Wide Implications Of Split

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 22

Wide Implications Of Split

(from

FRANK OLIVER,

N.Z.P.A.

correspondent)

WASHINGTON, May 8. That the great combination of the America n Federation o f Labour and the Congress of Industrial Organisations will soon split asunder is almost taken for granted—so much so that the two parties in the dispute, Mr George Meany and Mr Walter Reuther, appear to be planning their strategy for the postbreak period. Last week-end Mr Reuther buried his ultimatum at the parent body—it must get off dead centre, it must put an end to what he considers stagnation. What is important in this bitter dispute is not concerned with strictly union matters but politics, civil rights, the race war in the United States, and the future of the unorganised poor who number millions more than the membership of the great federation of unions.

Mr Reuther made clear what was in his mind at the opening of the convention of automobile workers a few days ago. He wants American workers to forge a united front to deal with national and world problems because they threaten the world's future and the future of labour is Involved in that He sees the world at the cross roads. He is concerned about the future of atomic power and whether it will be used for peaceful or other purposes. He is deeply concerned about the conflict between black and white Americans. He thinks time is short and, unless the world moves fast time will run out

“What good is a large wage Increase if the world goes up in smoke?” he asked. “What good is a good retirement programme if the streets are unsafe for Americans to walk them?” Upset At Inaction Mr Reuther Is also upset that nothing Is being done by the federation to organise the unorganised, the many small (and large) groups of workers who have never had a union, never had an organisation to fight for reasonable hours and better pay for them. His alm, or at least his dream, is that there shall be no unorganised workers anywhere.

He is irritated by what he considers the sloth of the parent federation to do anything about these problems, which he considers pressing and vital.

Differences in political philosophy are also involved. Mr Meany was strongly for Mr Johnson if he sought another term and when he did not seek re-election Mr Meany transferred his support to the heir-apparent, Mr Hubert Humphrey. Mr Reuther is more closely aligned with the more radical views of Senator Robert* Kennedy. They have been close friends for a long time. The final break between the two Labour leaders could come some time this month. Some reports, however, indicate that Mr Reuther may not make the final break until after the election because he does not want his union to be blamed for splitting organised labour’s political power at this juncture. The “Wall Street Journal” said recently that if Mr Reuther takes his 1.5 million members out of the federation “the tramp, tramp, tramp of the auto workers behind him will be heard and felt from Michigan to Moscow.” Significant Effects Be that as it may, the withdrawal would have significant repercussions and, says one newspaper, both the leaders of the federation and Mr Reuther’s union are resigned to the probability of the split and are already counting the casualties and calculating the changes that such a schism in the house of labour will produce.

One unanswered question is whether any other unions would follow Mr Reuther out of the federation and help start a rival coalition. Another question to whether it is possible for the auto workers to coalesce with the teamsters now that “hoffaism” is believed to have largedly faded from that enormous labour organisation.

Yet another question is whether such a coalition could organise the millions of unorganised workers across the country. If so, then the political potential could be enormous, because it would have enormous growth potential, such as does not appear to be available to the present federation. Moreover, the financial loss to the federation will be considerable. Already Mr Reuther’s union is paying its federation dues into an escrow account pending reforms by Mr Meany’s organisation or a breakaway by the auto workers.

Outwardly the federation appears complacent about this financial loss, saying that all it will do is "reduce the surplus,” but other sources think it will really miss the 81m a year it collects from the auto workers, which represents about 10 per cent of its total income. Other Defections A.F.L.-C.1.0. officials have recently conceded that Mr Reuther's departure from the federation could herald other defections. People knowledgable about internal labour politics consider it quite likely that the Chemical Workers' Union, United Rubber Workers and tile Federation of Government Employees might go with the auto workers, which total between them not less than half a million workers. The president of the chemical workers has already said he would “walk with Walter.”

The teamsters number almost 2,000,000 members and thus there is a possible combination of about 4,000,000 workesr outside the A.F.L. C. 1.0., even before the unorganised poor are recruited.

At this stage the political probabilities are not readily predictable, but obviously they could be enormous. The tendency of what might be called the Meany wing of the labour movement is generally moderate, while the Reuther wing, if that is what it is to be, is likely to be considerably more liberal. For the time being, however, a good deal of turmoil is expected. The loss of 81m

a year by the A.F.L.-C.1.0. means rather more than just a number of dollars.

It would moan severe losses to A.F.L.-C.1.0. sections where auto workers are concentrated. For Instance, the Michigan State branch would lose two-thirds of its entire income because twothirds of the membership are auto workers.

The federation section in Ohio would lose a quarter of

its membership and thus a quarter of its income. Jurisdictional strife and raids by both aides of the membership of each other would be resumed. The craft unions inside the AFX.C.LO. are expected to try to raid the skilled worker sections of the auto workers. In short, the outlook for American labour, when the break comes, is expected to be cloudy and stormy.