The Phoenix index., 1941-11-01
AFL Branded

(COntinued from age ~
official: John Brophy OF the ClO
and John Fenton, representing the
AFL a.,
In fact Mr.. Dickerson, who did
q brilliant Job of cross examination
for the committee, forced some OF
the self whitewashed industriallsts
representatives to spend uncomtort-
able moments on the witness stano
as he probed sharply, and some
times with a touch of sarcasm, LOT
the reason why they now have SO
few Negroes employees in the light
of their self profused policies OF
fair play.
The International association OF
Machinists, an AFL affiliate, dld
not even design to send a represen-
tative to the hearing to explain
why, by barring Negroes from mem
bership in the union, it was pre-
venting Negroes from working at
San Francisco shipyards and air
plane factories at Seattle. Convinc-
ed by direct testimony of Daniel
Sullivan of San Francisco that ne
had been prevented from working
because of his inability to get
machinist's card from the union
and nettled at the non-appearance
of the union to defend itself the
committee ordered Harvey Brown,
international head of the machinists
union to appear at its next ses~
cio11 i'm WASHINGTON
While evidence presented at the
hearings indicated that AFL unions
and employers were engaging in
sharp practices to prevent f,egroeS
from working at jobs for which they
are qualified, the CIO, by state
ments of it's officers, has hard and
fast rule against discrimination by
it's affiliated unions and told the
committee that refusal to work with
Negro members would lead to
suspension or expulsion.
The committee held executive Ses-
sions late Tuesday to inquire into
practices of governmental agencies
and schools receiving government
money which were charged with
against members of
minority groups. After shifting such
charges and after studying the tes-
timony the committee is expected
to make the results of its findings |
known to President Roosevelt and |
to suggest action against firms |
which either openly evade the order !
or give it mere lip service.
Presentation of the evidence was |
in the hands of Eugene Dawson, |
Washington attorney, who has been
here two weeks preparing for the
hearing.
Early Monday sessions were given
over to Representatives of minority
groups to make complaints and |
many were voiced by persons repre-
senting Jews, Negroes, Mexicans,
Indians and OrientalS. In all cases
the complaints were similar stories
of the run-around or of downright |
refusalS based on race.
Among local spokesmen who
presented complaints, either orally
or by filing complaints for the
record, were George A Beavers,
Allied Organization Against Dis
chairman, the Rev j.
A. CASTOR, AsSemblyman Augustus
F. Hawkins, G L Kellums, Leon
H Washington, Sentinel publisher:
CIO head Walter Connolly. Manuel
Ruiz, Mexican attorney; David Cole
man, representing the Jewish B'nai
Birth; Atty. Thomas L Griffith,
NAACP head; Atty Hugh Mac
Beth, YWCA Secretary Dorothy
Quinn; YMCA Secretary Baxter S.
Scrugg, Urban League Secretary
Floyd G. Covington and others.
Firms which appeared in answer
10 committee citations included
Douglass Lockheed-Vaga, Vultee,
North America and Consolidated
aircraft concerns; Bethlehem Ship
company and other indus
;ries engaged in national defense.
Made plain to the industries and
lnions which appeared at the hear
ngs was the instances of the COM
nittee that mere token compliance
With the Presidents order would
lamed on the Pacific coast conduct
periodic check-ups to force COM
,liance with committee findings.