Evening star., 1950-01-09
UPWAEchoed
Red Party Line,
C|0Hedriing7o|d
Radio Union Leader
Makes Charges as
Trial Opens Here

Charges that the left-wing
United Public Workers of America
has diligently followed every
twist and turn of the Communist
Party line from its inception up
to the present date" were made
before a special CIO committee
today as it opened its trial of
UPWA.
The charges were brought by
William Steinberg, president of
the CIO American Radio Associa-
ton, as the special committee be-
gan its hearings on charges that
the UPWA was subServient to the
Communist Party.
Mr.. Steinberg said the UPWA's
entire history. dating back to the
late 1930s, when it was known
as the State, County and Munich
pal Workers, had consistently fol-
lowed the Community Party line.
War Stand Cited.
Mr.. Steinberg said the union
faithfully echoed the Communist
Party stand on the Stain Hitler
Pact and the Nazi and Soviet in
vasion of Poland.
"SCMW bitterly opposed lend
lease and all other measures in
tended to help defend democ-
racy against totalitarianism," Mr..
Steinberg declared.
In 1941, when Hitler attacked
Russia, the union did an about
face and demanded full aid to
the Allies, the witness added.
When UPWA came into existence
in 1945, it continued its pro-Com-
munist tactics, Mr.. Steinberg con-
tinued. He declared that Abram
Flaxer, UPWA president. refused
to tell congressional commit
tee whether he was a Communist. |
"Flaxer owed an obligation to
his membership to set at rest
these accusations and this was an
ideal opportunity to do So" Mr..
6teinberg said. "He chose, how
ever, to refuse to answer on con-
stitutional grounds.
Lenin Statement Quoted.
"Flaxer made no plausible ex-
PLANTATION to his members for his
failure to disclose his color. He
did not have to. The explanation
is simple. Lenin said it. 1T is
necessary to resort to all
sorts of strategems, maneuvers
and illegal methods, to evasions
and subterfuges, in order to pene-
trate the trade unions, to remain
in them and to carry on Commu-
mist work in them at all COSTS"
About rs UPWA sympathizers
who gathered in front of the
CIO national headquarters, 718
jackson place NV, were denied
admittance to the hearing.
The crowd, which appeared to
be orderly, was expected to be
augmented this afternoon by the
arrival of out-of- town UPWA
members.
Today's hearing was a closed
one, with only CIO and UPWA
officials attending. Mr.. Flaxer1
testified in his unions defense,
along with three other UPWA
officials.
UPWA is among 10 left-wing
CIO unions that face expulsion
from the C1O as result of action
taken at the CLOS recent conven-
ton.
The special committee holding
hearings in the cases of the left
wing groups is expected to report
its findings to the CLOS Executive
Board next month. If the COM
mittee finds that union has fol-
lowed the Communist Party line
the Executive Board will be en-
powered to expel the group from
the CIO.
In an advance statement before
the start of today's hearing, the
UPWA asserted that it regarded
the proceedings as "a fake" It'll
denied that it followed the die
tates of the Communist Party or
any political party. but that it was
responsive to the will of it's mem
bers.
The union accused the CIO
leadership of having borrowed the
technique of "red batting" from
employers to suppress dissident
opinion of the union.
CIO officials predicted that the
UPWA hearing would last two
days. No report. of the special
committees findings will be made
until the CLOS Executive Board
meets here next month.
n,,I