1978 April 7

Introduction

Impact on TWUA of the 1952 Split
Scope and Content Note: [Cook begins by answering the question in regard to the effect of the 1964 internal fight. He then corrects himself and goes on to say the following about 1952.] The administration and the efficiency of the Union improved although there was no increase in the membership. Secession did not have any great impact. The locals that did secede were so strongly in favor of Baldanzi that the Union did not fight their departure very strongly.

Causes of the Decline of TWUA
Scope and Content Note: TWUA growth was due largely to skillful use of the WLB and to the low-resistance level of employers during the war due to the competition for workers that the higher-paying, war-related industries provided. Both of these factors had disappeared by the late 1940s. When Northeastern mills went bankrupt or moved to the non-union South, the Union was unable to recoup its membership losses by new organization in large plants.

To Change This Trend, TWUA Tried to Interest the Major AFL-CIO Unions in Organizing in the South
Scope and Content Note: These unions did not have an area in the South in which they were interested in working or in which they were willing to commit the necessary funds. Aside from textile, the construction industry was the only industry that was universal in the South; and the building trades unions showed little interest in Southern organization.

TWUA Leadership Was Realistic About the Decline of the Industry

J.P. Stevens Selected as Main Union Target
Scope and Content Note: The Union had had more success with Stevens than the other major textile firms, largely because Stevens mills were smaller. It was felt that a breakthrough in any of the top half-dozen textile companies would result in making inroads in the other big companies.

Union People in the Synthetic Industry Did Not Have to Deal with the Problems of Decline
Scope and Content Note: Because synthetics was a viable branch of the industry, Cook and his staff did not have to deal with the psychological problem of decline. It was not so much that the successful branches of the Union were unconcerned about the problems of decline in the other branches, but rather that the long hours put in by Union staffers did not permit them the time to worry much about those areas with which they did not have daily contact.

Imports Affect the Synthetic Industry
Scope and Content Note: The import price for staple fiber is much lower because the value-added tax is refunded to foreign manufacturers.

Factors in Successful Organizing During the Recession of the 1950s
Scope and Content Note: A lot depended upon whether or not management was willing to deal with the Union. Companies which were not basically textile firms, but got into textile manufacturing and had been used to dealing with other unions, were usually more cooperative and easier to organize. Also, smaller plants usually could not afford financially to fight the Union. However, larger companies, in areas where there were no other unions and no community support for unions, could usually successfully resist organization.

Introduction

The Loss of the Crusading CIO Spirit
Scope and Content Note: There were two great organizing waves in the textile industry. The first was in 1934, which was “the relaxation after the worst of the depression was over.” The second came during the war. There was no opportunity for the Union to re-establish either of these atmospheres. TWUA was thus left with the task of day-to-day organizing.

Those Who Became Leaders in the Local Unions Were Almost Never the Same Ones Who Had Done the Initial Organizing
Scope and Content Note: Organizing talents and administrative talents were rarely found in the same individual.

Emil Rieve
Scope and Content Note: An able and competent administrator of the Hosiery Workers. As President of TWUA he was a good tactician who would not enter negotiations until there was a deadlock. Rieve's judgment and leadership prevented TWUA from becoming as small as UTW during the 1950s. Management liked working with him because he impressed them as someone who was honest and frank.

Rieve's Greatest Contribution to TWUA
Scope and Content Note: He had a good sense of what was possible within a given situation and how to maximize that possibility. He was interested in all phases of the Union, but he did not interfere unless there were complaints.

Comparison of Rieve and Pollock
Scope and Content Note: Since the structure of the Union was established, the shift in leadership did not have any immediate effect. Pollock did not have a high opinion of his own abilities; for example, he did not want to get involved in negotiations. Whereas Rieve was able to get along with people he did not like, Pollock found it difficult.

Anecdote Concerning Cook's Assistant Ralph Cline
Scope and Content Note: Cline thought he knew Pollock well enough to give him advice on how to run TWUA. Cline found out otherwise, and it cost him the directorship of the Synthetic Division when Cook was “booted out.”

