THE LUMBERWORKER - 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION/ FROM SEPT. 1937 to SEPT. 1987

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF FEDERATION OF WOOD WORKERS

i

Lp

I
Ss

ANNAN AN Nnannt

ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON, JULY 23, 1937

Lewis; Long Fight Won

history of the industry.

own!

tion. Your correspondent noticed
many an old timber-wrestler, and
lyoung ones too, shed-a tear, with
profound emotion with the realiza-
tion of this dreamed of and long
sought for objective of the Lumber
|Workers. As one of the older dele-
gates put it, “I've waited forty years
for this day.” So was the hard-won
International Woodworkers of Am-
erica born, much to Hutcheson’s,
Green’s and Dave Beck’s consterna-
ition; and unity, despite all rumor to
the contrary, is now the order of the
day.
Convention Tackles Big Job

It took four days and a half to
discuss the question of C. I. O. af-
filiation. Delegates from the top to
the bottom of the organization got
the floor and expressed themselves
in what, as many older observers
stated, was the freest and mdst
icompletely democratic discussion -of
lan issue that they had ever: seen.
Not a delegate that wanted the
floor was refused. The problem was
approached from every angle, both
as to past experience and future
Ineeds. Every critic was given the
floor to explain as long as he wish-
ed, what his objections were. This
discussion took time; but it was
‘worth it. No one can leave the con-
vention and honestly say that it
was not the most democratically run
meeting that he or she, ever at-
tended.

Now htat the biggest problem of
C. I. O, affiliation is solved, dele-
gates are courageously tackling their
next’ problem, the constitution of
the new International.

‘With the delegates pledged that
they will not leave the hall until
the broadest and most democratic
constitution humanly possible is
completed, tq the satisfaction of the
assemblage, the constitution com-
mittee is hammering into shape all
the suggestions that have been made
with the assistance of a legal staff
of two labor attorneys.

Program Outlined by Resolutions

Just what the program of the new
International will be is no longer
@ question when one studies the
resolutions recently passed, with
more coming in every day.

Another important resolution
pledged support to the Oregon and
‘Washington Commonwealth Federa-
tion and Labor's Non-Partisan
League. This was followed with a
resolution backing President Roose-
lvelt’s program to unpack the Su~
lpreme Court.

Other resolutions approved by the
assemblage included:

1, Expression of thanks to offic-
ers of the federation and to ©. I. O.

Woodworkers Go CIO

By Five To One Vote Of
Delegates At Tacoma

Delegates Representing 75,000 Of The Membership
Of Federation Sever Ties With Brotherhood Of
Carpenters; Charter For International Granted By

By BERT DIETZ

Swinging into step with four million workers in the Unit-
ed States already organized industrially and affiliated with.
the C. I. 0., the Wood-Workers Convention approached the
culmination of the hardest working session yet held in the
At no time has enthusiasm reached
such a high pitch as was expressed by the overwhelming
yote; and the receipt of the charter from the Committee for
Industrial Organization as was expressed by the delegates
as they realized their greatest ambition; a union of their
The Charter inscribed with those almost magic words
that the convention had chosen to identify their new inter-
national with: INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF
AMERICA, was received by delegates from California to Can-
ada, from Minnesota to Everett, with a rousing cheering ova-

2. A uniform system of dues ccl-
lection.
for assistance and an appeal for
tranquility within the organization.

2.A demand for relief from
authorities for striking timber work-
ers in Michigan.

3. Protesting and demanding
an investigation of beatings ad-
ministered to two union organ-
izers in Michigan.

4. Women’s representation in af-
fairs of the International Union.

5. Protesting WPA layoffs.

6, Demanding an unconditional
pardon for Ray Becker, serving a
penitentiary sentence at Walla
Walla for participation in the Cen-
tralia “riot case.”

7. Requesting that any consti-
tution drawn up for the Inter-
national union shall include
initiative and referendum pro-
visions.

8. Remanding that Tom Mooney
be given proper food, medical aid
and rest and support him in his
fight for freedom.

Resolutions referred to the execu-
tive board included:

1, A request for organizers around
‘Westwood, Calif.

2, A request for six organizers in
the box and shook branch of the in-
dustry.

Referred to the constitution com-
mittee were resolutions which call-
ed for:

1, Equal distribution of work dur-
ing slack periods.

