Evening star., 1947-03-13
|CI0 Executives Meet
TO Determine Policy
On New Pay Demands
By the Associated Press

! The 81 key men of the CIO and
it's member unions will deter
mine today. and tomorrow
whether to press new wage de-
mands to keep pace with living
costs.
| The CLOS Executive Board is
meeting to study what has been
happening to the balance between
wages and prices since all but the
barest controls were lifted in Oc-
tober.
The Bureau OF Labor Statistics
reports prices still climbing.
In the five-month interval, or
ganized labor generally has called
an unofficial breathing spell' on
pay demands. This has been due
chiefly to the agitation in Congress
against strikes and fear of legisla-
tive curbs on unions.
But the whole economic question
will be reviewed at the two-day
meeting of the CLOS top leadership
officials said this will include dis
cussion of housing shortages and
continuation of rent control.
Communism Alse 's Issue.
Equally pressing moment
so far as the CLIO leaders..-p is con-
cerned, however, is what to dc
about the controversy over charges
of Communist leadership in the
Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers
Union. With a membership OF
nearly 100000, that union is torn
with dissention in Connecticut. some
Midwest and Rocky Mountain area
| locals.
CIO President Philip Murray has
met with leaders of both sides in the
intra-party conflict. All have kept
silent on progress Of the talks, but
Mr.. Murray said he would place the
issue before the full Executive Board
! Reid Robinson, the unions presi-
dent for the past decade, quit Mon
day night in what he described as
an effort to remove his personal
conduct from the issues involved.
He did not explain what conduct he
meant.
Mr.. Robinson was succeeded by
Maurice E. Travis, 36, Martinez,
Calf, but this failed to satisfy lead
ers of the revolt, who said 1t would
mean no actual change in union
policy. They charged that policy
was pro- Communist.
DriscolI Remains Here.
John J. Driscon, Waterbury,
Conn.,, spokesman for the dissidents,
told reporters he was staying in
Washington until after the Execu-
tive Board session. He can't get
into the meeting without an invita-
ton, however, but Mr.. Robinson
can. He will be a member OF the
board until it can act formally to
replace him by Mr.. Travis.
Presidents of each of the CLOS
40 unions are board members along
with Mr.. Murray, the CLOS nine
vice presidents and Secretary
Treasurer James B. Carey.
Mr.. Driscoll said so of the smelter
workers $50 local branches are join
ing in the breakaway. They call
themselves the Provisional Metal
workers Council, and claim 28,50O
adherents.
Bitter Argument Expected.
One CIO official told reporter
privately the growing bitterness
within the CIO between anti-Com-
munist groups and those they ac-
cuse of having Communist leanings
may we'll fare into bitter argument
inside the closed-door Executive
Board session.
Another subject likely to come in
for heated discussion is CIO policy
on future participation in self
styled liberal and progressive Or
ganizations. outside the CIO-Po-
litical Action Committee.
| At a recent meeing of CIO vice
presidents, Mr.. Murray proposed
that all CIO leaders pull out of both
the Progressive Citizens of America
which does not exclude Communist
sympathizers from its ranks, and
the Americans for Democratic Ac-
ton, which does. Mr.. Murray set
the pace by stepping down as a
PEA yioe nraSidept