St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-12-13


Sleeping Car porters, made an ell
convention. He told the old, old st
the A. F. of L. He told of the Jim
crow locals, of the unrepresented
jim crow appendages to lily-white
locals. He told of the shameful
happenings in Tampa, Fla, in 1899,
when more than 500 Negro ship
yard workers helped the A. F. of L.
get a union contract upon promise
they would be included in the
union, and how, when the contract
was secured, the A. F. of L. booted
out the Negroes and set up a lily
white labor policy, despite the fact
that the employers were satisfied
with Negro labor and were perfect
ly willing to employ them at the
union scale.
Randolph told the New Orleans
convention that much had been said
there about democracy. In shaking
voices speakers had pleaded for aid
to Great Britain "to preserve
democracy against Hitler" Many
crocodile tears had been shed over
the catch-words "liberty," "democ-
racy," freedom" and this newest
(and even now outworn) one, "the
American way Of life" There were
pleas upon pleas for unity"
pledges toward "total defense"
What About Unity?
"My people want to know" said
Randolph, whether this convention
means what it says about unity,
brotherhood, freedom and democ-
racy. What do the delegates say?
What word shall 1 take back to my
people ?"
He sat down amid a vast silence.
Not mumbling word was spoken.
No debate was started, no passing
comment made. After a moment,
Matthew Woll, top vice president
of the A. F. of L., maintained his
reputation of being no friend of
Negro labor by moving the pre-
vious question, thus shutting off
any discussion. The convention then
went on to less painful questions.
In this situation the American
Federation of Labor was it's usual
stupid self. Organized labor is en-
tering upon a period when it is
going to have it's demands chal-
lenged as never before. 1t is safe
to say that fully so per cent of the
burning anti-Roosevelt feeling in
the last campaign stemmed from
the Roosevelt labor legislation.
Since it's enemies failed to win at
the polls in November, they are
continuing the fight against labor
under the potent emotional cloak
of the national defense program.
Already there is talk of new
laws to curb labor, to outlaw its
right to strike. Does the American
Federation Of Labor expect Negro
voters to fight against these laws?
Does the A. F. of L. think Negroes
are going to continue to swallow
that old stuff about "what hurts
labor hurts the Negro? About the
larger issues?
The only tactic for Negroes is
to go for themselves. The only
tactic is to oppose anything and
anybody that does not propose to
include Negroes in fair deal.
The slogan should be: "To hell
with defending the rights of the
jim crow A. F. of L. unionsw
Any program proposed by the
American Federation of Labor
should be given the cold shoulder
by Negroes. We should go further
and OPPOSE actively any A. F.
of L. opposition. The Negro has
nuisance value and he should use
it to the fullest. Let no one rise up
and say this is a futile and mega
tive tactic. Let no one rise and de-
claim about the "larger good" of
all labor. Negro workers, slapped
down at employment offices, turned
away by personnel managers, made
sick and disillusioned by being left
on the outside while whites gobble
up the millions of jobs under a
multi billion dollar defense pro-
gram are in no mood to discuss
'1arger issues" ...-....