Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1947-07-25
Mr.. Green Say No


unity bv the AFL, the second in less than
five months seems to point to the fact that
the AFL leadership is less aware of the
danger faced by organized labor than the
rank and file of the older labor organiza.
ton.
Rank and file members of both CIO
and AFL find it difficult to understand
why unity, political or organic, should be
such an insurmOuntable obstacle when
the vast majority of the dues-paying mem
hers of both unions want one big union.
Rank and file members of both unions
are not mad at each other. They can and
frequently do cooperate as friends and
neighbOrs and they are strong for unity
and cooperation in the political field
We can, of course, understand Mr..
Green's sentiments. We realize that ne
owes certain obligations within his union,
the same as all union leaders owe in all
unions. At the same time, il is our bellet
that the prime responsibility of all lead
ership, particularly top leadership, Is 10
preserve the union at all costs.
1t is our belief, which has been ex-
pressed on more than one occasion, that
the primary job of union leadership now
is to unite politically and to continue to
seek ways and means of establishing or
ganic unity. To say that the political
issue is subordinate to the organic issue
is to DENY the serious import of the Taft
Hartley law and to contradict all the
words which William Green and other
AFL leaders said about that law for the
past few months.
No one denies that the task OF bring
ing about a merger between the two
major unions presents difficulties and
problems which will require considerable
discussion and eventual compromise on
the part of both organizations. At the
same time, the most important need OF the
times is not one big union, but one big and
united drive against the Taft-Hartley law
and the men whose vote made the law
reality.
To deny and prevent united political
action on the part of the AFL is an ILL
advised action which rejects political CO.
operation on the grounds that unless or
ganic unity can be obtained political unity
cannot be secured.
This is the same type of reasoning
which would advance the theory that ii
a man and his wife were hitting each
other over their heads in family quarrel
that they would continue to merrily sock
away if their house caught OH fire.
On the other hand, il might be ad-
vanced with lot more sOundness, that 1t
the CI0 and AFL cannot achieve the type
of unity required TO bring about the re-
peal of the Taft-Hartley law and the cleo
ton of representatives more favorably in
clined to labor that organic unity would
be completely out of the question.
AS this tempest continues with the
AFL saying isn't and the CIO saying
tis", the need for political action still
continues TO grow and shall continue.
And, as so frequently occurs, ii is the
rank and file who stand to lose the most
unless some practical plan of action on
the political front is worked out by the
two unions.
To say that unity on the political
front is out of the question as the ALL
has said on two separate occasions is to
declare the union intellectually and NOR
ally bankrupt II is to play the hypOcrite
with the rank and file members who know
that political and organic unity could be
brought about, and to further court dis
aster in the ranks of labor.
We cannot believe that William Green
reflects the true opinion of the members
of his union when he uses the threat of
political non.cooperation to force merger
which he apparently hopes will prove ad-
vantageous-tO him.