Evening star., 1943-10-04
5 Resolutions Oppose
UNIV Application as
AFL Session Opens
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Oct. 4.-The American
Federation of Labor opened its 63d
annual convention today amid indi-
cations that many of the smaller
trade union groups, at least, we're
unsympathetic to the readmission
of John L. Lewis United Mine
Workers.
Six resolutions on the subject were
laid before the 500 or 600 delegates
at the opening session. and five of
them strongly opposed the Lewis ap-
plication. Even the sixth stipulated
that Lewis be readmitted only after
settling his present difficulty with
the Government and agree to con-
form with the no-strike pledge" !"
The sponsor of this resolution was
John L. Hurst of the Cincinnati
Central Labor Unions.
The six resolutions were not neces-
sarlly the only expressions regard
ing Mr.. Lewis which the conven-
ton may consider. They were sub
mitted under the rule requiring that
resolutions be submitted 80 days be-
fore the convention. Exempt from
this rule are resolutions adopted by
conventions of international unions
and Safe federations of labor.
None of the six came from any of
the major AFL unions. Resolutions
also may be accepted at any time
by unanimous consent of the con-
Vention
Called Enemy of Labor.
resolution proposed by the
Peoria Gll) Trades and Labor As
sembly called Mr.. Lewis "one of the
worst enemies of organized labor"
and blamed him for enactment of
State and national antilabor laws.
1t proposed fatty that the conven-
ton go on record opposing the re-
admission of the UNIV.
Robert E. Woodmansee. delegate
of the Springfield GllO Federation
of Labor. stated that the re-admis-
sion of Mr.. Lewis under any terms
whatsoever would be counter to the
best interests of organized labor"
A similar resolution was introduced
by the Pekin ullD Trades and Labor
Assembly.
A resolution offered by Delegate
Ted Williams of the Birmingham,
'AlaO Trades Council denounced the
mine strike and accused Mr.. Lewis
OF carrying on IAN unprincipled
campaign against our Commander
in Chief" and that we deem his
application to be political move"
Would Guard Progressives.
Delegate R. G.. Soderstrom of the
Illinois State Federation of Labor
proposed resolution which would
guard the integrity of the Progress
slve Mine Workers of America as
an AFL affiliate until such time as
the mine workers themselves NAV
decide their own future relationships
by mutually satisfactory agreement" +"
AFL leaders expected to learn be-
fore the day ended, whether the In
ternatlonal Association of Machin-
lists would return to the fold. The
machlnlsts quit the Federation last
spring because of a jurisdictional
row with the carpenters.
Committees of the AFL and the
machinists discussed a compromise
proposition at a conference last
night and the machinists were to
make their reply today.
Leaders Optimistic.
AFL leaders were reported op-
tlmlstic that the breach would be
closed
The Executive Councils and Of
hcers' reports, made public today,
showed a new high membership
mark of 5,939,O21 as of August 81. a
net gain Of 456,440 in the year. de-
spite the withdrawal of the machin-
lists union, which claimed a member
ship of half million.
The council report credited the
rival. Congress of Industrial Organ
lzations with only 2225,0OO members
less than half the CLOS claimed
membership.
Revealed in Note.
This estimate Of CIO strength ap-
peared in hitherto unpublished
note which AFL leaders handed to
a visiting British labor delegation
last February in explanation of the
AFLs lnslstence on excluding the
C1O and the four independent rail-
road brotherhoods from the Anglo
American Trade Union Committee.
In polite but unmistakable lam
guage, the AFL said that a break
in Anglo-American labor relations
might result if the British persisted
In seeking to include the CIO and
the brotherhoods.
The AFL note also said "it is i'm
portant to bear in mind the fact
that the C1O is a dual or seeding