Evening star., 1952-11-10

the CIO was the toughest one
confronting Philip Murray when
he took over the reins from Mr..
Lewis. The latter found the hard
working Reds and fellow-travelers
to be excellent organizers and
very useful in building up the
infant labor unions. Undoubtedly
it had been Mr.. Lewis intention
to cut them loose in due time.
1 Mr.. Murray found there were
Communists in the high councils
of the parent CIO and in key
spots Of its individual unions. At
least dozen unions. including the
United Electrical Workers, third
largest in the CIO, were DOM
mated and controlled by Reds.
Numerically there were not so
many, but their influence was
great.
! If Mr.. Murray had attempted
to clean house right after taking
over it may have resulted in dis
integration of the CIO. It could
have created a third and Com
munist- dominated labor move
ment. He knew that. And doubts
he may have entertained about
the time to oust the Reds were
removed by the need for national
unity created by our entry into
World War II. Mr.. Murray de-
cided to bide his time.
Begin Ousting Communists.
In the ensuing war and postwar
years he Lived" with the Com
munists although overlooking no
opportunity to lend encourage
ment to anti-Red groups. Then
he began ousting the Communists
one by one from places of in
fluence in the parent organization
and gradually curbing their power
in CIO regional councils.
The postwar break with Russia
gave Mr.. Murray his big chance
for a thorough housecleaning. :.
When the Communist dominated
unions followed the party line of
opposition to aid to Europe and
support of Henry Wallace's presi-
dental candidacy, Mr.. Murray &C
cused them of betraying CIO
policy.
Using machinery set up by the
national convention, the dozen
unions were formally charged with
following Communist Party lines
and tried by panels of anti-Red
officers. Individually the unions
were booted out of the organi-
zation.
1t was a tribute to Mr.. Murray's
tact and ingenuity that the
housekeeping was accomplished
with very little loss in CIO men,
berShip. In most instances, rival
anti Communist unions were set
up in the CIO to take over the
Jurisdictions of the Red groups.
These unions succeeded in wean-
ing away most of the membership
of the Communist-directed outfits.
During the years Mr.. Murray
apparently was doing little to rid
the CIO of Reds. he frequently
was accused of Communist
sympathies. His old union, John
Lewis UNIV. was one of the ac-
cuSerS, although it was Mr.. Lewis
who was largely responsible for
the situation. Mr.. Murray re-
piled to that charge in biting
words, worthy of the glib-tongued
Mr.. Lewis himself. He said the
allegation that he was a Red
|sympathizer was "the bigoted
statement Of hatred emanating
from the juicy gills of fat man
(Mr. Lewis) who obviously has
pathological tendencies"
Set Pattern for Wages.
Under the leadership of Mr..
Murray, the big United Steelwork-
|ers Union set the pattern for in
|dustrial wages throughout the
postwar era. The task was made
easier by the fat wage conccs-
sions his arch-enemy, Mr.. Lewis.
wrung from the coal industry for
his miners. But in most years the
|Steelworkers moved first for new
contracts.
Three times since the war Mr..
Murray led strikes against the great
steel industry. In order to settle a
walkout in early 1916 the Govern
ment was forced to rewrite its en-