Evening star., 1949-05-20
Showdown on 0ustinq
OF Clio lefiists Put Off
Until Fall Convention
By JONES 7. Newton

Tie CIO Executive Board has
paved the way for the actual
ousLng o. the letl-alng minority
from the big labor organization.
CIO po4cymakers ended
three day meeting last night with
the demand for the resignation OF
all of It's members who fan 20
abide by organization policies, No
one resigned. but the stage was
set for the leftlstS 10 be pitched
out al the CLOS fall convention
If there isn't a change OF heart
before that.
President Philip Murray said
that the CIO is preparing 10
tackle "a communtStIc situation
which must be dealt with at the
convention,
Harry Bridges, head Of the
West Coast Long Union
and one OF the better-known
leftists. said that the board action
had nothing TO do with COM
munism" He said it was strictly
a matter OF whether individual
unions are TO be free TO run their
own affairs or are TO take orders
from CIO headquarters.
Bridges Won't Resign.
MI Bridges said that ne would
not resign from the board or take
his union cut OF the CIO He has
been most critical recently OF the
actions OF Mr.. Murray and OF
CIO policies in general
Biggest union in the leftist
camp is the United Electrical
Workers. third largest in the CIO.
Altogether there are II inter
national unions in the group. UEW
officers were very silent after the
board took the most drastic action
so far in the Murray-led fight
to clean the CIO of Communist
influence.
A major departure of the leftists
from CIO policy is their continued
opposition to Marshall Plan aid
to Europe. But there are many
other points of difference between
Mr.. Murray's majority and the
other group.
Can Revoke Union Charters.
Mr.. Murray pointed out that
the convention has power to re-
woke union charters and remove
members from the board, which is
composed of representatives of all
CIO unions.
Only six of the leftist unions
were represented in the voting
last night. The resolution asking
for resignation Of nonconforming
members was adopted % to 26.
The six dissenters were announced
as follows:
Mr.. Bridges. Donald Henderson
Of the Food and Tobacco Workers;
Joseph Selly of the American
Communications ISOLATION;
Hugh Bryson of the Marine Cooks;
Abram Flaxer Of the Public Work
ers, and James Durkin of the Of
flee and Professional Workers.
The other left-wing unions. be-
sides the United Electrical Work
ers. are the Farm Equipment
Workers, Fishermen's Union. Mine,
Mill and Smelter, Workers and !
Fur Workers.
Mr.. Murray said at news con-
ference these II unions have less
than 10 per cent" of the CLOS
membership. He had previously
said II per cent. but last night
he said further calculations
showed a lower percentage.
Mr.. Murray told the reporters
this is an obvious attempt of
the CIO leadership to legislate
against Communist infiltration
into our movement"
In reply to questions. Mr.. Muir
ray made it clear that a Com
munist could remain on the Ex-
ecutive Board if he conformed to
the official CIO policies laid down
by the conventions and the Exec
utive Board between conventions.
James B. Carey. the CLOS sec
retary-treasurer. broke in to re-
mark:
In other words, CIO officer
can be a Communist, but he can't
act like one"