Evening star., 1947-09-08
By james Y. Newton
St1r Stoff Correspondent

CHICAGO, Sept. 8.-The AFL's
powerful Executive Committee
opened an important meeting
here today and the pressure on
it was against a boycott of the
National Labor Relations Board
under the Taft-Hartley Act.
There were indications that the
council, which makes policy for the
AFL, will decide that its members
should file with NLRB the nom
Communist aff1davits which NLRB
General Counsel Robert N. Denham
has ruled all ALF and CIO officers
must sign If any of their unions
are to do business before the board.
The Executive Board of the AFL
building and construction trade
department, it was learned, ap-
proved the signing of the non-
Communist forms after a heated
meeting just concluded here. On
the board of the department are
two members of the AFL council
Williams L. Hutcheson, president
of the carpenters, and Daniel J.
Tobin, head of the teamsters'
union. Harry C. Bates, president of
the bricklayers, while not a member
Of the department board, is on the
AFL's 15-man Executive Council
Indicates Councils Course.
This, it was said by federation
officials, should give a strong indi-
cation of the course the council
will take on the undecided question
of whether to do business with the
newly constituted NLRB. The AFL
and the CIO both have been silent
on the subject since Mr.. Denham
handed down his ruling that all
officers of the two big organizations,
as well as officers of individual
unions, as specifically required by
the Taft-Hartley Act, must state
that they are not Communists be-
fore they can use the NLRB
The United Mine Workers Jour-
nal has indicated that UNIV Presi-
dent John L. Lewis, while an avoWed
anti-Communist, may not sign an
affidavit. This presages battle
within the Executive Council, Of
which Mr.. Lewis is member.
The council is composed of 13 vice
presidents of the AFL, each an off,
Ger of an individual union; Presi-
dent William Green and George
Meaney, secretary treasurer. Hence
every member of the council must
sign an affidavit stating that he is
not a member of the Communist
Party Or any other subversive group.
If any AFL union is to be recog-
nized by the NLRB, Federation off,
cials pointed out that council de-
cisions almost always are unani-
nous. This would indicate they ex-
pect Mr.. Lewis, and possibly one or
two other members also described
as adamant, to sign the afidavits at
least as officers of their own unions.
CIO Decision Delayed.
CIO vice presidents met in Pitts
burgh last Thursday for discus
sion of the affidavit issue and ad-
journed without announcing de-
cision. The matter apparently will
be decided at the CIO convention
next month However, should the
AFL decide to do business with the
NLRB, including the petitioning of
the board for bargaining rights in
various shops, the CIO almost surely
would be forced to 60 along too in
order to protect its membership
against raiding. Should the AFL
council decide to sign the aff1davits.
it was said it will be done under
strong protest and with a blast at
Mr.. Denham's ruling. Federation
officials hold the NLRB counsel in
making his rule went out OF his way
to be rough on labor.
Mr.. Green said that the council
will take up the question of affidavits
early in its meeting which will last
all week.
Other Issues Discussed.
The council will make recon-
mendations on other important
matters TO its convention which will
meet in San Francisco early in
October.
Among other decisions to be made
here will be one regarding the type
of political action to be taken in
next years political national elec-
ton campaign, the AFL traditionally
has assumed a nonpartisan position
in national elections. There are
signs the policy will be abandoned
and an an-out effort made to defeat
proponents of the Taft-Hartley law,
regardless of the post involved.
A new member will be elected TO
the council at the meeting here to
replace G. M. Hugniazet, secretary
treasurer of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
who resigned recently. Charles }.
MacGowan, president Of the Boiler
makers Union, is favored to get the
appointment.
CIO Rubber Workers Try