Split in Fact

The split in the U.S. labor movement last week became more than mere rhetoric. After 13 years of uneasy alliance, Walter Reuther, who led the C.I.O. into merger with George Meany's A.F.L. in 1955, took a separate path. In view of Reuther's bitter criticism of Meany's leadership, a dramatic departure directly tied to some matter of principle might have been expected. Instead, Reuther let his United Automobile Work ers fall 90 days late in monthly dues ($96,542) to the A.F.L.-C.I.O., thus causing his men to be suspended from all posts in the federation. "We didn't receive a check," announced the A.F.L.-C.I.O. as the grace period ran out. "They are automatically suspended."

In principle, the U.A.W., with its 1,400,000 members, could return to good standing at any time simply by paying the back dues. But such a course seems improbable as long as Reuther and Meany are around. Reuther, one of labor's most vigorous chieftains, had long expected to succeed Meany as top man. But over the years it became clear that George, who deplores Reuther's social activism, had no intention of giving way to Walter. "The only thing I've done against him," says the 73-year-old Meany with a grin, "is that I stayed alive."

Reuther, now 60, may try to build a rival federation around his U.A.W.

While many of the old C.I.O. unions have indicated that they will stay with Meany, the 1.9 million-member Teamsters Union, read out of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. in 1957 for refusing to answer charges of corruption, the International Chemical Workers Union and some oth ers might join up if Reuther sounded the call. Rivalry between two federations almost certainly would lead to more frequent work stoppages as competing unions attempted to demonstrate their skill in obtaining results. Should Reuther decide to found his own federation, he is unlikely to make his move until the presidential election campaign is out of the way.*

Meanwhile the A.F.L.-C.I.O. will be deprived of nearly $1,000,000 annual dues payments from its largest affiliate. There won't be any need for belt tightening, claimed George Meany last week. Said he: "We've got a terrific surplus--six, seven, eight million, I guess."

*Even on preference for candidates, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the U.A.W. seem to be going down different paths: Meany has endorsed Vice President Humphrey; Reuther, while officially neutral so far, leans toward Robert Kennedy.

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