Evening star., 1946-06-28
UPWA Outlaws
Strikes, Weighs
.Po|icyStand
Officials of Union
Divided on Change
In Left Resolution
By Joseph YOUNG

The executive board of the
United Public Workers of Amer
lea (CIO) is expected to decide
today whether to modify its
much-criticized foreign policy
resolution which was adopted
at the unions recent Atlantic
City convention.
The foreign policy provision, to-
gether with UPWA's failure at the
convention to specifically bar strikes
against the Government, has re-
!. suited in Congress passing restric-
tive legislation aimed specifically at
= the union and its members.
In move to save its members
from possible dismissal from Gov
ernment service as a result of the
antistrike rider which Congress has
tackled on to Federal agency ap-
preparation bills, the board yester-
day adopted fiat no-strike policy.
This action means that UPWA and
its members will not be affected
by the riders provision that no per-
son shall be employed by the Gov
ernment who belongs to a union
asserting the right to strike
against the Government.
Disagree on Other Change.
Although the boards action in
adopting fiat no-strike provision
was unanimous, there is a consid-
cradle difference of opinion among
the officials regarding the wisdom
of changing UPWA'S foreign policy
stand. The foreign policy resolu-
ton sharply criticized the United
States and Great Britain for the
international problems plaguing the
world today, while at the same time
it refarined from criticizing the
Soviet Union.
Those advocating change in the
unions foreign stand assert this will
silence the members of Congress
and top Federal officials who have
called UPWA a leftwing organizs-
ton and charged that the union is
following the Communist party line.
Opposing this move, an opposition
group feels change at this time
would merely give the critics more
ammunition"
To Map Member Drive.
THE redbaiters in Congress and
elsewhere won't leave us alone if we
change the foreign policy resolu-
tion," one of the board members
asserted. 1T will only give them
another opportunity to start anew
their attacks on US
Other problems that the board
will take up include mapping an
extensive organization drive to sign
up Federal, municipal ard State
employees to UPWA membership and
action to strengthen the unions
organizational setup The meetings
are being held in the ec-Sheraton
Hotel
In adopting the fiat no-strike
policy, the board approved the fol-
lowing resolution: THE Interna-
tiona1 Executive Board /" = hereby
reiterates the no-strike policy of
this union and hereby adopts for its
governance the law that there may
not be and shall not be strike
against the Government of the
United States"
Locals to Change Bylaws.
Every local having Federal en-
ployes in its membership was ordered
to amend its bylaws to ban specif-
ically strikes against the Govern
ment, and the union president was
directed not to approve under any
circumstance" a strike against the
Government by any UPWA local.
Although UPWA previously had
adopted general no-strike policy,
the provisions contained a possible
loophole which was interpreted in
some quarters as leaving the way
open for strikes. Although UPWA
officials denied this, the executive
board meeting was called to revise
the no-strike provisions to make
certain that the anti-strike riders
passed by Congress would not apply
to them.