Who's George For?

This week, on the 110th day of the General Motors strike, the leaders of the belligerent, unruly United Auto Workers, C.I.O., rolled up their sleeves for a battle over union politics. Delegates representing U.A.W.'s 600,000 will pour into Atlantic City for their annual convention next week to choose the men to steer the union through the next year.

Against G.M. or Ford or Chrysler the auto workers have usually shown a solid front. But in their sprawling union's internal affairs U.A.W. members have seldom been united.

This year old feuds burned in the new fires of U.A.W. strategy in the postwar drive for higher pay. They burned brightest over the G.M. workers' red-haired Walter P. Reuther, leader of 175,000 members in the strike against G.M. Last weekend the heads of 17 Michigan auto locals issued a call to draft Reuther for the U.A.W. presidency to succeed bumbling, good-natured R. J. Thomas. The ambitious leader of the G.M. strikers said he "would be guided by the democratic will of . . . the union."

Smartness v. Popularity. Although Reuther's men were still on the picket line, the G.M. strikers' ranks were solidly behind his last-ditch fight. But it would take more than the backing of G.M. workers to loft him into the union presidency. Admittedly smart, Reuther, like many a smart man before him, was not universally loved.

His enemies inside the U.A.W. included those Reuther had labeled "Communist" for following the party line, or for just disagreeing with headstrong Walter Reuther. They included, also, the union's considerable group of Communists themselves. Both groups--the real Communists and their non-Communist friends and allies--have lined up generally and are still lined up behind able, swarthy George Addes, U.A.W. secretary-treasurer.

No Communist himself, but a down-the-line unionist who has often said that he would back Communists or Republicans, if it would help the union, Addes has been content with the U.A.W.'s No. 2 job. Up to now George Addes has usually thrown his support to Compromiser Thomas. He is still pledged to Thomas, who, with little positive backing of his own among auto workers, is also favorably regarded by C.I.O. President Phil Murray. Thomas has been kept in office up to now largely by the negative votes of those, including the Addes group, who either fear Reuther's ambitions or resent his vindictiveness.

Who Won the Contracts? Despite these liabilities, Reuther has earned a solid core of support within the union for his determined postwar leadership. His spectacular example is in gaudy contrast to the drab personality of Thomas. Although the battle with G.M. is still to be won, many auto workers feel that Reuther's stand set the pattern for the settlements at Ford and Chrysler.

Exactly how many would vote these convictions at Atlantic City was still uncertain: U.A.W. men, like all political convention delegates, follow the crowd; and some of the most influential of their leaders had still to pass the word. To the rank & file the key play hung on the question: what will Addes do? If George Addes, who has begun to feel a certain amount of admiration for Reuther's recent accomplishments, followed it up by backing the U.A.W.'s redhead, Thomas was out, and Reuther in.

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