Evening star., 1946-04-03
Labor Union Relief Committees
Pact With Red Cross ExpIoined

Nert Monday the American
Red Cross Central Committee is
expected to renew or cancel its
controversial maritime tund-rdis-
ing agreement Dith labor union
relief committees. This is one
OF a series OF tactudl articles er-
planning the agreement.
In 1912, the American Red Cross
was faced with raising gigantic sums
of money for its greatly expanded
war program. This called for cul-
tivation of every possible source of
revenue and led to plan that
mobilized labor's cooperation.
The circumstances that brought
these erstwhile incompatibles to-
gether in a pact both now call sa-
lubrious, will be dealt with at length
in a subsequent article. Now some
thing shall be told of the agreement
itself which has aroused unfavor-
able comment from some quarters
and even charges of Red Cross
From the start, the arrangement
was four-way agreement. On one
hand were the Red Cross and the
Community Chests and Councils,
Inc, later part of the National
War Fund. On the other hand were
the war relief committees of the
American Federation of Labor and
the Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tions.
Adjuncts to the Unions.
The labor committees are not con-
stituent parts of the AFL and CIO,
but are merely adjuncts to the
unions. The AFL group is known
as the Labor League for Human
Rights. It's CIO counterpart is the
National CIO Community Services
Committee, formerly called the Ma
tional CIO War Relief Committee
Under terms of the agreement
covering four campaigns, including
the Red Cross drive just being con-
cluded, the CIO and AFL commit
tees were reimbursed for actual plan
ming and publicity expenses Incl
dental to conducting Embarrassing
campaigns in the unions. Two
thirds of the money was paid by the
National War Fund and one-third
by the Red Gross.
No money goes into the union
treasures. The full-time labor COM
mite staffs, which maintain offices
separate from their affiliated unions.
receive the money direct for salaries
and expenses.
Groundwork for Solicitors.
The framework Is similar to that
of the Red Cross itself which
maintains a paid staff to supervise
the work Of its thousands of volun-
teers. Like the Red Cross, the
labor committees lay the ground
work for solicitation by many volun-
teers in the ranks of labor.
These labor committees were ex-
pected to reach 100000 union
workers and their families and i'm
press upon them the Red Cross, vital
place in the war.
In the four campaigns covered by
the agreement, including the pres
ent one, the Red Cross has
budgeted $765 ,O36 to the labor COM
mittees from its regular promotion
funds. That figure may be COM
pared with $685. 1927 budgeted by
the organization for all expenses
between January l, 1912, and next
July.
During these four campaigns the
Red Cross has broken all fund-rais-
ing records $3.50, ,510,388 for war re-
lief-exclusive of this years revenue.
Contributions Go Direct.
AS explained by Basil O'Connor,
Red Cross national chairman, all
contributions go direct to local Red
Cross chapters without deduction
for any purpose whatever.
Neither of the labor committees
has any occasion or desire to handle
the funds of any Red Cross con-
tributor," Mr.. O'Connor said. "Au
fund solicitations by the members
of the labor unions are carried or
by volunteers from the unions who
devote their time and energy to