Industrial Unionism and the A.F. of L.

Report Outline
Split in the American Labor Movement
Industrial Unionism and Craft Unionism
A. F. of L.'s Policy on Industrial Unionism
Organization of Mass-Production Industries
Special Focus

Split in the American Labor Movement

Hope of closing the rift in the ranks of organized labor over the question of industrial unionism before the meeting of the American Federation of Labor's convention at Tampa on November 16 was definitely eliminated last week-end, when the Committee for Industrial Organization, in session at Pittsburgh, refused to appoint a negotiating committee and refused to agree to a personal conference between its chairman, John L. Lewis, and the Federation's president, William Green. Failure of efforts to obtain a peaceful settlement of the controversy had seemed inevitable since October 19, when Lewis fixed November 9 (later changed to November 7) as the date for the next meeting of the C. I. O. Since this was only one week before the Tampa convention, it seemed obvious that insufficient time would be left for any negotiations with the special committee appointed by the Executive Council during its meeting in Washington in mid-October to confer with a similar C. I. O. committee if one should be named.

The peace move had been initiated by Max Zaritsky, secretary-treasurer of the United Hatters, Cap, and Millinery Workers, and by David Dubinsky, president of the International Ladies Garment Workers—both among the organizers of the C. I. O. Launched in the form of a resolution adopted by Zaritsky's organization, the proposal called for a meeting of committees from the A. F. of L, and the C. I. O. and for representation of the C. I. O. unions as regular members at the Tampa convention. The Executive Council acceded to the first request but not to the latter, although agreeing to discuss the question. Lewis, while indicating readiness to enter into negotiations, laid down as a prerequisite revocation of the Executive Council's order of August 5, 1936, suspending the C. I. O. unions from the Federation. His continued insistence upon that condition in the latest gestures toward composition of the quarrel was characterized by Green on November 9 as “one of the closing steps in a deliberate plan and policy originated and formed at the beginning to set up a rival organization to the A. F. of L.” He predicted that “the next step will be the calling of a formal conference at which an independent and rival organization, headed by Mr. Lewis, will be launched formally.”

Future Status of C. I. O. Unions in the A. F. of L.

Whether or not the A. F. of L. convention will anticipate such a move by expelling the dissident unions remains to be seen. The necessary two-thirds majority for such action will probably be available, since the C. I. O. unions', controlling over one-third of the total number of votes in the convention, will be unable to cast their ballots as long as they remain suspended. In any case the United Mine Workers, of which Lewis is president, will send no delegation to Tampa, and it is doubtful whether delegations from the other suspended unions will attempt to be seated. Although expulsion is thus possible, a feeling exists in some quarters that the convention will merely confirm the Executive Council's suspension order, in the hope that the breach may be healed by later negotiation. Withholding of expulsion would be important, since it would mean an absence of rival organizing campaigns by the A. F. of L. and the C. I. O, At the same time, however, it would give the C. I. O. opportunity to consolidate and strengthen its position and thus perhaps make a later settlement more difficult of accomplishment. If the break is made complete, now or later, the A. F. of L. will be deprived of one-third of its affiliated membership, including several of its strongest unions, and would seem bound to suffer loss of prestige. Moreover, some of the remaining member unions, particularly those especially interested in legislative programs, might be tempted to go over to the rival organization, since the Lewis group is reputed to occupy a more favored position with the Roosevelt administration than Green and his colleagues.