Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-05-17
Whats
New?
GRANDMA's EYES

We Tefer 10 william GTeSHJ
whose regmie as the spokes-
man for the AFL is apparent
ly nearing its close.
Mr.. Green has been appeas-
ing the manufacturers of this
country for so long that when
he does retire, the National
Chamber of Commerce should
pension him off at 20 grand
per annum.
Green's eyes are large be-
cause he figures that southern
industry is ready, nay, anx-
ious, to regiment one million
unorganized workers into the
AFL in order to escape the
CLOS organizing drive. The
clarion call was sounded when
Green shouted to the owners
of southern industry:
Let me give southern in
dustry this warning - grow
and cooperate with us or
fight for your life against
Communist forces"
NOT STUPID
Green may be backward but
he is not politically stupid. He
can feel the hot breath of
John l.. Lewis on the back of
his neck, ready to push him
out of the top spot in the un-
ion. To sally forth to do bat
tie against the CIO in the big
gest raiding expedition since
the days of Captain Kidd is
necessary for Green.
So Green is fighting for his
job, and he isn't going to be
too squeamish about the meth
ods he uses. Politics makes
strange bedfellows, they say,
but the truth of the matter is
that Green and the big boys
of industry have been honey
incoming ever since radios
came out. The surprising part
Of this affair is found in the
franknesS with which Grand
NAV sounded his love call to
labor's most bitter enemies,
the southern manufacturers.
It was over the violent pro-
test of the AFL's conserva-
tive element among its lead
ership that the common man
was allowed to join an indus
trial union in the turbulent
'30's. Now they would have
people believe that the AFL
is "the workingman's friend"
Locally, we haven't been
getting along too badly with
most of the AFL's leaders.
The ''hate CIO" lads, how
ever, are not extinct, although
they have been a bit quiet for
a couple of years.
NOT AFRAID
II doesn't seem necessary to
tell the AFL that the CIO has
no fear. We do not seek a
fight which will cause some of
the workers to lose money and
cause a lot OF hard feelings
that will again require many
years to erase.
After reading the stuff that
Bill Green has been spouting
off in the South it is not diff
cult TO understand why some
of the members of his union
think that a fight is indicated.
On the other hand, dozens of
AFL rank and file workers
with whom | have discussed
the subject of Green's speeches
frankly admit that they are
out of sympathy with his sem
timents. And / believe them,
rather than Green.
We know that IL il comes
TO a labor war that CIO can
more than take its own part,
but in the face of the legisla-
tion which is now facing the
entire labor movement, it
seems almost treason to the
entire working force of Amer
lea for a man like Green to
dare to rise and bring about
a national labor struggle.
SELF PRESERVATION
We know that Mr.. Green is
being activated by motives of
self-preservation. He likes his
job. He enjoys the money and
prestige which leading a large
union brings to him and he
fears John l.. Lewis.
Nobody knows better than
Green why he fears Lewis and
by the same token he Is not
going to be taken over by the
head of the United Mine
Workers without trying to
make a little hay while the
sun is shining. In this case, the
sunshine is John LIS pre-occu-
patton with the settlement of
the miners contract. After
that is done, the Mine Workers
head will be free to turn his
particular talents upon Green.
We believe that the rank
and file Of the AFL realize
all these things as we'll as we
do and knowing their knowl-
edge Of what lies behind
Green's proposed attack on the
CIO, we do not believe they
will give it their sincere and
wholehearted support.