ALERT!
ALERT The CIO Starts to Clean House By Julien Steinberg Staff Labor Analyst of The New Leader Part One: Purge-From-Below A NTI-COMMUNIST opposition in the /\ CIO which has smoldered...
...The grass-roots rebellions, for the first time, have put the harried national CIO leadership in a position of adequate strength to back the pro-democratic and anti-totalitarian unionists down the line...
...Significantly, Philip Murray is head of the Steel workers Union...
...That internal UE opposition to the Matles-Emspak machine was more than academic was attested, too, by the fact that anti-CP rank-and-filers succeeded in winning elections in five locals in Pitts, burgh and New York, covering more* than 22,000 unionists...
...At that time, Morris, labor editor of the DW, pretended that the CIO declaration against Communist interference didn't concern the CP because, as he put it, the Communists do not> "interfere...
...In still another place, the election of unit delegates to .the General Council of Ford Local 600 (UAW), the party-liners were rolled back.'In the Rolling Mill (in thia context, appropriately named), the vote was 14-2 in...
...JULIEN STEINBERG...
...Inimpart two of this article to appear next week, I concern myself with relevant developments in the different CIO councils...
...the Curran-Bridgea case...
...For although it made a considerable If adverse hullabaloo about the debate on the same subject some weeks earlier between Milton Murray and Earl BrowdeT, this time, with one of their "own," boys pitching, it decided to ignore the entire matter...
...After the Naxi invasion of Russia, the comrades industrially and politically learned the words of the ditty, "Everything Goes," In both instances, the current Soviet-line and not the needs of union members or the communal welfare dictated CP actions...
...As the result of Ashcraft having his hands tied, the Leader started to lose circulation and decline...
...A previous attempt by the party-liners in the Cleveland Industrial Council, which endorses the paper, to boot Ashcraft from his job failed...
...If the CIO is to be completely denuded of CP influence, the purgc-from-below and the purge-fromabove must be organically integrated in a wide democratic front...
...And, indeed, further developments were not long in coming...
...In the union elections at U. S. Rubber, Local 101 of the United Rubber Workers, anti-Communists, sparked by President Leo George, swept the entire ticket...
...Their statement asserted that: "Today America faces Ihe threat of totalitarianism from both reactionaries and Communists," and called upon CIO members to rid their unions of CI' "control and influence...
...6—Communists in CIO have used their unions to strengthen party-line political groups and organizations...
...It seems that his reception was pretty cold, and in a num...
...John Cadden, of tho Textile Workers Union...
...An interesting sidelight indicated th« slim thread, the product of unionist apathy, that holds the CP balloon aloft In the above cited vote, only 304 ue'ers were in attendance out of membership of fi.OOO in the local...
...ber of places he even had to stand in a corner while the membership voted on whether to hear him...
...Red-baiters," said he, "carrying on disruptive activities within the CIO's most progressive-led unions, have passed over to open secession movements and strikebreaking...
...a—CP-CIO leaders, frequently using their unions and regional councils as thumping boards, have espoused political positions which are hardly representative of national CIO policy...
...It Is Interesting, too, that James J. Matlea, CfP-UE bigwig, recently "complained" that he Was not being treated right in some of his visits to UE local* throughout the nation...
...The "B" Building elections spelled a severe defeat for pro-left wing, Leo Orsage, president of the union...
...At thin point, Ashcraft started once again to fight vigorously, and the paper started on an upwards trek...
...It is interesting that in the contest for the presidency between Robinson and James Leary, the former was snatched from the jaws of defeat by a torrent of ballots from California and British Columbia, where, it has been stated definitely by responsible labor sources, his opponents had no watchers at the polls...
...He reserved choice words for party-liner Morris Pizer, who replaced him...
...Liberal journalists, union papers, and all other organs of free thought in America, please copy...
...the over-all position of Philip Murray, his hesitancies and positive actions in the anti-partyline fight...
...Garland Ashcraft, has been under heavy fire because of the independent and anti-Communist policies the Leader has followed...
...Rcld Robinson Hears From His Union the Cleveland .convention <>f the United Mine, Mill and Smelted Workers, party-liners narrowly averted passags of a constitutional referendum which would bar Communists from holding office in the union...
...Some time later Frank McGrath, In a similar move^ blasted CP control of the Shoe Workers Union, of which he was president, and submitted his resignation...
...Following in the wake of Muster's dramatic leavetaking were the decisions of UFW locals to secede,"' which caused the national CIO administration sfeepless nighU lest rank-and-file indignation with party• line machinations cause the secession movement to gain momentum throughout CIO, a possibility, Incidentally, which is not yet ruled out If the CIO Isn't completely purged of CP leadership...
...At the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers' convention in Pittsburgh, the Matles-Emspak party-line machine found themselves faced with a rank-and-file rebellion led by Harry . Block, and although they were finally victorious (nobody expected them at that time to be beaten, but the strength of the opposition was what was surprising), they knew the opposition they had experienced was merely the first skirmish...
