Montana labor news., 1944-05-18

PROCRESSIVES
FORM COUNCIL

MISUNDERSTANDING 500 people
from all sections of Yellowstone county
crowded the American Federation of La
Dor Temple hall to capacity recently at
a meeting called for the purpose of form
ing a county council for progressive po-
litical action in the 1914 elections. The
local unit will be affiliated with the
Montana Council for Progressive Political
Action which was organized in Great
Falls on March 18th Charles Banderob
of Huntley, executive Board member Of
the state Farmers Union presided as
temporary chairman, with Bert Price of
Billings, member of Oil Workers Inter-)
national Union, CLIO, as temporary secre-
tary.
All of the people present came from
various labor and farm organizations in
the county, and their Ladies' Auxiliaries.
The organizations represented were the
American Federation of Labor, Congress
of Industrial Organizations, Farmers
Union, Brotherhood Of Railway Carmen
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen, and
the Ladies Auxiliaries. There we're also
several prominent professional and small
business people in attendance.
The purpose Of the local organization
is to unite all the progressive forces Of
the county in a concerted political drive
in the coming elections. The first order
of business will be a spirited campaign
to get all people registered to vote. The
council will eventually select and endorse
candidates for county offices, with par
ticular stress being laid on the legislative
offices to be filled.
A permanent organization was COM
pleted at the meeting, and the following
permanent officers we're chosen: Charles
Banderob. Huntley, chairman: Bert Price,
Billings, vice chairman; Glen E. Lewis,
Laurel, Brotherhood Of Railway Carmen,
secretary. and Jerry Gass. Laurel, Oil
Workers Union, treasurer. The group
also elected from the floor the following
committees to serve for the remainder Of
the year: Executive, Pete Thompson.
Laurel, Brotherhood of Railway Train
men, F. M. Fennel. Billings, ALL Flee
trical Workers; Harold Cerke, Farmers
Union, Billings; Mrs. Joe Cormier, Blue
Creek, Ladies ~Auxiliaries. and Grin
Stevenson, Billings, United S%teelworkers,
CLIO. Legislative, c. S.. Rothwell, Laurel,
Railroad Brotherhoods; Rudolph Bender
Billings Bench, farmers Union; Oryille
Anderson, Billings, Oil Workers Union,
CLIO; John Newman, AFL, Billings, and
Mrs. Grin Stevenson, Billings, Ladies
Auxiliaries. Finance committee mem
bers chosen are Milton Israel, Billings,
Farmers Union; Jack Romeo, Laurel,
Railroad Brotherhoods; E. H. Helterbran,
Billings, AFL; Russell Barr, Laurel, Oil
Workers Union, CLIO, and Mrs. Russell
Barr. Laurel. Ladies' Auxiliaries.
Jerry ]. O'Connell, former Montana
congressman and vice-chairman Of the
state group, was the principal speaker Of
the evening, and outlined the Importance
of the county group in the crucial 1914
elections. He urged all groups to forget
their past differences and unite for on
certed action in the coming campaigns.
He reported on the progress Of the work
already completed, and predicted that
every county in Montana would have
such a unit functioning in the very near
future. He laid particular stress IN the
functions and Importance Of each office
that was to be filled this year, from the
presidency to precinct committeeman
and