Friends, Foes

There is more to U. S. Labor than A. F. of L. and C. I. O.* In a survey of opinion among labor published this week, FORTUNE polled white-collar office workers, sales clerks, salesmen, farm workers, mine building, factory, railroad, transportation and communication workers, domestics, WPAsters, CCC boys, unemployed. FORTUNE presented a list of nationally known names, asked: "Which of these people do you feel have been on the whole helpful to labor and which harmful?"

Results, published in FORTUNE'S June issue:

Helpful Harmful Don't Know Henry Ford 73.6% 12.3% 14.1% Senator Wagner 51.8 5.6 42.6 William Green 49.7 18.2 32.1 Secretary of Labor Perkins 43.4 19.4 37.2 Alfred P. Sloan Jr. 25.5 7.7 66.8 John L. Lewis 32.6 44.6 22.8 Norman Thomas 14.1 20.5 65.4 Tom Girdler 4.4 9.7 85.9 Earl Browder 4.2 39.4 56.4

Said FORTUNE, commenting on a poll which seemed to show that labor scarcely knew its avowed friends from its alleged enemies: "Extraordinary is the fact that so many names that are prominently identified, pro or con, with labor in politics and labor in industry should be so far on the fringe of the workingman's consciousness as to evoke a 'Don't know.' "

More surprising than Henry Ford's popularity was the unpopularity of C. I. O. President John Lewis. Lewis carried just one occupational group in 14, the miners.

One clue to Lewis' poor showing: "Who do you think is most to blame for the present conflict between the A. F. of L. and the C. I. O.--John L. Lewis or William Green?" Lewis, said 39.4%; both, said 21.6%; Green, said 11.0%; neither, said 3.8%; 24.2% did not know.

Other answers revealed that: most workers believe most employers are fair; with the exception of the two major union groups, most workers think picketing a bad practice; workers, organized and unorganized, believe the principle of unionism necessary for labor's protection.

* FORTUNE estimates that about one-third of U. S. labor is organized.

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