Roll Call Vote On C. I. O.
/One of the big surprises of the
convention came when the roll call
ute ve taken and it was found that

uch of the alleged opposition to
the C. I. ©, had faded away. The
roll call showed that 78 delegates
from the Puget Sound territory voted

for affiliation and 33 against! There
were, however, 28 delegates that
stated that they were uninstructed
by thelr local unions and did not
vote cn the question. This made an
approximate 3 to 1 vote in favor of
affiliation. Rumors, early in the con-
vention were that the entire Puget
Sound Council area was against it,
and would walk out if the majority
voted affiliation! ..

Only one council was against af-
fillation, the Shingleweavers. A to-
tal of 28 voted against, 8 in favor
and 2 declining to vote.

Not one single dissenting vote was
cast from the delegates of the Grays-
Willapa Harbors Council. No op-
position, also, was voted from Klam-
ath Falls, Minnesota and Canada.

Columbia River voted 92 to 2 in
favor of C. 1.0.

The above picture gives only a small idea of the size and activity of the convention still in progress in
Tacoma. The delegates weren't just being informal; it really was plenty hot and coats, collars eaatcestagrers

dispensed with for the sake of comfort,

ok

Coos Bay area delegates voted 52
to 2, followed by the Plywood which
voted 38 for and 4 against.

Four furniture delegates voted for
affillation, as well as the Darring-
ton council.

Longview District Council voted
8 in favor and 5 against and four
did not vote. The Boommen ex-
pressed their stand by a majority
(4) while two delegates stated that
they were uniristructed.

Voting Went Slow

Voting and tabulation required
nearly two hours. Each name was
called over the microphone and the
delegates announced their vote as
“yes” or “no”; with Chairman Prit-
chett repeating each vote. Some
delegates admittedly cast, either for,
or against, their vote without in-
structions. Most delegates however,
apparently came instructed.

Following the prolonged tension
of the convention a spirit of unity
prevailed after the vote was an-
nounced. Monday, the day the vote
was taken, was closed by the Port-
Jand Quartet taking the platform
and singing their song of “We Are
Carpenters No Longer,” to the tune
of Shipmates Forever.

THE UNION
LUMBERJACK

Step by step, Brother Benjamin
Green of Tacoma has in this series
traced the factors which made for
the strong industrial union senti-
ment among the woodworkers. The
1935 strike and its aftermath are
the subject of subsequent instal-
ments.

Tacoma seemed to be used as a
spearhead to break the strike and
also to settle it, and was the first
to return to work for the terms
offered. The Longview local re-
fused to accept and Abe Muir
promptly took up the charter and
gave it to the men who had gone
to work as strikebreakers.

The refusal of Muir to allow the
setting up of a Northwest Council
had a disastrous effect on the un-
jons about this time, as informa-

tion between districts was not
available from authentic sources.

The fact that Tacoma signed the
agreement independently of other
districts placed some districts in a
serious and:dangerous position. The
Seaside disaster was a fair exam-
ple. Here the lumber and sawmill
workers -were out on strike and a
federal charter as Pulp and Sul-
phite workers was granted behind
the picket lines. The executive of-
ficers of the Carpenters were asked
to straighten out the trouble and
the answer was that the millmen
fight it out themselves. They did,
with the result that two men were
killed, one man disabled and over
fifty put in jail.

‘The Insistent Demand For
Industrial Unionism

This was in the fall of 1935, and
about this time it became very evi-
dent that we were not going to get
an industrial union, as the craft
unions were beginning to demand
our skilled men in the high-pay
brackets. This gave us plenty to
think about and we set about to
insist on industria] unions which
could not be granted, under the
Carpenters, as they are one of the
one hundred and eight subdivisions|
of the A. F. of L.

It is well to mention here that,
at the general convention of the
A. F. of L. at San Francisco in
1934, a committee of twenty-two
was selected to investigate “the
feasibility of organizing mass in-
dustrial workers in industrial un-
ions. The report was submitted at
the convention in Atlantic City in
1985 . The majority report was
negative, but a minority, nine in
number, reported that the time was
ripe for industrial organziation and
John L. Lewis was elected chair-
man, Lewis pleaded with the con-
vention to organize Steel. The con-
vention rejected the recommenda-
tion and went on record to oppose
industrial unions and uphold craft
unions.

(To be continued)

LE ee es | ee