Show BUSINESS end and till the STOCK MARKET by BABSON'S REPORTS o- o roe ONE HOUSE OF LABOR AGAIN Most top union authorities would like to see the United Auto Workers brought back into the CIO and here are signs that such a reunification may actually be on the way The return of this innovative union would add 14 million members to the Federations Federation's existing million in affiliates This would of course mean a shoring up of the power of organized labor plus a substantial and welcome increase in the flow of dues into CIO coffers How Rift Riff Developed It was not much of a surprise to anyone anyone any any- one when leader Walter Reuther took his group out of the Federation in mid lIe He and President of the CIO had long held different philosophies as to the best ways of oper oper- Reuther fiery and considered by many to be of radical bent wanted wonted labor to be fully involved in social problems problems pro pro- ln In t to gain the loyalty of the progressive element the young and minority groups tended to be bemore bemore bemore more conservative willing to win out by practical maneuvering rather than by on head-on attacks In the the animosity of Reuther toward his superior Federation officer seemed to grow more intense than ever His Ills charges of backward old old fashioned fashioned tactics became more frequent Reuther contended that the policy making executive executive executive exe exe- council of the CIO included ed no representatives of government and white collar employees who had for some time been making up the most rapidly growing section of organized labor Then came his abrupt withdrawal from the Federation joining the independent independent in in- dependent status of the Teamsters which had been expelled from the CIO in 1957 Signals Of Unity After Walter Reuthers Reuther's death last spring in a tragic plane crash Leonard Woodcock was named to fill out his term termas as president This brought the first possible opportunity for contemplating reinstatement of the Auto Workers Inthe in inthe inthe the Federation since Woodcock obviously obvious obvious- ly did not feel the thel same hostility toward toward to to- ward President as had Reuther In fact Woodcock recently visited the CIO offices to discuSs national health insurance and this was the first time in two years that any bigwig had been in the Federations Federation's Should the be absorbed back into the house of labor it is certain certain tain that Woodcock would be given a seat on the executive council But it should be noted that those closest to him claim he has no serious ambitions toward higher office as did Reuther It ItIs ItIs Itis is said that he wants only to achieve a highly satisfactory agreement with the Big Three in the automotive field this year Then he will be content to bring his experience and knowledge to the council and probably be ed cd if somebody else aims alms for the high high- est echelon position when that is vacated vacated va va- by President who is 76 this month Return Not Immediate The talk of such a re-merger re has thus far been mostly in Washington and primarily primarily marily behind the scenes Woodcock himself himself him him- self has denied that there is yet any such intention and adds that nobody in Detroit Is talking about It It Is obvious and natural that his prime concern concern con con- cern at this time is not to carry his back into the Federation it is to draw up an agreement that will provide pro pro- vide vido his members in the auto firms with sizable wage Increases and widened widen widen- ed fringe benefits Such a success would make for prestige that might considerably consider a ably bly ease the entry re-entry into the CIO with his 14 million men Now e nd rd again there has been talk of the Federations Federation's accepting the Teamsters Teamsters Team Team- back eventually if corruption were entirely stamped out But nut this is not so likely in the foreseeable future James Hoffa still in jail for jury tampering will be president until his term expires in 1971 Until that time there is no chance of what happens thereafter remains to be seen |