Labor in Politics -A Cross-Country Report
Labor in Politics —A Cross-Country Report Cmiifornia AFL Swings tabor to FDR f r CARTER GOOD S AN FRANCISCO.—The important sweat ie« Will Um PAC be able to deliver? Or, to put taw qaeatioa ia...
...Mott of the election activity ia being carried on "at the top"—via newapaper advertisements, radio time, posters and a few mass meetings...
...The common Interpretation of this statement is that Warren sees the handwriting on the wall and refuses to place himself "out on a limb...
...Membership figures reveal that three aeronautical lodges of the IAM in Burbank, Chula Vista and San Diego have over 75.000 members...
...Both the CIO and the AFL are taking an active part in the campaign...
...which actively engaged in the campaign against Costello...
...Republican Congressmen have been touring the State, attacking a straw man which they have set up, the PAC...
...A number of the reactionary AFL officials who wouldn't daxcjuibUeiy to come out for Dewey have pledged support for Wagner's rival, despite Wagner's excellent labor record...
...The Republican and the Democratic areas in the state are roughly defined...
...Through the administrations of Smith, Roosevelt, and Lehman, the Democrats piled up overwhelming majorities in the city which the upstate vote could not match...
...In 1942 the combined anti-Dewey vote fell jutt short of a majority, and it was generally conceeded that the apathy of the voters was the main factor in his election...
...In a spurt of last two weeks activity, the Liberal Party has become the most active force for the election of Roosevelt...
...The Executive Council of the California State Federation of Labor endorsed Roosevelt with but four dissenting votes...
...The greatest success of the CIO in war industries was in the aeronautical industry, yet the recent action of the auto workers in firing Lou Michener for failing to take full advantage of 'organizing this industry, revealed that the CIO had but 20,000 members in the plane factories...
...form the backbone of the Liberal Party...
...In the Newt poll Dewey has held the lead almost since the beginning, but in the last few days Roosevelt has been whittling down the difference...
...and, What part will labor play in the campaign...
...It was the first real Instance where the New York City Democratic vote could not top a GOP upstate ltad...
...of this brings us down to two paramount questions: Will Dewey or Roosevelt carry California...
...The largest bloc of union voters in New York is tht International Ladiet Garment Workers Union, and these trade unionist...
...of the AFL repudiated this action and voted support for'New York's liberal Senator...
...Par baa* tht laltor forms/ the ear* tie* ia Um mere important if on* examine* tho ¦tatistkt of aak*a membership ia the Stat* of " aliforaa It ia estimated that I be AFL baa well over a Million meaabera, while estimates for the CIO vary free* less tksa lit.Me to ever 25«,see...
...An indication of the outcome of the election is seen in a recent statement by Governor Warren, universally known as a strong Dewey supporter...
...Totals ia New York City are Just a shade under the record-breaking figures 1st 1940...
...In the recent giant demonstration for President Roosevelt on the streets of New York, the ILGWU was very much in evidence aa having brought out the largest crowds to greet the President...
...The truth is that the bulk of the CIO membership in the State is in Southern California...
...There are several other indications that Roosevelt's chances for carrying California are very good...
...If Mr...
...In considering the labor vote and the general political situation in California, it is well to keep in mind this picture of the strength of the AFL...
...Perhaps the answer has already been given in the first part of this article...
...TllKKF, remains the answer to the second question: What part will labor play in the Roosevelt victory...
...It is only fair to assume that because it represented a far greater membership that it made a greater contribution to the defeat of Costello than did the PAC...
...The liberal forces in the State, then organized in the American Labor Partly, nominated Dean Alfange and chalked up more than 410,000 votes on an independent line...
...The N. Y. Building Trades Council declared for Wagner's opponent, but the National Building Trades Dept...
...New Deal forces will have to top that figure to swing the state for Roosevelt On the whole there is lest election activity in New Yoi k than might be expected...
...Hillman decides to jettison his stepchild, the task of the Liberal Party will be easier...
...The Liberal Party has held a number of meetings in various neighborhoods and in some districts has nominated independent ranoi-dates against the old parties...
...Or, to put taw qaeatioa ia aaether war: Haw will labor vote la < alifornia...
...Latest release of these figures seems to insure a large turnout on Election Day, admittedly a good omen for Roosevelt...
...All...
...The poll conducted by the Daily News shows Dewey commanding 50.9 of the votes...
...In San Francisco there is s saying among AFL member* that the CIO was stopped at the waterfront...
...PAC has held a number of luncheons and meetings but most of its activity has been restricted to the trade unions...
...The biggest of West Coast war industries is probably shipbuilding...
...Some political prognosticates claim that the Sews poll may create a bandwagon psychology and thus tip the balance...
...There are a large number of former supporters of the late Wendell Willkie in California...
...Sidney Hillman is not too happy with the American Labor Party...
...It Eetms likely that the Liberal Party will, in th* next few years, outdistance the ALP...
...The organizational machinery, on tht county level, is controlled by Vito Marcantonio and relations between the Harlem fellow-traveler and Hill-man have been none too cordial...
...In 1942, the Farley forces captured the Democratic machinery and nominated John J. Bennett, an honest administrator but in actual fact nothing more than a veteran wheelhorse...
