Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1935-11-08
Randolph Wages
Vigorous Fight on
Union Color Bar
BROTHERHOOD FORCES RACE
ISSUE TO A. F. OF L. CON-
VENTION FLOOR


early part of October, the Brother
hood of Sleeping Car Porters led
the fight to force the American
Federation of Labor definitely to
commit itself against all discrimi-
nation against Negro workers by
its trade union affiliates, accord
ing to A. Philip Randolph, Ma
tional President who, together with
M. P. Webster, First Vice Presi-
dent, directed the strategy of the
attack.
The issue was raised when Dele
gate Randolph objected to the pass
ing Of a motion to refer all resolu-
tions not reported upon to the con-
vention because of the lateness of
the hour on the last day, to the
Executive Council without debate
on the floor. Randolph contended
that the Executive Council had de-
layed the report on discrimination
in the trade unions against Negro
workers to a time when adequate
discussion of the report was impos-
sible and that this tactic was pre-
venting the convention from hear
ing discussion of one of the most
important issues before the con-
vention. Whereupon Delegate
Feeney, international President of
the Structural Iron Workers
Union, suggested that special con-
sideration be given the report on
discrimination against Negro
1nk. nd
accepted by President Green.
Delegate Randolph was then
given the floor and he attacked the
report made by the Executive
Council to the convention on the
question of discrimination in trade
unions and styled it as a form of
digniied, diplomatic, rhetorical
camoufiage, and complete evasion
of the issue. He proceeded to
analyze the report of the Council,
pointing out that the claim that
Negro workers were permitted to
organize into federal labor unions
directly chartered by the A. F. of
l., which Offset discrimination by
national and international unions,
was a makeshift and no solution at
all of the problem. He pointed out
that the federal unions neither or
ganized nor protected Negro work
ers, since they had no economic
strength and made more for divi-
sion, separation and isolation,
rather than integration and or
ganiZation.
He also charged that the federal
unions were a form of dual union
ism which tended to weaken both
the national union and the federal
union since they were in competi-
ton in attempting to cover the
same class of workers such as, for
instance, Express and Freight
Handlers.
Delegate Randolph pointed out
that there was no more justifca-
ton for organizing a federal union
based upon race, which was the
case when Negro workers were not
allowed to join national union,
but given a federal labor charter,
than it was to organize a federal
labor union upon basis of sex for
women or men, or a federal union
upon a basis of religion for Jews
or Catholics, or a federal union
upon a basis of nationality for
foreigners or natives. He stated
that Negroes had the same capac-
ity for organization as white work
ers, as shown by the success of the
fight of the Brotherhood of Sleep
ing Car Porters and that the Negro
workers were not seeking charity
or philanthropy, but merely an OPP
portunity to fight, suffer, sacrifice
and share the burdens of all of
the workers in building up a labor
to advance the cause of
Industrial democracy.
At the close of Delegate Ran
dolph's address, he made a substi-
tute motion for the adoption of
the recommendations presented by
the committee on Negro labor
problems appointed by President
Green, to the Executive Council.
The substitute motion was opposed
by President Green, who stated
that the Executive Council had
done all that it could do in the
situation inasmuch as it had no
power to compel a national or in
union to accept or re-