Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-12-03
Inside
America
Written By the Staff OF The
CIO News

elecLlOn results. MSIilDEIS Oh
every union had demonstra-
ted, last month, that CIO
could do a political job - as
a wage-raise job - and CIO
was doing a little justified
boasting.
But CIO isn't resting on its
laurels. It's preparing new
moves to keep organization
ploughing ahead during the
coming year.
Here's what shapes up for
next few months.
/ Big legislative program
in 81st Congress, to undo dam
age done by the awful Eight
ieth, and to pass long-needed
liberal bills.
2. Big political program, to
to be ready for expected re-
dictionary counter-assault in
1850 Congressional voting
CIO delegates feel Wallace S
Third Party is dead - that
CLOS Political Action Com
mittee will do even bigger joL
in 1850.
3. Big wage program by
affiliated CIO unions to boast
initiation bitten i m C o m e S of
workers.
4. Big organizing program
- in the south and in unor-
ganized industries to build
CIO strength at this crucial
time.
CLOS 10th convention made
history many ways.
One of them was first ap-
pearance before a labor or
ganization of a justice of the
US. Supreme Court.
He was Justice William O.
Douglas, a member of the
Courts eral wing. He
doesn't look like stuffed shirt,
doesn't sound like one.
Douglass speech was tip-off
how far the country has
moved underNew Deal to-
wards recognition of import
ant role labor can play for the
entire nation.
Douglass theme: labor can
best bridge the gap between
postwar Europe and postwar
America.
THE democrats (small 3D."
that isl of the world look to
labor to keep the middle way
open," Douglas said. "They
know that in the world today
there Is no stranger citadel of
democracy than the halls of
labor.
Newspaper reporters, dele
gates buzzed over one para
graph in the Douglas speech:
The conventional diplomat
will fail miserably," the Su-
preme Court justice solemnly
asserted, unless he under
stands the rise of labor gov
ernments in the world" Those
new labor governments are
democratic and must be fully
understood by Americans,
said the justice.
yet knowledge and under
standing of both Americans
and European labor move
ments is the one essential tool
of modern diplomacy that is
unfortunately missing from
the equipment Of our conven-
tional diplomats.
The answer, perhaps - La
Dor representatives as us.
ambassadors.
Convention clearly demon
strated prestige of Phil Muir
rays leadership in CIO af-
fairs, affection in which he is
held by overwhelming major
ity of CIO members.
Some union officials --- not
ably from left-wing unions
which had supported the Wal
lace Third Party flop - tried
their best to override pro-
gram of CIO majority. They
got nowhere.
At conventions end, left
wing influence in ClO affairs
was at lowest ebb in organiza-
tons history.
AS expected, CIO conven-
tion did plenty OF Growing
about job performed by CIO-
PAC in election victory.
But principal focus was
placed squarely on elections
of 1850 and 1852. Resolution
reaffirmed CLOS basic poll
cy" that CIO political activity
be independent and non-par-
tin" giving support to pro-
gressive forces in both major
parties"
Resolution square rejected
"any and all proposals for q
third party. A third party at
this time would serve to split
and divide the forces of pro-
er..awm