Milford chronicle., 1948-08-06

lnalS in the HOd-
carriers and Common Laborer's un-
ion Of the A. F. Of L., may have
read that constitution four or five
times.
But never, until recently, did
realize that this was not a un-
ion Of working men at all but a
private preserve, operated by
individuals holding the execu-
tive offices In the national head
quarters, for the collection Of
fees, fines and dues.
Some also collected graft from
contractors who gave up easily and
simply charged the expense to the
principal who was doing the con-
structiOn. Usually in the last IS
years, that principal, or client, was
some branch Of the government.
It is stated in the second section
OF Article l Of the constitution that
This body" meaning the inter-
national union, shall consist of the
general president and vice presi-
dents and secretary-treasurer" ex-
cept during convention time. Dur
ing the convention the duly elect
ed delegates" also are included in
this body"
A.. However, conVen-
C' 'A" tions may be held
an no more often than
"A. F. Of Z. once in five years,
which happens to be
the elective" term of the presi-
dent vice presidents and secre-
tary-treasurer, who constitute the
general executive board. The Hod-
carriers International is notorious
even in the American Federation
Of Labor.
In a period Of 30 years be-
tween the conventions and
elections Of 1911 and 1941, all
the original officers but one
died or were thrown out in
fights for control of the treas
ury. The survivors among the
old group elected reliable
friends to I'LL the vacancies.
In 1920 the position of third vice
president was open and the rest of
the boys invited Joe Moreschi of
Chicago to take the job. There were
many locals in Chicago and Mike
CarrOzzo, an old hustler in the
brOthel racket, a talent scout and
traffic manager for jim Colosimo.
was coming on to be the regional
dictator of the hodcarriers. He was
an intimate colleague in unionism
Of Moreschi.
In 1925, DominiCk D'Alessandro,
the president, kicked off after a
life of parasitic ease and Moreschi
got the job in a scramble among the
mourning survivors. In 1941, Nor
eschi appeared before the "con-
VentiOn' as president and ran the
show with an iron mallet. He had
been vice president and/or presi-
dent for 81 years although he never
had been elected to any Office by
the members.
The constitution says that every
fifth year the rank and file must
be invited to vote whether there
shall be a national convention that
year and a roll-call election at the
convention. If there is no conven-
ton, the mob in power simply
re-elect themselves in a private
huddle for five years more.
A. The referendum
ASI''OeTS proposal always is
Pay accompanied by a
R;Vo rider providing that
if there is a con-
ventiOn each member must pay 50 |
to meet the travelling expenses and
the costs for the boss-bums on the
wild party, wherever they may de-
eide to take themselves. The rank
and file know the dominant element I
Of racketeerS will do as they please
anyway if they do hold a conven-
tion. So they vote against it and
save 50 each. On the basis Of rep
resentation. a local having 1000 |
would send FIVE delegates
to enjoy the carousing and the stiffs
with the pick-and-shovel would pay
$4,000 for the party.
With all their power, natur-
ally, the national officers have
preferred that there be neither
conventions nor elections. And
the hoods in command Of the
locals, subject TO removal by
the national mob, naturally dis.
COuraged the rank and fIers
from voting for them whenever
they seemed inclined to do so.
Section l says that ''This body"
meaning the international, 'is
sovereign and independent Of its
component parts"
1t does not derive its powers from
those whom it governs. It's power is
absolute and it gets that power out
Of a dog-eared little booklet called
the Constitution"