...Another factor which will lend comfort to the Roosevelt supporters is found in the registration figures...
...Any poll which starts oat canvassing in the Republican areas will, show an immediate lead for Dewey, although the final totals, announced before election day, may be radically different...
...The Republicans usually sweep upstate New York while (New York City is heavily Democratic...
...A final moral to be drawn is that in spite of the charges of the reactionaries, the major labor support of Roosevelt in California comes from the AFL rather than from the ClO-PAC, simply by mere weight of numbers...
...Certainly the CIO baa receives aaest of the publicity anal to the nnin fermed, Bridges is ceasidered the laker movement to California...
...New York Liberal Party Vote Watched By MURRAY EVERETT NEW YORK'S 47 electoral votes hang in the balance and few political observers dare predict which way the state will go next Tuesday...
...The local party machines are sitting back, for there are few real contests on tht local level...
...Barry has always been fought by the liberal voters, but this year, in an amazing flip-bark, the ALP and the City CIO council, dominated by the Communists, have endorsed Barry...
...Perhaps an indication of the strength of the PAC in this State ran be seen in the fact that when it filed a financial accountig with the State in accordance with the election laws, it admitted to collecting a mere $60,000, a far cry from the unlimited resources it has been claiming and its accusers have been pointing to...
...Apportionment is only a year old and tht district lines were laid out to carefully by the politietl sharks that almost every dittrict can be accounted for...
...If the Liberal Party can get a sizable proper-tion of that total in its first campaign it will have established itself as a permanent force in the State...
...The Democratic club* are largely inactive, for with the patronage power* gone they command little real support...
...Whether he was expressing the sentiments of the Willkieites or reflecting only his own feelings, which some consider to be leftish, remains in doubt...
...In the organization of war industries, it is the AFL that has kept the lead...
...All of these circumstances add up to the general feeling of confidence among Roosevelt supporters that Roosevelt will carry California...
...Both Republicans and PAC'ers credit the defeat of Congressman Costello in the spring primaries to the PAC...
...On the other hand, the AFL International Association of Machinists has been organizing this industry with much less fanfare...
...But there can be no doubt that many of the supporters of Willkie will follow the lead of Crum...
...Inasmuch as the margin of error in any random sampling poll comes to about five per cent, the totals are meaningless...
...Many of the AFL Central Labor Councils and local unions have similarly endorsed Roosevelt...
...Since that time the ALP has been more of t liability than a help.' PAC activity has become funnelled through an independent committee rather that the ALP...
...Several weeks ago the IAM added another victory to its score when it decisively defeated the CIO auto workers at the Douglas plant in Santa Monica...
...To these must be added nearly 400,000 soldier votes—and it it probable that these vote* v ill be fa, decisive factor in tht election.' Dewey it expected to roll out etrong mtjoritiet it every upstate city except Buffalo and to reach New York with about a 700,000 lead...
...the Congressional and Assembly Districts were reapportioned last year1 and "safe" Republican and Democratic districts were carved out...
...The sum total of these little bits of information is that there seems to be every indication that Roosevelt will carry California and that in spite of a general dissatisfaction with the Administration's labor policy, the labor movement is almost completely united in support of Roosevelt...
...The registration figures also indicate that nearly twice as many people registered Democrat as registered Republican...
...too, the apathy of the electorate in an off-year was the deciding factor in the election...
...Yet, except for some small yards in the Los Angeles area, the industry was organized by the AFL...
...He a v ^ registration figures are an encouraging fait for the Roosevelt supporters...
...In Queens the Liberal Party is ruuning Louis Walters against isolationist William Barry...
...The Liberal Party was formed this year when tht American Labor Party was captured by the Communists...
...Due to wartime conditions the Federation held no convention this year but the pressure of the membership forced its Executive Council to take this unprecedented step...
...The Republicans nominated Joe Hanky and the Democrat*, with ALP endorsement, ran General William Haskell, a politically unknown and unimaginative candidate...
...fait statistical taatmary may aapply surprising ia-fermstien to aaaay persons...
...An important aspect of the N. Y. political scene )« the race of Senator Robert F. Wagner for re-election...
...The CIO has universally endorsed Roosevelt...
...It is true that the PAC was active in the campaign against Costello...
...As reported in the San Francisco News of October II, Governor Warren issued a statement denying having said that Governor Thomas E. Dewey would carry California in the presidential election next month...
...Hanley came down to the city line with a 650,000 lead which Haskell could not match...
...It is also tine that there was organized through the auspices of the Los Angeles Central Labor Council, the UAFL, an AFL counterpart to the PAC...
...However, in this case...
...1943 saw the first clear-cut test of a Republican and a Democrat for state office in the special election for Lieutensnt-Governor...
...In Brooklyn Louis P. Goldberg, former Councilman and SDF leader, is running against a veteran Tammany hack, Andrew Somers...
...The independent vote in New York is roughly about 400,000...
...Bartley ("rum, prominent San Francisco attorney and leading Willkieite, has announced his support of Roosevelt...
...In concrete terms this means that except for the longshoremen, the CIO in San Francisco has very little membership...
Vol. 27 • November 1944 • No. 45
