PAGE 4 UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKER—DETROIT, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1937 Labor Scores Political Victories Bright Future Seen American Labor Party Holds in Fleet ten Kesutts New York Balance of Power Bv RALPH KNIGHT If Labor's Non-Partisan league sources—almost exclusively sup- (Special to United Automobile Worker) looked to the recent local elec- plied by the United Automobile The American Labor party thusiasm never surpassed at any tions for an answer to its own Workers un i o n—the campaign came through the last campaign other political meeting they hail- future it must indeed be gratified was restricted to a month before - ;' *r- ' ' as the balance of power in " party v 1\ >. • v v ed the Labor party standard bear- by the Approximately primaries New York City. It can take credit results. the and the month be- er and indicated that they one million participating tween the primaries and for the reelection of Mayor La were workers the elec- fight in an off-year election cast their tions. Guardia and the success of in this to win. Veteran pol- district-at- ballots for labor candidates. In 4. The ranks of Thomas E. Dewey, itical writers who covered this labor were tomey-elect, New county, the cities of New York and De- split by the Bitterly of York meeting stated in a unmber AFL. assail- ty-Council- of troit alone about 650.000 workers ing candidacy of Reading President-o f-t h e-C i front page stories that was the the Newbold Morris, Comptrol- this voted a labor ticket. Although the AFL placed its own in Elect the greatest political rally in candidate ler-Elect Joseph D. McGoldrick, degree to which labor operated as the field. When he was defeated municipal history. The older par- and one borough-President-Elect- an independent force varied, the and the choice was between ties did not dare to rent a hall 30 the Stanley Isaacs of genuineness of the response of labor supported O'Brien M. Manhattan large at so early a stage in the and the and the reelection of Raymond V. labor * to independent political ac- reactionary, Republican • campaign. Both the Democrat and anti-labor Ingersoll, borough president of tion cannot be denied. Reading, Republican parties held their the AFL turned Judas Brooklyn. What arc the facts? In New and backed Reading. opening meetings in much smaller In addition to t his the Amer- York City the American 5. The labor slate faced a cam- auditoriums which they could not ican Labor Party was campaign party appeared on the scene prior paign of slander and abuse which instrumen- fill. The climax of our LA GUARDIA. ‘Little Flower’ t staged Square to the presidential elections of in intensity tal in he election of seven as- was at Madison increased as the elec- of New York semblymen and one'" municipal 10.'16. Labor was hesitant, not , tions approached. Every argu- Garden, Thursday night, October court judge in the city of 28th; garden was filled to quite certain whether the ALP ment ever used against " New the the CIO York mayors, assem- capacity was to be a permanent party or was magnified to propor- and several and the enthusiasm of bizarre t,Scab blymen and upstate. just a temporary election medium I tions and leveled against Don other officers the audience of 20,000 was at a the la- outstanding upstate victory whereby labor could register its bor slate. A victory of the labor The pitch generally associated with was in Buffalo where on indepen- an support of President Roosevelt ' slate, the press shouted, was a on Mechanics important national election. and Governor Lehman. The pres- prelude becoming dent Democrat, Thomas L. Hol- On t he other hand, the Democrat- to Detroit’s a ling, received idential elections settled that de- | deserted village enough votes from ic party did not even dare hold since industry Detroit UAW members, you the in t cisively. Labor secured 238,000 not if Labor party he mayoral- itts traditional Madison Square would tolerate a CIO "dicta- have an ty to garden meeting, Repubilc- votes and its leaders declared the torship.” automobile that needs defeat Edwin F. Jackie, the and the repair go to a union garage or get Republican boss. an party with the aid of the pro- ALP had come to stay since labor Under these circumstances the had expressed such a desire. in touch with the garage em- gressive and Fusion forces was showing of the labor slate was ployes’ local, 3fi24 Cass avenue, DOUBLES VOTE unable to fill the garden. ALP BASED ON UNIONS astonishing. Its mayoralty can- TEmple 1-0464. didate, Patrick O’Brien, secured That is the message which Local In New York City alone, the NO QUARREL WITH Based exclusively upon the 154,000 votes or 37 per cent of the 415 UAW wants to get across to Labor party more than doubled NEW DEAL trade unions, the ALP began a total and carried four wards. This union members. its vote, receiveing 482,459 votes feverish campaign to organize vote was larger than that of any This unit is composed entirely this year as opposed to 238,000 It should be clear that in this New York's unionists into a polit- victorious candidate for mayor, of garage, parts department and votes in 1936, when President municipal campaign, the quarrel ical fighting organization for the with the exception of Frank truck driver employes working Roosevelt and Governor Lehman was with the New Deal ele- municipal not elections in 1937. The Murphy. Never in the history of out of garages. It is endeavoring were the party nominees. In ad- ments of the Democratic party results achieved in this election Detroit did labor make such a to reduce hours and increase dition to these victories there is and the issues were not the same amazed even the most optimistic mighty bid for a share in govern- wages of workers who are the every reason to believe that the as confronted the public in the campaign workers. Overnight the ment. It constituted a declara- lowest paid of any connected with Labor party will be successful in presidential election. New York ALP became the balance of power tion of independence on the polit- the auto industry. electing four or five members of labor was faced with a vicious in the city and was in a position ical field following close on the If you take your car to an the new city council under the Tammany political machine. Be- to strike the blow that defeated heels of auto labor’s declaration unorganized garage, you are scab- proportional representation sys- fore political progress of a whole- Tammany. The half million vote 6 of independence on the economic bing on your fellow workers. If tem. The count of these votes is some and permanent character it secured constituted more than field through the whirlwind or- you buy a car from a union sales- being deliberately delayed and could be made in New York City, the margin of victory for La- ganization of the industry. man, make sure that the back end complicated by politicians in or- Tammany Hall had to be crushed. Tammany Guardia over his may- True, labor won not a single of the salesroom is organized, too. der to give proportionate repre- The accounts of the election re- oralty opponent. In addition the office. Nevertheless it has be- In a number of cases salesmen sentation a “black eye.” It seems sults indicate that the American ALP its elected four of candidates come a force in city politics to be are organized but the service that this attempt will not be suc- Labor party is generally credited to the state assembly and three reckoned with. In department is still unorganized. cessful. with having been the main in- •who had the coming received its endorse- congressional elections labor gives If you know any employe of an The American Labor party was strument in wrecking Tammany ment. The proportional repre- promise of making further ad- unorganized garage, ask him to the first to nominate Mayor La HalL sentation ballots for the city vances. attend organization meetings held Guardia for reelection. It was the Hhis unprecedented success for council are still being counted— every Thursday night at Garage first to announce support of a new political party is bringing Tammany counters doing their OTHER CAMPAIGNS Employes hall. Thomas E. Dewey for district at- many new converts into its ranks best to Stall—but the results will Cooperation of all members of torney of New York county. The and it is now engaged in consolid- show that the ALP has broken Nor were these the only centers the UAW will help to organize where labor its American Labor party was the ating the gains so that it may pro- ihrough here as well. shouldered way the unorganized garage employes only political organization into politics with unexpected which ceed to a greater victory in the ag- throughout the city. General adopted a municipal will MORE THAN EXPECTED gressiveness. In Akron labor platform and 1938 election when the public Motors garages still unorganized publicly program, a elected four to the city council proclaimed its be selecting congressman and The 22 per cent of the total are Buick and Pontiac retail which was enthusiastically ac- state-wide ticket. and in western Pennsylvania and George A. vote scored by the ALP is re- stores. Stafford is claimed by all the other progres- Tammany’s many other manufacturing com- organizer garage The defeat of candi- markable for another reason.