Michael & Lutijer

By a casual observer, the Hall of Mirrors in Cincinnati's Hotel Netherland Plaza might have been mistaken for a hat factory last week. Six long tables littered with headgear--straws of every shape, felts of every color--stretched like assembly lines the length of the room. The long lines of men who sat along both sides of the tables were assembling not hats but a plan of campaign against their rival brothers of toil. They were the representatives of 102 national and international unions,* members of the A. F. of L. They had been called together by the Federation's Executive Council to approve a four-point plan of battle against John L. Lewis' C. I. 0. in U. S. Labor's civil war. The plan:

1) To double the dues of 1-c- per month per man which member unions contribute to the Federation--an increase that will have to be voluntary until ratified by a Federation convention--for a war chest.

2) To undertake a simultaneous organizing drive on all fronts to offset C. I. O.'s rapid membership gains,

3) To require all local unions to join appropriate city central bodies and State federations (membership in which has heretofore only been recommended). Reason for this move was to maintain A. F. of L. control and prevent locals being "stolen" by C. I. O.

4) To oust from the city central bodies and State federations all unions which have affiliated with C. I. O.

Approval of these plans was never in any doubt, but the discussion of them gave scope for oratory. President William Green of the A. F. of L. elaborately denounced C. I. O. for splitting Labor's ranks:

"The first dual movement occurred in Heaven itself, a place where harmony and peace prevailed. Yet a dual movement began when, as a committee of one, Michael the Archangel rebelled against God and His authority.*

"The executive council in Heaven did not hesitate to act. After examining the facts it expelled his Satanic Majesty and his dual movement from Heaven.

"He went out and created Hell and we've had it with us ever since. . .

"There are men in mass production industries appealing for admission to the American Federation of Labor now. Up to this time I have said no. But the clock has struck and the hour is here. We are going to give them a home in the American Federation of Labor if they will come in."

Speakers heaped denunciation on C. I. O. for stealing A. F. of L. members, for taking jewelry workers into a pants makers' union, watchmakers into a radio union. President Wharton of the Machinists described the C. I. O. as "Lewis, Hillman, Dubinsky, Howard and their gang of sluggers. Communists, radicals and soap-box artists, professional bums, expelled members of labor unions, outright scabs and the Jewish organizations with all their Red affiliates." President Mahon of the Street Car employes told how pickle workers had been taken into C. I. O.'s automobile workers' union and added, "even the Machinists never did that bad."

President Frey of the Metal Trades Department dwelt particularly on C. I. O. as a bedfellow of communism. So doing he provoked Charles P. Howard, who is secretary of C. I. O. but was present in Cincinnati because his union, the Typographers, still belongs to A. F. of L. Said Mr. Howard bitterly:

"No doubt, if there had been Reds and Communists ' when the Scriptural adage was written, it would read, 'Those whom the Gods would destroy they first not only make mad, but also make to see Red.' "*

After two days of talk the meeting approved the program although a few unions, notably the Typographers and the Brewers, indicated they would not pay double dues to fight C. I. 0. Then the big meeting adjourned and the A. F. of L. Executive Council got busy putting the plan into execution. In Manhattan, John L. Lewis sneered at reports of the meeting. He said: "Mr. Green is a frightened little man whistling as he passes by a graveyard." He scoffed at A. F. of L.'s declaring war on C. I. O.: "That would be like a rabbit fighting a bull dog."

Meantime, skirmishes in Labor's civil war had begun on a dozen fronts:

P: Over the protests of the Illinois Federation of Labor, the A. F. of L. Council gave a charter to the Progressive Miners of America, a small Illinois organization bitterly at odds with John L. Lewis' United Mine Workers. William Green in announcing the fact to the press was considerably embarrassed. He refused to say whether he would transfer his personal union membership from the United Mine Workers to the Progressive. When a reporter, making a slip of the tongue similar to his own substitution of Michael for Lucifer, addressed him as "Mr. Lewis," he quietly put his hands over his face and said, "My God, man! My God, man!"

P: The Machinists were authorized to take into membership a small union in the Indianapolis Chevrolet truck plant in competition with C. I. O.'s United Automobile Workers.

P: President Green ruled that the Newspaper Guild--nominally an A. F. of L. union although it has practically gone over to C. I. O. along with its leader, Heywood Broun--was not authorized to organize any except the newsroom employes of papers. He also fired an A. F. of L. organizer, Don Stevens, who helped recruit the Newspaper Guild, for advocating C. I. O. participation. Organizer Stevens promptly threatened to appeal to the National Labor Relations Board alleging unfair labor practice in that his employer had interfered with his right "to form, join or assist labor organizations" --thereby presenting a neat question of law, whether a union can discharge an employe for working in the interests of a rival union.

P: President Thomas Rickert of A. F. of L.'s United Garment Workers announced that his union would no longer respect a division of territory agreed upon with Sidney Hillman's Amalgamated Clothing Workers, which has gone over to C. I. 0.

P: Under President Joseph P. Ryan of the International Longshoremen, A. F. of L. set up a new Maritime Transportation Department to fight the insurgent new National Maritime Union allied with C. I. O. Meantime the Labor Relations Board held hearings on a petition by Leader James Curran of the N. M. U. for an election on the I. M. M., Luckenbach and Black Diamond lines to determine whether he or Joe Ryan should rule the waves. First action took place in New York Harbor. Curran's seamen sat down on the Munson Liner Munargo until three A. F. of L. radio operators were replaced. This was followed by a similar attempt on the New York & Cuba Mail liner Oriente, but a flying wedge 'of A. F. of L. rushed the ship, seized the radio cabin, locked in three of their own operators. The Oriente's sailing had to be canceled.

C. The A. F. of L. Executive Council ordered the Georgia Federation of Labor and the Aluminum Workers Union of New Kensington, Pa. to stand trial on charges of insurrection. The Aluminum Workers were particularly accused of having de camped to C. I. 0. with $27.000 of A. F. of L. cash.

* "International" unions operate in Canada as well as the U. S. but in no other foreign countries.

*Mr. Green, once a Baptist lay preacher, here had his theology mixed. The Archangel who rebelled was Lucifer. Michael was the good Archangel who led the fight against Lucifer.

*This scripture, like Mr. Green's, is not to be found in the Bible. The dramatist Sophocles wrote: "Those whom Zeus would destroy he first makes mad," repeating an ancient Greek adage.

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