The CIO news. (Cumberland, Md.) 1942-????, 1942-12-07
LOOKING AHEAD
By Len De Caux

IL
previous years.
Formerly such negotiations used to attract the
same kind of press attention major sporting
event.
Newsreel cameramen and photographers would
rush to the spot the moment they began, ready
to record the signing Of peace agreement.
Scores of news and magazine writer's would be
the job day and night, specializing as to which
side would win and connecting endless dope stories
about real supposed encounters behind the closed
doors of the conference room.
AS the negotiations dragged on, day after day
and week after week. anticipations of early
agreement would change into stories about the col
lapse of peace efforts renewal of labor war; etc.
And finally over-optimism about some magic
peace formula would dwinde away into exaggerated
cynicism about labor unity ever being achieved.
In contrast, the present negotiations started
without fanfare, with only routine newspaper atten-
tion and with practically press anticipation Of
early success.
Yet after three quite brief and businesslike ses-
sions, the CIO and AFL committees were able to
announce the most substantial step yet achieved
toward unfyng the labor movement = the first
signed agreement between the two labor bodies
since the original split occurred
\ 4
The agreement recognizes that the essence of
tives. The most important immediate objective is
the winning of this war. And disunity does most
harm when inter-labor disputes tend to hamper
production.
The CLIO and AFL committees have therefore
agreed upon practical plan to arbitrate jurisdic-
tional disputes between affliates of the two big
labor bodies.
Once ratified by the executive boards of CIO
and AFL, this agreement will establish joint ALL
CLIO committee, whose members are to be named
by the respective boards.
International unions will appeal jurisdictional
disputes to this joint committee And if its
bers fail to agree, they to select disnterested
arbter whose decision is to be binding upon both
parties.
If the committee members cannot agree upon
an arbiter within five days, the President of the
United States is to be requested to name arbter
Z
This agreement is not advanced as substitute
for organic unity. On the contrary its purpose Is
practical cooperation between CIO and AFL to aid
the successful prosecution of the peace negotiations
which are to be continued later in December.
And both CIO and AFL representatives empha-
size they consider this agreement most substantial
step toward organic unity and unified labor move
ment.
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edly affirmed position of the CO. This is that the
first consideration must be joint labor action to win
the war; and the prevention of disputes stoppages
that might hamper the effort.
The CLIO has, therefore, Fundamentally supported
the Combined Labor Victory Committee, which
meets with President Roosevelt, has sought to
broaden its functions and has welcomed the recent
addition to this committee of railroad brotherhood
well CLIO and AFL representation.
At the same time, CIO President Murray has
made repeated proposals for the arbitration of uris
dctional disputes between CLIO and AFL unions.
X X
OF course, the issue of labor unity goes far be-
yond the limited purposes of the agreement.
1t is obvious that if the effort is aided by arbi-
tration of CIO-AFL disputes it would be much more
advanced by complete unification of abor's forces.
And the economic legislative and political advan.
tapeS of unity are obvious