...But the party-line opposition to anti-Communist Ashcraft continued...
...in Local 452, New York, a full slate of UE Members for Demo, cratic Action ousted party-liners...
...During the Nazi-Soviet Pact, for example, the CP <omented "anti-intervention" strikes in order to keep America out of the "imperialistic war" in keeping with the then current party-line...
...And further, that as a result of these grass-roots upsurgings, nuclei exist in many CPdominated unions for additional tests later...
...in the Axle building, the anti-CP'ers won a 9-0 victory...
...Said Carey: "Underlying their whole procedure is their basic desire to operate your international union solely as a political club in the unit delegates to the General Council of interest of the foreign policies of Soviet Russia...
...Pro-Communist opponents of Martin Wagner, president of the United Gas, Coke and Chemical Workers, were rebuffed in the recent elections...
...Other anti-CP- winning tickets fared similarly...
...The considerably more decisive victories, brought about by coordination of national administration determination and local support, we shall report on next week...
...Politically translated, this means that not only are noninvolved CIO officials and members enraged at the damage that the CP has done to the CIO as a whole, but that the fight Is being fought on home territory, in those unions that the CP dominates completely or influences strongly...
...Walter Reuther, James Carey, and Milton Murray are currently high on the CP's "enemies of the people" list...
...Ai,Nl) thus this grass-roots phase of the anti-Communist revolt in CIO continues to gain power...
...An even more interesting aftermath in the career of Robinson was the later fight led by Emil Rieve, of the Textils Workers Union, which caused Robinson to be bounced from bis position as vice* president of the national CIO, an office which he had held for a number of years...
...George De Nucci, CIO Regional Director in Columbus, was sent in as "administrator" and, by virtue of postponement of the issues, a temporary peace was worked out...
...ALERT The CIO Starts to Clean House By Julien Steinberg Staff Labor Analyst of The New Leader Part One: Purge-From-Below A NTI-COMMUNIST opposition in the /\ CIO which has smoldered intermittently in recent years now threatens to flare into a full-scale, rankand-file and .administration-paced rebellion...
...Frank McMahon, director of the United Railroad Workers...
...In Local 203, a motion to include the question: "Would you allow a Communist to be an officer of the union...
...6—Union members have discovered that their primary needs are not the major considerations of CP-CIO leaders...
...Perhaps the violent and abusive epithets Morris chose to flavor his comment indicate that he knows, or is willing to admit, more now than when Milton Murray, anti-CP president of the American Newspaper Guild, batled-down his ears in their radio debate some few months ago on the question: ''Are the Communists Dangerous to the Labor Movement...
...Pointing out that the threat came from the Bilbos and Rankins on the right, and from the Communists on the left, the thirty-four leaders, representing 150,000 New York City workers, stated: "We, the progressive and anti-totalitarian forces within the CIO, have banded ourselves together and formulated this program so that once and for all the American people will know that the small but loud groups of Communists, who have made the CIO their special target and wormed their way into some CIO industrial councils and local unions, are not now and never have been ¦ the spokesmen for the 6,500,000 members of the CIO...
...Kd Van Axcn, executive board member of the Industrial Union of Marine ami Shipbuilding Workers, and many others of equal prominence...
...Outside of the Council meetings, they carried on guerrilla warfare, making intellectual omelets with mashings of the truth...
...As an example of the kind of chicanery he whs opposing, he revealed the offer of a J5.000 bribe that had been made to him if he would "play ball.'' At the Atlantic City convention of the partyline United Public Workers, Abram Flexner felt his collar wilt as strong opposition rose from the floor in answer to a proposed resolution castigating power-politics on the part ot, all the nations of the UN except Stalin's Erewhon on the Volga, but the resolution was finally jammed through...
...Among the signers were Jack Altman, international vice-president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Workers Union...
...We are opposed to their tactics and their politics, and we intend to devote our energies to presenting to CIO-members and the American people a positive democratic American program of domestic and foreign policy...
...What is important to note is not that the rebellions frequently failed to completely oust pSrtyline leadership in many places, but more important, that in unions formerly completely and sedately party-line controlled, strong rebellions took place...
...Reasons for the Rebellion Major reasons for the increasing momentum of the revolt at the present time can be indicated briefly as follows: 1—At a time when anti-labor legislators are throwing restrictive labor bills into Congressional hoppers like confetti, the existence of CP strongholds In CIO weakens the position of that organixation immeasurably in labor negotiations and in the eyes of the public...
...By a similarly close vote, the Robinson machine succeeded in downing the embarrassing proposal that a special committee be created to investigate charges that Robinson allegedly sought a (5,000 loan from an employer with whom the union was negotiating * new contract...
...2—The CIO "Operation Dixie," despite attempts by Southern Drive' Director Van A. Biltner to repudiate CP'ers In vehement terms, and in the main to successfully keep them out of the southern drive, has been hindered by CP Influence in CIO and by the opposition that southern employers have mustered on that basis...
