Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-06
Left Wineers Carry
Fight 10 Rightists in
Electrical Union
BY the Associated Press

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 5.-Ten-
sion increased today in the fam
lily quarrel Of right and left wing
ers In the United Electrical Work.
ers' Union but a big segment of
the electrical industry said it
wants no part In the fight.
Left-wing President Albert ].
Fitzgerald of the newly independ-
ent union is dispatching tele-
grams to right-wing UE officials
all over the country telling them
they are fired.
His 100000 man union was ex-
PEELED on grounds of leftism by
the national CLIO in its Cleve-
land convention earlier this week.
The long smoldering fight be-
tween the equally divided right
and left wing factions in the UE
broke into open warfare follow
ing the expulsion.
A spokesman for the Westing-
house Electric Corp. which en-
ploys some 10000 UE members,
emphasized it is taking no side
in the battle.
The announcement was in an
swer to published reports that
the company would deal with the
left-controlled UE on the local
level and a new electrical work.
ers' union just chartered by the
CIO on the national level.
Fitzgerald Gets Injunction.
I'VE are completely neutral as
to the internal difficulties of our
employees unions" the spokesman
said.
Mr.. Fitzgerald and left wingers
In the UE are battling to keep
the union going concern as an
Independent by ousting rightist
leaders and gaining complete con-
troll Of all locals.
Many right wing members are
voting to desert the UE and join
the CLOS new union. But they're
meeting with trouble.
In Syracuse. N. 2. a State
Supreme Court justice issued q
temporary Injunction restraining
officers of a local from holding a
meeting to vote on withdrawal
from the UE.
The order, issued by Justice
Jesse E. Kingsley on petition of
President Fitzgerald, was directed
at officers Of Local 800, which
claims to represent $500 workers
at the General Electric Co. plant
there.
1t restraints the officers from
holding the meeting and also from
withdrawing, disposing or ex-
pending or disbursing" the locals
funds or property and from Gin
terfering with the collective bar
gaining contract between UE and
GE."
GE Employees Meet.
An affidavit filed with Mr.. Fitz-
serald's petition said the UE con-
stitution provides that "disban-
donment, dissolution, session or
Installation Of any local (from
UE) shall be invalid and null and
void II seven or more members in
dicate>a desire to retain the local
charter"
MIR. Fitzgerald's strategy is to
Dust as few right wing leaders as
possible so as to keep UE member
ship at a peak. He doesn't want
secessions.
Only those right wing officers
who have come out publicly in
favor Of the dual union plan have
been or will be read out of the
union" said Charles Newell, the
unions Pittsburgh District Rep.
resentative.
I'VE recognize the right Of our
members to quit the UE and form
another union" he said. But we
object to their use Of UE facilities.
funds and contracts to destroy
that organization"
Blocked by the Injunction
against withdrawal. about rs GE
Syracuse employees staged an i'm
promptu meeting. In a standing
vote the workers expressed a de-
sire to stay within the CLIO.
Organizers Escorted Out.
officials of the CLIO Greater
Syracuse Council later escorted
two UE organizers from the
unions premises as GE workers
shouted and jeered. John EVAN
iszyck. secretary of the CLIO
United Steelworkers and secretary
Of the CLIO Council, ordered the
two men away, declaring:
1--WE don't want any Moscow
tainted elements on our union
property"
The UE organizers, Robert