No Collective Begging

The world's biggest single union, the C.I.O.'s United Auto Workers, last week at Grand Rapids reluctantly voted to stand behind its no-strike pledge until Japan is beaten. But it was not a final decision; a majority of the 1,095,538 U.A.W. members must also agree, in a referendum to be taken within 90 days.

The vote was taken only after considerable struggle: two days of debate among the 2,300 delegates to the U.A.W.'s ninth annual convention. In the fight, the majority twice changed its mind.

On the first day, after a disorderly, hot-tempered session, the delegates voted nearly 2-to-1 against a flat repeal of the no-strike pledge. Next morning they voted the other way (against reaffirming the pledge), by a closer tally, 5,232-to-4,988. In complete confusion, the convention sent the whole matter back to committee. Out of committee came the referendum compromise.

Gentle Philip. The vote in favor of the no-strike pledge was a victory for U.A.W. and C.I.O. leaders, but the addition of the referendum showed how deeply American workers are split on the issue. The rank & file is obviously anxious to get back the right to strike, their strongest bargaining weapon, as soon as possible. And the rank-&-filers at the convention were well organized around the Briggs Detroit Local No. 212, which has had 33 wildcat strikes since the first of the year. The chief argument of the rank-&-filers was a paradox: if the union were allowed to strike, it would not strike so often.

The strength of this "rescindist" movement convinced U.A.W. officials that they had better not try to handle the situation alone. They called in suave, spellbinding1 C.I.O. President Philip Murray. Before he even mentioned the no-strike pledge, Philip Murray was being loudly booed. Murray raised his hand for silence. Calmly and politely he asked the convention not to boo. Then he warned the quiet audience that reneging on the no-strike pledge might cause the union to crash beneath irate public opinion.

When Murray was through, the delegates leaped to their feet and cheered loud & long. But it was not unanimous. Grumbled one rescindist after the final vote: "Hell, we haven't even got collective begging, let alone collective bargaining."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.