LABOR: Homer Martin Out

When young Homer Martin was studying for the Baptist ministry at William Jewell College in Missouri, he was national hop, step & jump champion. From an industrial pastorate he hopped into the Labor movement. He stepped into national prominence as the first democratically elected head of the new United Automobile Workers, jumped to the front pages as leader of the 1937 sit-down strikes in Detroit and Flint.

With the splitting of U. A. W. into two factions—A. F. of L. and C. I. 0.—Homer Martin fell back into obscurity as head of the weaker A. F. of L. faction. Two weeks ago his leadership was rejected in 48 General Motors Corp. plants, acknowledged in only five. Last week, having hopped, stepped, jumped, and fallen, Homer Martin stumbled out of Labor. In a letter to the union’s executive board, he unexpectedly resigned, as of June 1 His reasons: he was very tired, he was going into private business.

Crowed R. J. Thomas, head of the triumphant C. I. O. union. “This has all the earmarks of a posthumous resignation. The auto workers relieved Mr. Martin of his position more than a year ago, and what does he imagine he is resigning from now?”