The Resolution of the 1956 Convention Condemning White Citizens Councils Had No Influence on the Synthetic Division, Though It May Have Made Organizing More Difficult in Cotton

Blacks Constituted about Ten Percent of the Workforce in the Synthetic Plants of Roanoke and Front Royal, But There Were Very Few Blacks in Other Synthetic Plants

The Upgrading of the Wages of Blacks in Synthetics
Scope and Content Note: WLB helped equalize wages for blacks. This was relatively easy to sell to the white workers because they had, through the Union, acquired a certain amount of economic judgment; they realized that an equalized wage scale for blacks would prevent the company from using blacks as scabs. It was much more difficult to open up higher-paying jobs to blacks.

Introduction

TWUA Pushed Equality in All Phases of Plant Operations, But It Did Not Always Have the Desired Results
Scope and Content Note: Seniority in synthetics was established departmentally with separate lists for blacks and whites. When the Union attempted to incorporate the lists, blacks objected because with separate lists they had more job security. Transfers between departments were infrequent for both blacks and whites because a transfer meant loss of seniority.

Pollock and the Possibility of Merger Between TWUA and UTW
Scope and Content Note: After 1964, Pollock would have liked merger because he would have preferred Baldanzi, over any TWUA leader, to succeed him as President. Before 1964, Pollock did not really want merger because an influx of UTW people, combined with the existing opposition to him within his own Union, would have placed him in a minority position and threatened his re-election as President. Cook feels that, for this reason, Pollock did not push hard for merger in the late 1950s when UTW was vulnerable because of McClellan Committee findings.

The Effort to Keep Pollock from Becoming Rieve's Successor
Note: Throughout much of this discussion there is a confusion of dates. The question was about possible opposition to Pollock in 1956; but Cook gives a 1953 answer.

Scope and Content Note: There was strong sentiment after Bishop's death to make John Chupka the heir apparent. The effort collapsed when Chupka settled for the position of Secretary-Treasurer instead of running for Executive Vice President as the anti-Pollock people wanted.

Pollock Was the Basic Issue of the 1964 Fight
Scope and Content Note: The Majority felt the Union could not progress under Pollock. His lack of assistance to the directors of the Union and his lack of influence with other unions, whose help was needed, were but two factors. His only interest seemed to be in balancing the budget. People in the higher administrative positions opposed him because of this lack of assistance. They also felt Pollock was spending too much energy and money on the projects of lesser staff people in order to maintain their allegiance. Pollock was not a good speaker; like Rieve, he read his speeches.

Guaranteed Annual Wage, Which Pollock Called for at the 1962 Convention, Was Rarely Used in TWUA Negotiations

Pollock Complained That He Was Not Part of the Decision-Making Processes of the Union While Rieve Was President

Rieve Was Unhappy About the Change in His Title to That of President Emeritus in 1960
Scope and Content Note: Pollock felt Rieve had too much influence as Chairman of the Executive Council.

Pollock Wanted to Be Made President Emeritus When He Resigned Because of the Financial Factor

Pollock Was Told He Should Resign Because He Would Be Unable to Get Himself Re-Elected in 1972
Scope and Content Note: By this time anti-Pollock sentiment extended to the rank and file delegates.

In the Early 1960s There Was No Assumption on How Long Pollock Would Remain as President, But the Hope Was That He Would Not Be in for Too Long

Introduction

The Majority on the Executive Council Began Caucusing as a Separate Group Sometime after the 1962 Convention

Chupka Did Not Take a Definite Position in Favor of Pollock Until About Three Months Prior to the 1964 Convention

Chupka and Sol Stetin Were Considered by the Majority to Be “Swing” People
Scope and Content Note: Cook feels their support of the Majority at the 1964 convention would have defeated Pollock. Neither wanted to jeopardize his position; Chupka, since he felt that he would eventually be President anyway; and Stetin, because he wanted a higher position within the Union. Stetin would have swung to the Majority if Chupka had.

Federation of Textile Representatives (FTR) Was Formed in 1962 Purely for Economic Reasons; It Was Not Part of the Internal Dispute
Scope and Content Note: FTR was organized by the Southern staff who were working closely with AFL-CIO people who were making more money.

