Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-02-09
labor movement.

This Is the mode and method of
dealing with our people in the North.
1t is the underground, assassin-like
way of doing the business. Down
South. We would know what to ex-
pect. The sign would read, "No Ne
grocs Admitted" or mo Colored
People Allowed Here" just according
to the disposition of the white folks
i'll the neighborhood. The colored
folks know what to expect and as
result they pursue the same tactics
III the North that they have pursued
i'll the South, and they do not apply
Ger mcmbt rship. He continues:
T--at tbs :;i,aliStic and dangerous
;Ititudo ut NE tolorcd people is not
groundlCss is again evidenced from our
study of the situation. The attempt
OF union officials to becloud or to
ignore the ISSUE by saying that tho
coiorcd people make no effort to be
come Union members, and do not try
TO organize their own locals is dis
closed by the following case:
va JoliudlS ISL, lJl {, group Oh
about thirty unorganzcd Negro plas-
tercrs sent the following letter to the
Operative Pastors and Cement Fin
ishcrs international Association Of
TIC United States with offices at Md
die town. Ohio.
Pittsburgh, Pa. Jan 1, 1917.
eve the undersigned Colored Plas-
tcrCrs Of the city of Pittsburgh met in
a. Il
and after forming an Organization
for our mutual benefit voted to pc
tition to you our grievances on the
grounds Of being Disseminated
against ,cauSc OF Our color. We
therefore lid like to nave Il Local
Body of om OWN for our people. We
also voted TO ask YOU for the advice
ard consideration OF such Il move
ment and hereby petition you that
you grant us Il license for local Of
oar own. to be operated under your
jurisdiction. praying this VII meet
with your approval, and hoping TO get
an early reply.
This will show that to date we have
tho support OF the men here list ed be
sides few more. Officers elected so
far arc as follows:
1 Hc SISHuluIcS Oh inc Oll.CCFS ana
twenty-five members follow.
The International then sent the
following reply:
KEEP wing to your letter we are
writing our Pittsburgh Local today
reference to your application for
charter. According TO the rules and
regulations of our organization, no
organization can be chartered in any
r'tV whnrn I
consulting the olGer Organization"
This was signed by tsc Secretary
or the International Association.
"he Pittsburgh Local then invited
the Secretary Of the colored organiZa
ton to appear at their regular meet
ing. When the Secretary me. they
tcld him he could have five minutes
time N which to present lis claims.
Nothing resulted from this meeting
ana no written statement whatsoever
was made by the Pittsburgh Local in
spite OF attempts to secure such.
On further appeal to the Intcrna:
ion2l, the Secretary OF tho Colored
plastcrcr's Organization received the
Relieving letter from the Information
II Secretary.
"Noplying to Your letter, enclose
YOU to section No. 81, page No. S,
which means that no charter can be
issued TO your organization unless an
proved By No. 81 Of Pittsburgh. Pa.
An official Of Local number 81 adj.
mittcd that the rank and file would
never consent TO have colored pcople
among them, and attend the social
functions given by the Union, al
though he claimed they could not
poSSlD y reject q man because Of his
color, as it is gross violation of
tAc.r constitution. He explained the
reasons for his local refusing a sepa
rate charter to the Negroes as fol-
'oWs: First, tina; If charter would
be granted to them, they would all
become members for the nominal
charter fee while their initiation fee
Yer Individuals amounts to thirty dol
lars, and THIS he said would be a dis
elimination in favor of the Negroes.
But the greatest objection was tina.
the colored Plasterers asked for small
'er scale Of wages, ($4.50 a. day as
compared with Sc for whitcs.) When
questioned as 10 his reason why the
colorcd people would not prefer a
higher wage. he explained that they
couid not get work as no one would
employ Il person Of color at the same
wages as a white person.
This Is an exposure OF conditions
In Pittsburgh. No denial of this con-
dition Is possible. Down here, col
ored men have been permitted ii have
their own separate unions in co-opera-
ton with white unions.
In Pittsburgh, these Unions do not
know anything about the "world de-
mocracy" Of which President Wood
row Wilson writes. And again:
The fear that admitting local Me-
groes to the trade unions would
flood the city with skilled Southern
Negroes, was given as reason by