Evening star., 1961-06-04


view. But, he warned, failure to
make headway in settling inter-
union disputes could lead to "a n
tragic drift" with power blocs
feuding within the AFL-CIO.
President George Meany is
battling to prevent that kind of
drift. Hes a fire-fighter," an
aide remarked.
Most leaders of AFL-CIO
affiliates have faith in Mr..
Meany's ability to douse the
conflagrations, although no one
has figured out a formula. They
count on his toughness and his
conviction that labor must re-
main united.
HE preSideS over a wedding
Of giants, of men who have
been enemies for 20 years or
more" an official said. But"
he continued, hes been in the
jungle long enough to know
how to fight that kind of war"
There are dissenters-notably
leaders of industrial unions from
the old CIO-who grumble that
Mr.. Meany has lost his zeSt
and has temporiZed too long.
But even his critics concede
that no one else could have
held the AFL-CIO together un-
til now, and there is no real
question that he has the fed
eration's overwhelming support.
Mr.. Meany, at Sc. SCOTS at
recurrent rumors that he in
tends to retire.
A preliminary showdown on
efforts to end the internal war;
fare is expected to take place
at the June 26 meeting of the
AFL-CIO executive council. At
that meeting, a committee
headed by President Al j. Hayes
of the international Association
of MachiniSts will report on its
efforts to draft a formula for
settling inter-union disputes.
Up to Meeting
1t will be up to next Decem-
ber's biennial convention to de-
eide how the AFL-CIO will try
to stop the drift. The 1859 con-
vention voted for final and
binding arbitration Of inter-
union disputes, but the Hayes
committee and the executive
council SO far have failed to
work out machinery acceptable
to the feuding factions.
Skirmishes are ,erupting all
over the place, but the basic
fight is a struggle for jobs be-
tween industrial unions of the
old CIO and building trades
and craft unions Of the old
AFL.
Merger of the AFD and CIO
in 1855 did not solve long
standing disputes over juris-
diction, organizing techniques,
legislative policy and ether is
sues. The merged federation
was to work out its internal
problems gradually.
These disputes have not been
settled, and some unionistS
contend diSsension is worse ow
than before the merger. Partly
as a result of internal squab-
bling, the AFL-CIO has beer
losing membership-both in alb
Solute numbers and in proper
tion to the labor force.
Mr.. Meany once said that
fighting is a way of life with
us fellows" in the labor move
ment, and maintains that cur
rent dissension has been exag-
gerated.
He blames the uproar largely
on the recent recession and
continuing unemployment.
When jobs are scarce, he has
said, union leaders naturally
fight harder over Jurisdiction.
When full employment is re-
stored, he predicts, union lead
ers will stop competing so saw
agely.
Jurisdiction Issue
One phase of the battle be-
tween the industrial unions and
the building tradesmen is the
fight for Job jurisdiction at
missile bases. There is a fuzzy
line between construction and
manufacture, and each side ac-
cuseS the other of stealing jobs.
President Kennedy and Labor
Secretary Goldberg last month
stepped in to enforce peace at
the missile bases. They OBJ
tanned no-Strike pledge from
the unions, and established a
commission to help settle juris-
dictional and other disputes.
Beyond the missile bases, the
unions are fighting for the right
to perform maintenance work .
in auto factories and other
plants. Industrial unions OBJ
ject vehemently to brochures
and advertisements through
which the building trades urge
employers to save money by
engaging outside contractors to
handle maintenance jobs in
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