...For some months, the Clei>etand Union Leader and its able editor...
...victory, concerning a fight for voting machines, is, Incidentally, a gauge of the kind of "democracy" which flourishes In UE...
...But one important development makes it imperative that 1 jump the gun and state this specific: issue plainly now...
...In Pittsburgh, also, John A. Metralf, bead of Local 001, refused renomlnntlon and shot.salvos at the parly-line leader- ¦ Miip...
...the Merrill "denunciation" of the CP: the CIO ban on aiding CP fronts, and George Addes* "revision...
...John Dillon, in New York, led a slate which beat incumbents who ducked the CP issue by a 3-2 vote...
...In Pittsburgh, rank-and-filers of Local 601, the largest in UE, succeeded in compelling the recalcitrant "democratic'' leadership to allow the use of voting machines in the elections that were to come...
...CIO Committee for Democratic Trad* Unionism IN New York, thirty-four important CIO leaders organized the "CIO Committee for Democratic Trade Unionism as a protest against Communist influenrt in the CIO...
...On September 11, 1946, Allan Haywood, CIO bigwig, appeared before the Council as a kind of labor'Solomon...
...What will their decision be...
...He needs support...
...But the /rontal drive against CP influence and domination In segments of the CIO cannot be as easily shrugged off...
...De Nucci "supervised" all copy, and on the surface peace reigned...
...The entire trade union movement, and the country at large, have their eyes focused sharply on Philip Murray and the men about bim...
...Verbalizing the content of the opposition to CP influence in the CIO, CIO Secretary-Treasurer James Carey, at the convention of...
...A petition from members of the Mine, Mill and Smelters Workers Union protesting Robinson's attempted "loan" was one qf the most damaging pieces of evidence Tigainst him...
...favor of the antiCommunists...
...Under the directorship of union prexy Reid Robinson, th« pro-CP leadership kept a referendum to this effect from being submitted to the rank and file by a victory of 24 votes (423 to 399...
...The clue to the potency of the purgefrom-below is provided by Morris' statement that the "disruptive activities" are taking place in the "CIO's most progressive-led unions...
...Next week, I shall give further details in this important fight for democracy in .the CIO, but right now'it is necessary for all CIO rank-and-file members and^ officials to throw the full glare of publicity on this internal CIO war for democratic trade unionism...
...The very nature of (hie...
...So widespread has the internal anti-CP conflict become that on February 2, the Daily Worker's George Morris felt called upon to deliver himself of a sumnintive judgment for the benefit of the scarlet faithful...
...Tfc* Revolt Gett Under Way One of the strongest open antl-CP stands was taken by Morris Muster, who quit as head«pf the CP-dominated United . Furniture Workers Union...
...In the concluding half of The CIO Cleans House," next week, Julicn Steinberg will trace still further the extent of the important anti-CP rebellions in the Wisconsin, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and other CIO councils...
...He subsequently found that the Council had deviated from CIO policy, but not the Leader...
...There Is evidence that even then, after Morris' sad performance, that* the DW actually felt differently...
...4—Whenever desirable from the viewpoint of Soviet foreign policy, CP leadership in CIO has not neglected to disrupt internal CIO harmony by conducting slander campaigns against anti-Communist CIO leaders...
...Charles Kerrigan and Martin Gerber, regional directors of the United Automobile Workers Union...
...If I were Ma ties, I would be justly concerned over "allow, jng" election machines to such union members...
...was successfully if narrowly downed by party-liners by a vote of 160 to 149...
...Realizing that if he choose to run for the vice-presidency, he was doomed to an inglorious defeat, . Robinson "diplomatically" withdrew...
...Typical election results in this connection are: Local 601, Pittsburgh: six of eight party-line leaders retired...
...the Marine and Shipbuilding Workers, lambasted the Communists In the trade union movement, emphasizing that their aims were not national CIO aims...
...ASHCRAFT MUST BE SUPPORTED...
...In a similar' vein, Steel Labor, the organ of the Steelworkers played up prominently the anti-Communist resolution of the national CIO convention, whereas the party-liners on the CIO News managed to all but lose the story of the resolution...
...To the renewed activity of the party-liners in the Council, he has answered with a declaration of open war...
...All Around the Town In Boston, delegates representing 35,000 members of District I of the United Stcclworkers meeting in convention, unanimously approved two resolutions attacking Communists in the labor movement...
...The current vigorous political broomsweeping in the CIO are djr'ect answers to these and other abuses of CP-CIO union leadership...
...in Bridgeport, Local 203 bounced Josephine Willard, pro-party-line editor of the union paper, The Beam...
...in the "B" building, 7-2...
...Such partyline leadership, owing its primary obligations not to the CIO or to American labor as • whole, has extended CIO policy to partisan political areas regardless of the embarrassments and organisational hurts the CIO suffered as a consequence...
Vol. 30 • February 1947 • No. 7
