Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-10-24
Washington
Labor Report
BY Bradford v. Carter
LPA COlumnist

Taft-Hartley law were clear
One was to rid the labor
movement of Communists,
The other was to make union
political action more difficult
because, some nasty people
said, Congress was afraid of
political reprisals.
Enough straws in the wind
have collected in one place
to make possible some ap-
praisal as to how effective
the ft-Hartley measure has
been this far in meeting these
purposes.
Let's take CO m m uni S t
unionism. The initial reaction
of union leadership, which is
of course overwhelmingly
anti-Communist, has been to
regard the affidavit require
ment as an insult. The Com
munists in the labor move
ment have not been con-
cerned with the insult part
but they have been concerned
about exposing their political
affiliation. The net effect of
the requirement for the anti
Communist affidavit has been
to make the detection of
Communists more difficult
because of the sense of in
dignation stimulated in the
labor movement at large.
The classic case is John L.
Lewis. No one in his right
mind could think of Lewis as
a Communist. There has
never been a stauncher de-
fender of private property
than the Miners president.
But John Lewis refuses to
sign the anti-Communist af-
fidavit because he refuses to
demean himself. This law
therefore has accomplished
what nothing else in this
wide, world could have done.
1t has put Lewis in the same
category as the Communists.
The law has therefore lost all
of its point.
THE EFFECT
The effect of the legal ban
on union contributions and
expenditures of political pur-
poses has had the same boom
erang effect. Instead of max
ing for less union political ac-
ton, ii has made for more.
Both the AFL and CIO
made no particular secret of
the fact that their political
action in 1916, such as it was,
was pretty much of a flop.
There was no money and
even less enthusiasm.
Now take the situation in
1947. The political action con-
sequences of Taft-Hartley are
more striking in the case of
the AFL because the popular
theory has been that the AFL
is traditionally anti-political
Whether or not this is true,
it is true that by enthusiastic
convention action the AFL as
such is going to embark on
the most gigantic political
education program ever un-
iertaken by that organization.
The International Ladies Gar
nent Workers, an AFL affili-
ate, is also undertaking
political education pro-
gram.
UPSHOT
The upshot Of the ban on
political action by unions is
hat it will result in more
union activity in the political
'ield than ever before in the
history of the labor move
nent. American labor will
now have the kind of driving
purpose to keep it going in
which it has not had
before.
A possible explanation for
he paradox may be some-
hing like this: If the equiva-
ent of the TIL had been
passed, say, in 1884 or 1885,
{ might we'll have reduced
he movement to impotence.
I was passed in 1947, by
which time 100000 men
nd women were in the ranks
f organized labor. The labor
movement now has a motive
lower of its own, and will not
ct itself be pushed around by
legislation.
The day after Sen. Robert
aft advised the nation that
he way to combat high food
rices was to eat less, he was
ictured in California sitting
own to a sumptuous steak
inner with Rep. j. z, Ander-
on, Nothing is ever sure in
ove or politics, but you can
ct your 1914 Dewey-for.Pres-
lent badge that, by the time