Evening star., 1947-05-04

Jonn l.. Lewis. the late Sidnel
Hillman, head of the Amalgamatet
Clothing Workers. and the six othel
rebel" AFL leaders, believed thu
/ only way organization of the big In.
dustries, such as steel and automo.
biles, could be carried out expedi.
! tiousiy was to place all the workers
in a plant in a single union. Theil
own unions were set UP without re.
gard for craft or.type of work thu
members performed.
However, the majority Of AFT
members were organized into Graf
groups, such as the various union,
of the building and metal trade.
groups. They carried the day, anc
when Mr.. Lewis and the others per.
sisted in their single-union idea
they and their unions were first
suspended and then expelled from
the AFL.
Many shifts In allegiance have
taken place since the original split
For example, Mr.. Lewis in 1941
broke with the CIo, which he had
built into a powerful organization
and last year took his United Mine
Workers back into the AFI,. It Is
interesting to note that of the orig
ihal eight rebel union heads none
is still with the CIO. Several
now are dead and the others either
have returned to the AFL or drifted
out of the labor movement.
Both Are Bigger Now.
Both major groups have grown
greatly since the division and gone
separates ways without regard for
the other.
The overlappings Of jurisdiction
are found in so many industries
that to unravel them in order to
bring about merger would be like
solving the biggest imaginable jig
saw puzzle. Both sides would have
to give ground in many fields. The
same difficulties would be en-
lcountered in eliminating and join
ing the various unions as are in
volved in reducing the number of
county governments OF a state, for
example. A major difficulty Of both
processes is that jobs and individual
influences are involved.
AFL leaders say that left-wing
officials and members Of the CIO
are most opposed to merger. This,
the leaders say, is because the left
wingers would lose their influence,
would be completely swallowed up
by fusion with more conservative
AFL groups.
Murray Started Movement.
CIO President Philip Murray
initiated the current conferences
last December by calling upon the
AFL and independent railroad
unions to join with the CIO in
battling antilabor legislation, which
he termed deliberate and mon
strous movement" to cripple unions.
The ball was batted back and
forth for months, with the AFI.
insisting that it would discuss only
organic unity" of the organiza-
tions and that Mr.. Murray's talk
about unified action" was just SO
much bunk. However, as new labor
laws formed ON both sides of Con-
gress views changed until finally
the conference was arranged with
both sides processing to have open
minds" as to the programs to be
undertaken.
Abortive attempts to bring the
AFL and CIO together were made
three times in the past. Late in
1887 the CIO initiated a series of
meetings, but even then leaders
of the groups were unable to solve
jurisdictional problems.
The next peace conference opened
on March 7, 1889, at the request of
President Roosevelt. 1t was then
that the CIO suggested formation of
an American congress of labor,
comprising the two big groups and
the rail orotherhoods. Special con-
ventions of the groups to ratify the
agreement were to be held. But, the
proposal was not accepted and the
parley broke down in April, 1899.
Roosevelt's Appeal.
Again in 1912 representatives of
the organizations got together after
President Roosevelt urged joint ac-
ton to expedite the war effort. A
plan for settlement of jurisdictional
disputes by arbitration was even
agreed to. But, new conflicts were
encountered and tine whole plan
was abandoned early in 1943.
The present CIO peace committee
Is composed of Mr.. Murray. who
played an important part in the
original labor split, and Presidents
Walter Reuther of the auto workers,
Albert Fitzgerald of the electrical
workers, Emil Rieve of the textile
workers and Jacob Potofszy of the
clothing workers.
AFL conferees are Mr.. Green, Mr..
Meany, Mr.. Lewis, William Hutche-
son. head of the carpenters, and
Daniel j. Tobin of the teamsters.
At the AFB convention in 1885.
Mr., Hutcheson took punch on the
nose from Mr. Lewis during the heat
of argument over establishment of
the infant Committee for Indus
trial Organization.
Mr.. Lewis and Mr. ~Hutcheson now
apparently are fast friends again.
The carpenters boss even took the
lead in bringing Mr.. Lewis back to
the AFL.
When both were officials OF the
United Mine Workers and later In
early CLIO days, Mr.. Lewis and Mr..
Murray were very close. They nave
scarcely spoken since Mr.. Lewis