Evening star., 1948-12-05

process of pulling the rug of influt
labor organization.
Since the 1946 CIO conventit
James B. Carey and their anti-Ree
maneuver of encirclement and iso'
lation of the Communists, who a.
one time threatened actually Il
take over the whole movement.
The leftists were weeded out o.
CIO headquarters one by one
Notable among those who resigned
were Lee Pressman, the genera
counsel, and Len De Caux, public
relations head and editor of the
CIO News. Using authority granted
by the 1916 convention, Mr.. Murray
and mis- men began cleanup Of
State and city councils, hotbeds o1
communism. BY the time last
weeks convention rolled around
Red influence had been pretty vel
reduced to some individual unions
clearly earmarked along with theil
leaders.
Kept His Followers Waiting
But it was only at the recent
convention in Portland, Oreg., thai
Mr.. Murray came out in the oper
and publicly blasted the Commies
In C1O. He bitterly assailed the
men and the theology they profess
or advance secretly. When Mr.
Murray was not on the attack
other right thinking CIO officials
were-all through the week. He
denounced the damaging - dev-
astating 3" degrading effects
Communist activity had had on the
labor movement and came up with
q firm cease-and-desist order.
Besides that Mr.. Murray won the
overwhelming support of the $50
delegates who Justify cheered his
verbal blasts and then pushed
through over last-ditch leftist oppo-
sition resolutions to implement his
cleanup campaign. Many had wait
ed years to hear their president say
those things; too long, some thought
What came out of the CIO meet
ing that will be of help in reaching
the final objective of blotting out
all Communist influence in the labor
movement?
First, it should be said that per-
haps even more important than
convention actions will be the effect
of Mr.. Murray's open declaration of
war as encouragement to rank-and-
file elements to overthrow the lead
ership in those unions still unde:
tight Communist domination.
New Authority Kept Vague
The unions of the CIO still run
by active minorities of Communists
or fellow thinkers fall into classi-
fcations of strong and weak unions.
The convention took action that af-
fords a direct method of handling
the Red situation In the weak
unions.
Mr.. Murray demanded and got for
his Executive Board the authority
to investigate the affairs of those
unions which have failed to make
substantial progress in organizing
the unorganized." The resolution
further empowered the board to
take such appropriate action with
respect to such affiliates as may be
appropriate and necessary to bring
about effective organization Of the
working men and women within the
jurisdiction of these affiliates."
Presumably, the resolution gives
the board the power to set up new
unions in industries where it Is
held advisable to do so, but the
precise authority of the action Is
purposely kept vague. 1t at Least
gives Mr.. Murray q big broom with
which to sweep the Commies out
Of the weak unions, and most of
CLOS Red affiliates could be in
vestigated under the resolution. In
effect, the groups are told to clean
house or lose their charters.
Mr.. Murray named three unions
as ones which should be probed
but there are others in the same
category. The ones he mentioned
are the United Public Government
Workers, Once and Professional
Workers and the Retail Clerks. The
last named is right-wing nation.
ally with Red spots here and ther,
locally.
Tougher House.Cleaning Jot
The strong leftist unions post
another and far more difficul
house-cleaning problem. There ART
several of those-notably the 500,.
900 - member United Electrica
Workers. the Fur Workers anc
Harry Bridges West Coast Long
shoremen - which are efficiently
operated from a trade union stand.
point by either outright Commu
nists or close fellow travellers.
Since the CIO is a rather loosely
knit association of autonomoul
unions, Mr.. Murray feels thos,
groups are untouchable from tn,
outside under the CIO constitution
SO long as they do a good trad
union job. BY good job" he mean
so long as they organize well thei
respective fields and look after in
terests of members In the way o
wages and working conditions.
A vast majority Of the member
ship of the three unions are no
Communists. Since Mr.. Murra,
feels they are untouchable from
outside, the overthrow of leader
ship must come from within, from
the rank-and-f1le. The bitter word
of the CIO president were swee
music to those elements.