Evening star., 1947-10-13
.AFL Votes Dues Raise
.0f S1,000,000 for Use
In Political a|Education'
By jones Y. Newton
Stor StoH Correspondent

SAN FRANClSCO, OCC. 10
The American Federation of
Labor Executive Council today
recommended an increase in the
monthly dues of the 100000
members which would raise
about 100000 a year for the
Federation's new political "edu-
cational" fund.
The recommendation was made
as the AFL convention entered its
second and final week There was
little doubt the convention would
approve the idea.
Actually the council suggested the
per capita tax paid into fund by
member unions to support the AFL
be increased to three cents per
month. The present rate is two
cents for the first 100000 members
of union and l1a cents above that
number.
Political Group Audits.
The $l,00OO 900 a year will be used
to support labors Educational and
Political League, the political action
organization which the council Is
asking the convention to set up for
the 1948 election campaigns.
Federation officials estimated
that larger sum will be needed for
the political campaign. Whatever
additional is needed will be raised
presumably by special assessment.
The new political plans of the AFL
appears to some persons here to be
in conflict with the Taft-Hartley
Act which prohibits direct contri-
buttons by unions to political cam
paigns. Individual union members
may contribute voluntarily to a
campaign. but the AFL scheme is
a tax on each member.
Lewis Question Up.
The convention will get down to
real work the next four days. after
more than a week devoted chiefly
to speech making and preliminaries.
This week will see action on reso-
lutions to guide AFL policy in the
next year, including the controver-
sial change which would eliminate
the 13 vice presidents. That move
is designed to get around John L.
Lewis refusal to sign Taft Hartley
law non Communist affidavit. and
thereby afford protection of law to
300 900 members of small Federal
unions. ... ...
! Whatever fireworks the convention
will provide will come tomorrow or
Wednesday. Mr.. Lewis Is expected
to fight hard against the constitu-
tion change which he holds is tanta-
mount to capitulation to the slave
labor" law.
AFL President William Green was
presented with a plaque today by
four organizations for his out
standing" work in the past year in
fighting intolerance and bigotry.
| Distillery Shutdown Protested.
Meanwhile. the AFL distillery
workers sent new kilograms to Presi-
dent Truman and other high gov
ernment officials protesting the plan
to shut down the nations distilleries
for two months as grain conser-
vation move. Messages were also
sent to Secretary of Agriculture
Anderson, Secretary of Labor Schwel-
lenbach and Charles Luckman,
chairman OF the Citizens Food Com
mittee.
Joseph ONeill, president Of the
union with $4,000 members, asked
that his organization be permitted
to present its case against the shut
down before final action is taken
The union holds the action is not
necessary. That the distilleries do
not use grain that is suitable for
human consumption.
Mr.. O'Neill, who said about 100,-
900 workers altogether would be
thrown out of jobs by the shutdown,
dispatched kilograms to 40 distillers
warning that the union might de-
mand standby" pay for the so days
He also warned that the employers
would be subject to court injunc-
tions and damage suits for viola
tion of contract.