Evening star., 1946-01-27
Return of Lewis to AFL
May Bring Climactic Fight
Founder of CIO, Now Back in Federation Fold.
Expected to Woo Industrial Unions to
Older Organization
By James Y. Newfou


catch-all District So Many of the minor
groups pose problems since they are
employed in fields covered by AFL un-
ions. These problems will be worked
out by the Federation's Executive Coun-
Gil in accordance with the agreement
with Mr.. Lewis
BY far the largest group of District
50s members are chemical workers the
mine workers union dominating that
field. Mr.. Lewis plans new and in
tensive organizational drive in the chem
ical and plastics industry where great
postwar expansion Is expected.
District so recently chalked up sew
eral notable victories in National Labor
Relations Board representation elec-
tlons. 1t Won out over the CIO Maritime
Union in fight for Philadelphia harbor
workers and defeated the non-AFI,
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainrnen for
the right to represent employees of the
Long Island Railroad. A. F. Whitney.
president of the trainmen, is a friend
of CIO President Murray.
Besides these conquests Mr.. Lewis
has announced his intention of going
after the New York transport workers of
Michael j. Quill of the CIO.
The return of the mine leader will
add to the Republican influence in the
AFL, while his views toward the new
CIO-sponsored World Federation of
Trade Unions will be in accord with
those of Mr., Green. Neither likes the
presence of either the CIO or the Rus
slams in the movement.
On numerous occasions since he took
his miners out of the CIO in October,
1912, Mr.. Lewis has been reported as
about to rejoin the AFL. But the first
public signs that his one time friendship
with Mr.. Green had been rekindled oc-
CURED during the Labor MANAGEMENT
Conference. The two were in agreement
on nearly every issue, generally joining
to fight proposal of Mr.. Murray. Upon
entering the conference hall, the mine
leader would greet Mr.. Green with
Hello, Bill" throwing on arm about his
shoulder.
After one conference session the two
repaired to nearby bar with Ira
Mosher president of the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers, and Eric
johnson, head of the United States
Chamber of Commerce. Mr.. Green
ordered glass of milk, Mr.. Lewis light
wine and the two industrialists some
thing harder.
The story of Lewis, Green and Murray
is a strange one Of parallel careers.
alternately close friendship and bitter
feud. All three were coal miners. They
fought hard together in the tough days
for labor following the end of the World
War. When the UNIV struck in 1922
and closed down the entire industry for
six months, Mr.. Lewis had been its
president for two years, Mr.. Green was
secretary ry-treasurer, and Mr. Murray
lesser light who later was to become vice
president.
Split On Industrial Union
When Mr.. Lewis unsuccessfully chal-
lenged the long reign of Samuel
Gompers as head of the AFL in 1921.
Mr.. Green was one of his chief sup
porters. Then, a few years later Mr..
Gompers died, and it was Mr.. Lewis
who played the ajor role in the elec-
ton of Mr.. Green to the post At the
same time he was boosting along in the
UNIV his friend Mr. Murray.
The big break with the AFL came in
1885 and resulted from opposition of
some of the craft unions to Mr.. Lewis
plans to organize steel, automobile and
other mass production industries into a
single union for each industry rather
than into several units of different
crafts. He traded punches at the AFL
convention that year with William L.
Hutcheson, head of the Carpenters
Union. The UNIV is an industrial
union.
Although his plans were defeated by
the AFL, Mr.. Lewis went ahead with
them anyway. He established the Com
mittee for Industrial Organization with
David Dubinsky. head of the Interna-
tional Ladies Garment Workers; Charles
P. Howard, of the Printers and Sidney
Hillman president of the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers.
A year later, Mr.. Lewis mineworkers
and nine other unions were suspended
from the AFI but not until both sides
had hurled IL months of charges at each
other and the once warm friendship of
Mr.. Lewis and the AFL chief had grown
stone cold.
Typical of the exchanges of the time,
is the following excerpt from a Lewis
letter in which he said he could not be-
lieve that Mr. Green would expel the 10
unions which favored industrial organi-
Zation.
You would destroy yourself. 1t is
known to you that your shipmates on
the Executive Council are even now
planning to split your political throat
and scuttle your official ship They are
cavlllng among themselves over the
naming of your successor when the
perfidious act of separation is accom-
plished"
Retired Over Election.
When in 1885 Mr.. Dubinsky withdrew
his big union from his new CIO which.
meantime had gathered considerable
strength, Mr.. Lewis commented haught-
lily: THE adherence or nonadherence
OF any one union is relatively unim-
portant matter"
Through the bloody days of sitdown
strikes and miles of picket lines ac-
companying the organization of the
automobile and steel industries, MIR.
Lewis and Mr.. Green drew farther