Evening star., 1949-10-27
Clio Moves 10 Expe|
Al Least ; Unions
With Red Leaninqs
By the Assoeioted Press

oy He AsSoCioIeO ffeSS
CLEVELAND, Oct. 27.-The
CLOS confident right-wing major
ity planned today to expel at least
three-or maybe all 12-unions
whose leaders have shown pro-
Communist sympathy.
A Resolutions Committee under
the United Auto Workers head,
Walter Reuther. was ready to fight
1t out on the floor of next weeks
convention If necessary.
1t is determined to oust the
three unions most critical of
Philip Murray's leadership-the
United Electrical Workers, with
nearly 100000 members; the Farm
Equipment Workers. with about
$4,000, and the Mine, Mill and
Smelter Workers. numbering
around 100000.
The plan of action decided on
by the powerful right-wing faction
but subject to plenty of pressure
before it can be put into effect
calls for kicking out the three
unions next Wednesday.
Charters to Be Challenged.
Charters of the three would be
challenged on the floor. First
resolutions will be offered Tuesday.
Should representatives of the
nine other so-called left-wing
unions come to the defepse of
the three most controversial
unions, they will be tossed out,
too, according to the plan.
Mr.. Murray is in New York City
for a Democratic rally tonight,
but will return tomorrow. Mr..
Reuther, who has grabbed the
leadership of the right-wing move
ment, is building support for his
resolutions in the convention.
The nine other unions involved
In the pre-convention talk are the
American Communications Asso-
citation, International Fishermen.
Public Workers, Office and Pro-
fessional Workers, Furniture
Workers, Food, Tobacco and Agri-
cultural Workers Fur and Leath-
er Workers, International Long
shoremen's and Warehousemen's
and Marine Cooks and Stewards
Union.
Harry Bridges Is Question Mark.
A big question mark is what
would happen to Harry Bridges OF
the longshoremen and Ben Gold
of the Fur and Leather Workers
If the rightist coup succeeds.
Bridges long has spearheaded the
left-wing criticism ct Mr.. Murray
in the CIO. and Gold admits he is
a member of the Communist
Party.
The .Reuther timetable Is not
very specific about Bridges and
Gold. The program is more de- ,
tailed about other unions.
If successful, the United Elec-
trical Workers charter would be
turned over to the right-wing bloc
within that organization, headed
by Fred Kelley Of Lynn, Mass,
and spanked by CIO Secretary
Treasurer James B. Carey.
The big fight will be Joined
when Mr.. Reuther tries to pull
that off.
The UE leadership consisting of
President Albert j. Fitzgerald,
Secretary Treasurer Julius EN-
spak and Organization Director
James j. Matles. already is re-
ported to be trying to make
compromise here.
The Reuther plan for dividing
up the unwanted unions would
throw the Mine, Mill and Smelter
Workers to Mr.. Murray's own
steel workers; the Farm equipment
Workers to Mr.. Reuther; the pub
lie workers to new right-wing
faction in that union, Food and
Tobacco Workers to the Brewery
Workers, and so on.
The left leaders were reported
to be determined to fight their
removal from the CIO. They are
said to be opposed to forming a
third labor federation, because of
the danger of organizational raids
by the CIO, the AFL and other
independent unions.