The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-26

Cd11G 4IOIIl 1dUOI ) pO111G OI
The President wanted to see
Murray in order to get the power
full backing of ClO unions for the
Administrators subsidy fight in
Congress. The Scotch blurred
CLIO Chieftain, one of Roosevelt's
staunchest supporters, readily
promised his aid on subsidies.
Then the President remarked that
he had noted Murray was opposed
to his labor draft proposal.
Murray told him that he was
most emphatically opposed.
For whom do you speak,"
asked the President.
Murray replied that he spoke
for the CLIO.
Whereupon Roosevelt handed
him a telegram from Julius Ems
pax, head of the Electrical Work
erS, CLIO union, endorsing a ma
tional service act. The Electro
cal Workers is one of the left
wing CLIO unions, and the Presi-
dent indicated that he had other
kilograms of endorsement from
left-wing CLIO unions, including
Harry Bridges longshoremen and
Joseph Curran's National Mari
time Union.
Despite this strong hint that
Murray couldn't control his own
unions, the CIO chief stood his
ground. He asked the President
whether he intended to go ahead
with his plant to draft labor, even
II Congress would not approve his
entire five-poitn program.
These five points included: ~:
a realistic tax law taxing unreal
sonable profits: (2) renegotiation
Of war contracts; ~ subsidies to
keep prices down; az a new price,
wage sterilization act; (5) a ma
tional service act.
MURRAY WINS HARMONY
Murray asked this question be-
cause he knew Congress was op-
posing most of this program and
that the President would have a
hard time carrying the first four
points. A national service act
might be easier.
Roosevelt agreed that Con-
gress might not pass his entire
program but said he would
press for the labor draft Just the
same.
Murray then replied that he
would fight him to the very end.
Immediately afterward, Murray
called a meeting Of his CLIO ex-
ecutive board. His Scotch ire was
up. He looked daggers at the
left wing union leaders who had
wired the President.
Gentlemen" he said, his voice
edgy with anger, what policy
are we following here - the
CLIO policy or a foreign policy?
At Philadelphia we laid down a
policy the CLIO was to follow
against a national service act,
but now / find that there are
other policies"
What Murray had in mind was
the frequent AFL accusation that
some Of the CLIO unions are DOM
mated or influenced by Russia.
The Russian policy has been to
win the war at all costs, whether
1t means drafting labor, working
long hours. or anything else.
Harry Bridges, of the West
Coast longshoremen, gave Murray
a rather mild reply to justify his
telegram to the White House. But
Murray was still indignant.
II am fed up" he said, with
the conduct Of unions which you
and your type represent.
Nobody can call me q Red
batter" Murray continued. II
couldn't be q Red-baiter II I
wanted to. But now can UNI
derstand the protests Of John L.
Lewis during the Little Steel
wage dispute as to who Is rum
ming the labor movement"
LEFT WING BACKS DOWN
Murray was also bitter against
Roosevelt and accused him Of
double-talk regarding his friend
ship for labor and his plans to
draft labor.
Finally the left-wing unions
which had wired the White House
took a thirty-minute recess to
discuss the matter. Then they
came back ready to 60 along with
Phil Murray and the C4O right
wing.
Murray then entertained q mo-
ton TO reaffirm the position Of
the CLIO as previously adopted at
Philadelphia - namely, against a
national service act. This was
unanimously adopted.
The left-Wing unions justified
their vote fer this reseIgtien On
TIE greusas That they had been
fer Reservoirs entire fiye-point
pgegEams ineIadlng hlgh tazes