Arizona sun., 1947-05-02

Realizing that many workers in
Arizona are as yet unorganiZed,
and the urgent need of meeting
the vicious anti-labor movement in
the state, the Arizona State Feder-
alton of Labor some weeks ago
made plans to get an organization
al and educational drive under
way.
Federation officials felt that all
workers eligible for Union men,
bership should be given an oppor-
tunity to affiliate, and that the
public in general should be made
aware of the actual aims and pur-
poses of Organized Labor.
Recently William D. Taylor, re-
gional director of the American
Federation of Labor, working di-
rectly under Frank Fenton, direc-
tor of. organization of the AFL,
established his headquarters at the
State Federation offices. He has
charge of all Federal Labor Un-
ions, which include the mine work.
ers of the state, and is advisor to
all AFL locals in his territory.
o. A. Dever is working among
the miners, and is expected to be
given some assistants soon. J. M.
Casey has been transferred to Ari-
zona from San Francisco, and will
assist Director Taylor. At present
his work will be among the local
unions, building unity and coop
GRAFTON, and is available to any
Union that can use him.
b. O. A. Rowan, a member of the
national executive board of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
Electric and Motor Coach EN-
ployees, was here last week and is
expected to return shortly. John
Murray, an international represen-
tative of the Brotherhood of Car
penters and Joiners has been
spending considerable time in the
state and is assisting his locals,
which are generally tightly organ
lied.
Don Hungate, representative of
the Laundry Workers Information
al Union, has been in the state for
some time, quietly working among
his group, educating the workers
as to the need of Unionization.
Carl Muecke is working with the
public group and is establishing
new locals in the state, ten char
terS having been issued to date.
This group works through State
Council and is affiliated with the
American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees.
While the : organization of this
group is handicapped by the Union
being unable to secure signed con-
tracts and closed shops, as most
Unions do, more and more public
employees are becoming aware of
the powerful potentialities of all
combining in "a Union for mutual
assistance.
The Office Workers local Union
recently employed w. J. Eden,
tried and true Unionists, to do
some organizing work. To date
he is meeting with much encour-
agement and anticipates a large,
membership soon. Frank Randall,
an international vice-president of
the Office Workers, arrived in
Phoenix Tuesday, and will assist
Eden in getting the drive under
way.
The American Federation of La
Dor is taking a deep interest in a
situation that has developed in
Arizona. For many years Ari-
zona has had the highest percen-
tage of its population within the
labor movement of any State in
the country. Labor's relations with
management has been in the main
friendly.
Some employers of unorganized
workers in Arizona knew that one
day the inevitable would happen.
That workers would bargain col
lectively with them. These en-
ployerS are largely made up of the
owners of huge factory farms. In
order to secure cheap labor they