The Acid Test

Two weeks ago a thug hurled acid into the face of labor columnist Victor Riesel. The attack came only hours after Riesel's radio attack both of those racketeers who are attempting to gain control of labor unions, and of William DeKoning's domination of the Operating Engineers Union. The incident was described by the U.S. Attorney investigating racketeering in New York industry as "a black effort to intimidate witnesses." Governor Harriman decried the attempt to limit "freedom of speech," and Mayor Wagner called it "shame." The Operating Engineers Union agreed and added another thousand dollars to the growing reward for information leading to the arrest of the unknown assailant.

But the attack upon Riesel is more than an isolated incident. It is one of the few noticeable signs of the attempt of gangsters to gain, and in some cases, to enlarge a foothold in the American labor movement. Arrest of the attacker, as a result, would do little toward solving the basic problem. What is required is a thorough and determined attempt to get the racketeers out of the unions--an attempt which must be supported by the AFL-CIO, federal, State and local authorities, by business management, and by continued pressure from the press and public. As Riesel urged from his hospital bed, "Keep the heat on."

The ideal solution, of course, would be if the unions would purge themselves. But in many cases the power of racketeers is so great that such a move could never begin, even if it ever did, the move would hopelessly split the unions wide open. Just recently, the AFL-CIO Longshoreman's Union called upon the parent organization to deliver an "ultimatum" to the teamster's union, run by James Hoffa, "to clean up their organization." There is too great a chance, however, that Hoffa might simply laugh and with his union, which is the nation's largest and most strategic, leave the ranks of the AFL-CIO as the old Longshoreman's Union did.

A Congressional investigation, on the other hand, need not precipitate such splits if it cooperates with AFL-CIO and does not prefer exposes to cautious but powerful press releases. In such a manner, criminal elements in unions would be faced with reprisals from the parent organization and with legal action from the government. But cooperation between government and labor must be accompanied by a determined stand on the part of businessmen to deal honestly with honest unions. "Stand up to the hoodlums!" advised New York Attorney General Jacob Javits. If business would refuse to pay kick-backs and more important, report attempted extortion to the authorities, a good part of the battle would be over.

When the public realizes the dangers of criminal control of American labor, they can force unions, government, and business into a long-overdue co-operative effort. Even so, the process will be long and dangerous--but necessary.