Evening star., 1947-10-27
Rebel UPWA Faction
Maps Battle 10 Gust
Present Union Heads

of America today started a
drive which it hopes will even
/ tually unseat the present lead
ership of the union.
The group. which is composed of
UPWA members who are dissatis-
fed with the unions present poll
cies, wound up a two-day organiza-
tional meeting yesterday and set up
national committee to work "tor
the purpose of revitalizing the union
on the basis of sound trade-union
policies"
Their ultimate goal Is a snow
down fight with the present UPWA
leadership at the unions national
convention next year.
Left-Wing Policies Hit.
Opposition leaders criticized what
they termed UPWAs left-wing
policies and adopted a statement of
policy calling for the union to adopt
progressive CIO policies"
The statement also put the group
on record as opposing UPWA's for
eign policy resolution adopted at
last years Atlantic City convention,
which criticized American and Brit
ish foreign policy, while refraining
from censuring Soviet Russia. The
opposition faction declared they
were Fundamentally" In favor OF
the Marshall Plan.
Observers believe that the dissi-
dent faction faces an extremely
difficult fight to win control OF the
union, at least for the time being.
The 80 or so delegates who attended
the rump sessions include only Two
of the % UPWA Executive Board
members and it is not clear just
how many rank-and-file members
they represent.
UPWA officials, headed by Presi-
dent Abran Flaxer, contend that
the opposition movement represents
"less than per cent of the unions
nearly 100000 membership. The
rebel group says this estimate is
ridiculous" and contends that 1t
represents a considerable number OF
members.
In reply, the regular UPWA Or
ganization issued statement which
charged that the opposition meeting
was arranged by handful OF de-
feated and ex-union members IN an
effort to manufacture lurid head
lines to damage the union"
Publicity Hounds" Attacked.
mo rump meeting Of frustrated.
self-seeking publicity hounds or
ganized to provide headlines can
disturb the continued growth of the
union" the union statement de-
clared.
The regular union officers also
charge that their opposition Is
composed of "a group OF disgruntled
office seekers"
Robert Halbeisen, vice president
of an UPWA Michigan State local.
was elected chairman of the Build
the Union Committee" the official
name of the dissident faction.
Term Selves Progressives.
Mr.. Halbeisen and other officers
of the committee told reporters that
their group was not "right-wing" in
The accepted sense of the word. He
said that he-and his colleagues were
"progressives who believe IN fbera1
trade unionism."
uPWAs present policies has re-
tarded the unions progress, costing
1t many members, Mr.. Halbeisen de-
clared.
Elected with Mr.. Halbeisen were
william McHugh, vice chairman;
Rose Fox, corresponding secretary;
Richard Shoemaker. financial Sec
retary, and Margaret Plunkett, pub
lie relations officer. All but Mr.. Hal
beisen ard Mr.. McHugh, who halls
from Detroit, live in Washington
and are Government employees.
Advisory Board Set Up.
In addition, an advisory board was
set up to organize the major re-
gional drive to fight the UPWA
leadership.
The group seeks election of next
years UPWA officers by referendum,
rather than by the present dele
gate system.
Thus far, critics Of the UPWA
administration have opposed the
national leadership on local scale.
The new setup marks the first time
that the fight will be carried on a
national scale.
In each instance thus far, op-
position candidates have been
beaten by regularly Endorsed UPWA
members.
Yesterdays concluding session
was held in the Hamilton Hotel
Soyoa Hvipo fny "canons" in