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Facts of Life. Ahead lay scores of smaller jurisdictional impasses between rival A.F.L. and C.I.O. unions across the U.S. C.I.O. Lithographers (30,000 members) fear absorption by the A.F.L.'s 88,000-member Printing Pressmen's Union. A.F.L. telephone workers (100,000) think the C.I.O. Communications Union (300,000) is eying them. C.I.O. Brewery Workers (45,000) have already lost 20,000 members in raids by the A.F.L. Teamsters. Yet some disputes were already being solved by mergers within the Big Merger, which could go far to pacify the U.S. labor landscape and benefit every bystanding consumer or employer affected by inter-union strife. Example: 400,000 meat workers of the A.F.L. Amalgamated Meatcutters and the C.I.O. United Packinghouse Workers planned to team up as last week's convention ended.
More evidence of the federation's adjustments to the facts of U.S. life showed in the composition of its 27 vice presidents (17 presidents of A.F.L. unions, ten of C.I.O. affiliates). They included the A.F.L. Sleeping Car Porters' A. Philip Randolph and the C.I.O. Transport Service Employees' Willard Saxby Townsend —both Negroes, who assumed top executive posts never before granted Negroes in the old A.F.L. or C.I.O. The independent Brotherhoods of Railroad Trainmen and of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, planning soon to add their 300,000 members to the federation, were working to remove long-held anti-Negro discrimination clauses before they joined.
More difficult to face was another fact of U.S. life; only one out of three wage and salary workers is unionized. Organized labor's weakest areas: chemical, textile, service, white collar, construction, state and local government workers. By fanning 400 topflight organizers into these fields—particularly in the newly industrial South—the federation hopes to double its membership to 30 million in the next decade. Despite the immense difficulties of the tasks ahead it has set for itself, despite the many frictions and old feuds, the spirit of the new organization was generally moderate and harmonious. A lot of the A.F.L. delegates made no secret of their admiration for Walter Reuther's drive and brains. George Harrison, president of the A.F.L. Railway Clerks, said of Reuther: "He's done one hell of a job on unity. It takes a big man to bow gracefully out of a big position." Among C.I.O. delegates a feeling of respect and affection for George Meany seemed equally strong. He stood more than any other top man for effective labor leadership coupled with faith in the U.S.
system.
Outside organized labor, the main line of comment on the merger pointed to the danger that arose from the new power which unity conferred. The danger was real, but perhaps exaggerated. Organized labor was not merely bigger than ever; it was more secure than ever—and irresponsible labor acts of the past could be attributed to its sense of insecurity.
It was no accident that George Meany observed his elevation to the presidency of the merged union by making to the National Association of Manufacturers one of the most conciliatory speeches of his career (see BUSINESS).