In 1962 Four Positions on the Executive Council Changed Hands
Scope and Content Note: The internal politics of an area, not the internal politics of the International, was the determining factor in who assumed the positions. Although two of the new people supported Pollock and two supported the Majority, this was not known at the time of their selection to the slate. At least three of the four who left the Council were Pollock supporters.

Local 1790, Brooklyn, Brought the Split in the Executive Council Out in the Open
Scope and Content Note: [Although this issue dominated much of the Executive Council's time in the year prior to the 1964 convention, Cook claims he can recall none of the details or the issues involved. His answer here is, by his own admission, largely speculation.] Cook claims that Local 1790, as far as he knew, was no different than any other local in the Metropolitan area. Violence and questionable practices were common in that area, and Cook feels Local 1790 was singled out by Pollock simply because its leaders, Miraglia and Gordon, were strong-willed individuals who opposed him.

William Gordon, Victor Canzano, J. William Belanger, and Cook Were the Leaders of the Majority
Scope and Content Note: In theory at least, the members of the Majority faction represented, geographically and industrially, the vast majority of the membership, except for a geographic band extending from New Jersey across to Minnesota. There were holes in this, however, particularly in New England where there was a good deal of antipathy to Belanger and a good deal of support for Chupka.

Why Belanger and Cook Were Selected to Oppose Pollock and Chupka at the 1964 Convention
Scope and Content Note: Belanger ran as President by default, and Cook ran to keep Canzano off the slate. Both Belanger and Cook were prepared to leave the Union; Cook was tired of being away from home so much, and Belanger had another job lined up. Even if the Majority had won, Cook would have left the Union within two years. Though he spoke confidently at the time, he knew the Majority did not have the votes, and he did not want Canzano to run because defeat would have meant his elimination from the Union.

Anecdote Concerning the Firing of Belanger and Cook

Introduction

Cook Feels That Calling a Special Convention to Resolve the Split, as Pollock Wanted, Would Not Necessarily Have Changed the Outcome

Rieve's Speech at the 1964 Convention May Have Been an Attempt by Him to Clear His Conscience of Guilt for Having Supported Pollock in the First Place
Scope and Content Note: Rieve did not consult with the Majority before giving the speech.

Having Viewed How Pollock Ran the Office of President, the Trustees of TWUA Supported the Majority at the 1964 Convention

There Were Never Any Suggestions of Other Possible Ways of Getting Rid of Pollock

From Cook's Personal Viewpoint the 1964 Fight Was Much More Bitter Than the 1952 Fight

The Union Did Not Really Suffer During the Period of the 1964 Fight Since It Was at a Standstill Anyway
Scope and Content Note: Routine administration could pretty much take care of itself.

The Majority Used the Issue of Merger with the UTW Against Pollock
Scope and Content Note: Cook maintained fraternal relations with Baldanzi, meeting occasionally on matters pertaining to the synthetic industry. Baldanzi, though somewhat skeptical of Pollock's intentions, probably did favor merger. Current UTW President Francis Schaufenbil and the head of the big UTW Brooklyn local opposed merger, fearing submersion of their union; their influence was enough to thwart merger, despite the intentions of Pollock and Baldanzi. Pollock by this time favored merger as one method of preventing anyone from the Majority faction from succeeding him.

There Was No Attempt to Fire Canzano, But His Function Was Reduced

Cook Made No Effort to Get His Job Back after He Was Fired
Scope and Content Note: Many of the Synthetic locals and Cook's staff wanted to fight, but Cook dissuaded them. Cook's only interest was in getting his pension and, after applying some AFL-CIO pressure, was successful in this.

Cook Does Not Recall Discussions When the Decision Was Made to Target J.P. Stevens
Scope and Content Note: The discussions and decision probably took place within the industrial division.

After Leaving TWUA, Cook Retired Until January 1966
Scope and Content Note: At the suggestion of John Edelman, Cook headed the drive to get people to sign up for Medicare under the auspices of the Washington, D.C.-based United Planning Organization (UPO); this project lasted five months. He stayed with UPO as Director for Staff Training for four years until he was asked to resign. For the next five years, until the compulsory retirement age of 72 years, Cook worked with the Washington Technical Institute.