Inside Report (3)

There's some mighty huffing and puffing in the ranks of organized labor over the US Clean Air Act.

The issue: If antipollution standards for factories or power plants are eased , will the move spur new industrial construction and jobs, or will it lead to dirtier air without putting more union members to work? AFL-CIO construction unions strongly back a bill pending in Congress to substantially alter the act. But many of the federation's industrial unions oppose the measure, contending that it is ''simply false'' that weakening the act would create jobs.

The United Auto Workers takes a third position: limit revision to easing rules against auto and truck pollution to protect auto jobs.