Toledo Union Journal

New York State Labor Groups Agree To Unite

With the help of AFL-CIO Pres. George Meany, the way has been cleared for merger of state AFL and CIO units in New York within the next few months.

Eight hours of meetings between two six-man committees resulted in announcement of "a basic agreement" for the forthcoming state merger.

Announcement of the agreement was made by Meany at a press conference in New York City.

The merged state group will be, when it is established, the largest state labor organization in the country with a potential membership of up to 2 1/2 million members, about 1.5 million from the State Federation of Labor and about one million from the Industrial Union Council.

Twenty-four states have already merged their central bodies and dates have been set by four other states for merger conventions during July. They are: Kansas, Texas, Nevada and Washington.

A policy committee of the IUC, meeting June 25, unanimously ratified the preliminary agreement. The council's Executive Board will meet in July for formal consideration of the agreement.

The State Federation of Labor has tentatively scheduled an executive meeting for early July.

Merger Set For August

If both executive bodies approve, a merger agreement will be placed before the state federation convention at Buffalo, July 22-23, and before the State CIO meeting at New York City on August 8-9. The merger convention will be held some time after those dates, perhaps if all goes smoothly on Aug. 10.

In announcing the agreement by the six-man committees, Meany said:

"I think it is a fair agreement. Both sides had to have some give and take. We worked on sticky problems and we handled them.

"I hope the merger agreement will get the approval of both sides, and that it will be carried out in good faith so that we can proceed to render full service to the working people of New York State."

The presidents of both state bodies praised Meany's role in bringing the groups together in agreement.

Thomas A. Murray, president of the state federation, said that the merger "will be very good for the labor movement, for the state and the whole country."

Louis Hollender, president of the state industrial union council, said the merger will bring benefits politically and community-wise, not only to the labor movement but to all the people of New York State."

4 Officers To Be Chosen

Under the agreement, the new organization-to be known as the "New York State AFL-CIO" will have four officers.

Meany said it had been agreed that the president would come from the ranks of the State Federation of Labor and the secretary-treasurer would come from the state IUC.

In addition, there will be a chairman of the board, who, Meany said, will "ipso facto" be Chairman of the state COPE and come from the CIO; and a legislative chairman who will come from the state AFL.

In answer to a question, Meany said that it was, of course, "no secret" that the state federation will designate Murray, its president, as president of the merged body and Harold C. Hanover, secretary-treasurer of the state federation, as legislative chairman.

He indicated, also, in the "no secret" category, that Harold Garno, present Secretary of the state CIO, will be supported as secretary-treasurer of the merged group and that Hollender, now CIO president, will be the candidate for chairman of the board and chairman of state COPE.

There will be an executive board or council of 29-the same number as in the national AFL-CIO. It will include the four officers, 15 members from the state federation and 10 from the state IUC.

The main office of the merged group, it was agreed, will be in Albany, but a branch executive office will be established in New York City for the president and chairman of the board with such staff as they require.