The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-10-21
adjustment OF Details And
Time OF Re-entrY Are Left
To Executive Council
GREEN SEES UNITY NEAR
Effort To Delay Action For
Year Defeated; Jurisdiction
Issue Awaits Solution
BY n. Il. O. p. DELEGATES


Boston.-John l.. Lewis, former head
of the Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tions and probably the most cOntrover-
sial figure in the history of organized
labor, was voted back into the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
With only one dissenting vote, dele
gates to the Boston convention of the
AFL directed the executive council to
clear the technicalitieS and rcadmit
Lewis and approximately 100000 mem
bers of his United Mine Workers of
America.
Green Jubilant
I've asked them TO come back and
they are coming back" William Green
president of the AFL, told 600 cheering
delegates. I'll stand there at the door
of labor myself and welcome them
back
1t was predicted at the Hotel Statlel
sessions that Lewis and the powerful
= United Mine Workers actually would
he in the AF'L fold within 60 to 9C
:. days. However, under the terms Of the
AFL constitution, Lewis will have little
voice in the operation of the 62-year-
old federation for Il year or more.
The conventions decision on the
Lewis problem was hailed as Il great
step toward labor unity. Speakers on
the convention floor asserted that the
rival CIO "already is disintegrating.
They also predicted it marked the be
ginning of Il procession of CIO unions
into the Al'L.
With Lewis United Mine Workers
and with the membership of his Dis
trict 80 in the ranks of the federation
this organization will number more
than 7,25O,O0O men and women work.
crs, it was explained. On all sides il
was agreed that the conventions action
would have favorable bearing on thl
pending decision OF the Internatona
Typographical Union With perhaps
100000 or more members to come back
into the AFL.
AFL Miners For Ii
Not even the AFL's own group ot
miners, the Progressive Mine Workers
voted against the proposal that The
executive council complete negotiations
with Lewis organization. Green de
clared the vote unanimous although 4
lone delegate afterward protested ht
did not record himself in favor of it
An amendment which would hay,
withheld approval of Lewis return
until after the executive council had
, completed the negotiations was sup
ported by only seven delegates. This
would have required the executive
council to report to the 1914 conven
tion or to Il convention called specially
for the matter.
1t was obvious that the attitude OF
Green, Matthew VOL. Il vice president
and chairman of the resolutions com
mittee; Daniel J. Tobin, president OF
TeamSterS; William l.. Hutchinson
head of the Carpenters Union; Joseph
i. Ryan of the International Long
ShoremenS Association and Il number
of other principal figures coducting the
negotiations did much to diSpel any
doubt that might have been in the
minds of some of. the delegates.
VOL. in an impossioned plea fol
labor unity and for delegates to place
faith in their executive council, prom
ised: This formula is designed to pro
tect the interest of every affiliated or.
ganizatiOn. This council is not going
to bargain away the iurisdictiona]
rights of any organization merely tc
admit the United Mine Workers.
Throughout the most hectic day OF
sisted that Lewis, who left the AFL tu
form the CIO eight years ago, was
coming back on the AtL'S terms. Lewis
resigned as head of the CIO after op.