Evening star., 1947-09-28

Oh directors, tne Title OF vice preSl-
dent is largely honorary. All, or
nearly all, are officers of individual
unions and, as such, would have to
file the Communist papers anyway
if their unions were to be recognized
under the law.
Although most of its big unions
early signifled intention of boycott
ing the NLRB because they are
against the new law. the CIO off,
GERS delayed action on the affidavit
matter until their convention in
Boston, opening October 10. They
played waiting game to see what
the AFL would do. Admittedly, the
CIO could not operate without pro-
lection OF the law if the AFL had it.
When the AFL Executive Council
took up the affidavit matter at its
recent Chicago meeting, President
William Green told reporters in ad-
vance the council would decide
unanimously to sign the non-Com-
munist papers.
Reckoned Without Lewis
But, he had reckoned without
knowing the plans of Vice President
Lewis. Although all others Of the IL
AFL officers, who comprise the coun-
Gil, were agreeable to filing the afh.
davits, Mr.. Lewis was not.
He told the Federation rulers that
all of labor must stand soidly to-
gether in the all-out battle on the
Taft Hartley law. He said the Dem
ham ruling made the first opening
for attacking the whole thing, that
without the AFL and CIO the NLRB
would become only an employers
board and, as such, would be soon
discredited.
Fellow officers informed MI. Lewis
that they were just as anxious as he
was to knock out the Taft-Hartley
law, but that their unions needed
NLRB help and protection. They
argued the way to handle the law,
was through the courts and the
ballot box, not on the fiimsy grounds
afforded by the Denham ruling. Mr..
Lewis then became abusive, calling
other AFL officers, among other
things, "weaklings" and towards" !"
Mr.. Lewis stand blocked a deci-
sion by the AFL council since una
nimity of action is required by the
4 Denham ruling He was supported
in his stand by William l.. Hutche-
son, president of the carpenters and
also an AFL vice president. Mr..
Hutcheson, 1t is said, while favoring
fthe filing of the required affidavits.
believes Mr.. Lewis arguments have
merit and will fight with him to
the end.
Up to Convention
The whole matter now has been
tossed to the AFL convention which
will open in San Francisco october 6.
There is much talk about "repudiat-
ing" Mr.. Lewis at the convention, Of
defeating him when he comes up for
reelection as vice president at the
meeting. Some AFL officials even
discuss the possibility of tossing Mr..
Lewis and his United Mine Workers
out of the Federation, but such
violent solution of the deadlock
seems unlikely. They probably
would have to throw out Mr.. Hutche-
son and the carpenters, too.
A simpler solution has been sug-
gested by some federation officials.
1t is that the AFL constitution be
amended to abolish the l3 vice
presidential posts. Under this plan
there would be only the Offices Of
president and secretary treasurer.
An Executive Board would be Gre
ated to set top policy and govern
between conventions. This would
get around the present deadlock.
Mr.. Denham ruled that members
of the CIO Executive Board, as such,
Go not have to file the afidavits.
This board, not the nine vice presi-
dents, decides CIO policy.
! 1t is obvious the AFL hopes IL
will be saved a possibly disastrous
, convention fight by change Of the
Denham Interpretation. However,
Mr.. Denham has said repeatedly
that he has interpreted the law
as he sees it and that he will not
!, change it. The other saver would
ne for the members of the NLRB
itself to reverse Mr.. Denham on
the affidavit issue. While 1t is
known that some NLRB members
do not agree with the Denham posi-
ton, it seems unlikely that action
can or will be taken before the
AFL position. 8
The Board Is Waiting
i The NLRB, too, is playing watt
ing game. Even If the members be-
iieve the ruling is wrong. it would be
bad psychology to reverse the gen.
eral counsel so early in the admin
istration of the new law.
i However, if the AFL convention Is
unable to break the deadlock and
the CIO fails to take action, which
is likely sequence, terrific pres
sure would be on the board to re.
verse Mr.. Denham.
The only other alternative would
be for Congress to clarity the Sec
ton of the law in controversy. Some
of those who helped write the Taft
Hartley Act on the Senate side have
indicated it was not their intention
that officers of the two big labor
bodies should be required to file
affidavits
The latter solution would be slow,
and it is probable that by the time
Congress got around to acting a
cleavage would have occurred in the
AFL or CTO. So far as the AFL Is
concerned, it is probable that some
unions would break away If they
| 80 AK,s