On the question of national de- efse strikes, MT. Green said:
 From July 194O through April g, Q4l, there were altogether only 99 rikes involving in any way na- Ional defense production. Of these, 1 strikes in 55 establishments were onsidered to be important by the ffice of Production Management and s were classified by OPM as dis inctly secondary.
 These 61 disputes involved alto ether 212,608 workers and resulted 2,279,50 nlan-days of idleness. About one-ha1f of them were disputes which management refused to af- ord unions recognition of their col ective bargaining rights or to follow he established collective bargaining rocedures. The remainder of the rikes involved grievances, questions f speed-up and work-load and wage sues