The 1928 AFL attack on Brookwood Brookwood Labor College

william green, president of american federation of labor, antagonistic brookwood.

woll s report delivered afl executive council in august 1928. report secret, , no full version has ever been released. historians have identified, however, report concluded faculty @ brookwood held left-wing political views, of faculty taught communist philosophies, 3 of them served on faculty of worker s school (which organized , supported communist party), , muste fervent communist. report accused brookwood of hosting pro-soviet demonstrations , teaching anti-religious doctrine , doctrines contrary american federation of labor policies . on august 8, afl leadership advised member unions withdraw moral , financial support brookwood.

the executive council formally ratified august 8 announcement on october 29. muste denounced executive council s action. said asked green hearing on charges many times, received no response. green countered afl asked brookwood respond charges, never did. executive council of teachers union, left-wing educational union led abraham lefkowtiz represented teachers in new york city public school system, voted denounce afl s october 29 action.

brookwood , afl agreed truce in war of words in mid-november. purpose of truce give school time respond charges contained in afl report. part of informal agreement, muste agreed not press overturn executive council s resolution on floor of upcoming afl convention. in return, afl executive council agreed not publish supplementary report contained additional charges against school.

the afl convention opened on november 19, 1928. on november 24, amalgamated association of street , electric railway employees of america asked executive council make august 8 report public unions judge truthfulness , severity of allegations made against school. executive council declined so. brookwood issue did not come before delegates again until november 27. there bitter debate on convention floor regarding accusations. green revealed existence of letter signed 5 students had received in 1927, inflaming delegates. benjamin schlesinger, president of international ladies garment workers union, defended school noting had donated $100,000 union during 1926 strike. james b. rankin, president of international union of mine, mill, , smelter workers, tried undermine woll report declaring brookwood convicted uncertain evidence , without trial or official charges .

the debate on brookwood lasted until november 29, final day of convention. day, executive council re-approved october 29 resolution. same day, in unanimous vote, delegates afl convention approved woll s unreleased report , executive council s october 29 resolution.

the afl convention s action denounced many. john dewey , author , workers education expert marius hansome defended brookwood publicly after convention. many afl unions tried time continue support brookwood, arguing school deserved full, public hearing on charges. in february 1929, 35 brookwood alumni—including several international union vice presidents, labor journal editors, heads of labor colleges, , state federation officials—wrote letter william green protesting afl s action. neither green nor afl executivge council moved. them, issue not academic freedom right of afl maintain control on own policies. brookwood, afl member support, had challenged policies, , afl s right force withdrawal of support.

in january 1929, brookwood labor college expelled web, , muste removed web s executive board. 3 months later, @ april 1929 convention, web adopted 2 new constitutional amendments aimed @ brookwood. first limited membership organizations directly affiliated afl , member unions. second amendment made goal of web partner on worker education solely established colleges , universities. goal of amendments, william green said, deny web s support organization ridicules our policy , undermines work of our leaders . in response these changes, james maurer stepped down president of web. succeeded thomas burke, secretary of united association of journeymen plumbers. delegates brookwood labor college walked out of web s convention after matthew woll led delegates in rejecting of recommendations maurer proposed, , enacting series of changes selection of executive committee, issuance of election calls, , selection of convention delegates intended establish tighter control afl on organization.