The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-06-03
Wide Speculation
Over Lewis Appeal
To Rejoin A.F. OIL.
One Conjecture Has Mine
Leader Planning For
Next Election
MAY HASTEN PEACE
A. F. L. Council Turns Down
Proposal To, Send Green
And MurrdY To Europe
MAY HASTEN PEACE

| for reafiiliatiOn of his union with the
AFL-continued to be a major topic
of discussion in labor circles this week
1t was the consensus of opinion that
Lewis application will be approved
but only after settlement Of all juris-
dctiOnal questions involved, particu-
larly those that have arisen since
Lewis expanded into other industrial
fields overlapping the jurisdiction of
various AFL unions.
\ committee of three was appointed
by the Federation's Executive Council
to conduct negotiations with the L. Nj.
w. on the conditions of its return.
Members are President George Nj.
Harrison of the Railway Clerks. Presi-
dent Daniel J. Tobin of the TeamSters
and Vice President Matthew VOL of
the hOto-EngraverS. All three have
served on previous committees that
sought unity with the CIO.
Make Haste Slowly
There will be no breakneck haste in
acting on the application, though labor
chiefs predicted it would be approved
by the time of the next Executive
Council meeting in August, and that
Lewis would, for the first time i'm eight
years, participate with his delegation
at the next AFL convention in Octo-
ber at Boston.
Speculation has been rife in Wash
ingtOn as to why Lewis chose to come
back at this time. While there are
many gueSSeS, the general conjecture IS
that there are political motives, and
that Lewis and President William l..
HutcheSon of the Carpenters will
from leaning as heavily on the side of
the Democratic party as it has been
doing in recent years.
May Hasten Peace Move
Meanwhile, Lewis move was be-
lieved to have given impetus TO the
languishing negotiations for an ANAL
ganation of the AFL and the CIO. The
council authorized its peace commit
tee" headed by President Harry G..
Bates of the BricElayers, TO renew
conferences with Il similar tIO com
mittee, and these are expected to get
under way next month.
Should these negotiations fail, ii is
anticipated by Federation chieftains
that some of the large unions of the
CIO such as the Auto Workers,
Clothing Workers and Rubber Workers
would lead Il return to the AFL'
movement.
That the administration is still
pressing for AFL-CIO reconciliation
was seen in Il proposal irem Hrcideni
Roosevelt to the Executive Council that
Murray of tn" two organizations make
Il joint "fratcrnal visit To the labor
movement of Great Britain.
Council Rejects Bid
The council rejected the bid, con
tending that the AFL has always been
the sole recognized labor body in inter
national relations, and that there was
no ground for giving the Gro equal
recognition now. Some labor leaders
interpreted the Presidents move as I'm
effort to head off Lewis admission to
the Federation by bringing the AFL
and tIO closer together, leaving the
Miners on the outside.
Many other important actions were
taken by the council before its ad-
iournmenl.
President for tying the hands of th"
War Labor Board under his "hold-thc-
line order of April =. That order vir-
iually frozc wages, without regard to
high living costs and other patent in
Justices" the council declared.
Threat To Labor Peace
II charged the order "SeriOuSly i'm
paired the WLB'S ability To maintain
peace in industrial relations and vio-
lated the agreement between labor, in
duSlry and the government, setting up
the board on Il voluntary basis after
Pearl lInrbor.
Though the freeze has been thawed
by II subsequent directive from Eco
nomic Slablizcr James +. ByrneS, the
council declared it is dubious about the
modification, but would mark time to
see If the workers can get fair treat
ment" The council inferred that if
they do not, labor'S support of the
board will be withdrawn"
In another statement, the council
denounced the National Labor Rela'
tionS Board for attempting, on the
basis of ClO charges, to invalidate an
AFL closed shop contract with the
Henry j. KaiScr's shipyards. Amend.
mentS to the Wagner Act We're de
manded To prevent such interference
| by the board with bona iide union
agreements.
Boards Decision unreasonable"
The act was designed to prevent
unfair labor practices of anti-uniol
employers" the council said. at was
not designed to persecute employers
having il pro-labor record such aS
| Henery Kaiser
The council charged the boards
proceedings invited "raiding' by the
clO, discord and animoSitieS' an(
"diSruption in production of ships" Il
went so far as to brand the boards
actions as Unreasonable in time OF