The Omaha guide., 1941-12-20
Non-Discriminating
Posters Into Plants

Into 1900 defense plants thrl1-l
out the country this week went
posters calling attention to the
Governments non-discrimination
policy in defense employment. DR..
Robert 9. Weaver C1eft) chief of
the Negro Employment and Train
ing Branch of OPM, and Lawrence
w. Cramer, Executive Secretary
of the Presidents Committee on
Fair Employment Practice, are
shown examining the poster which
quotes the following section from
President Roosevelt's Executive
Order No. 1902:
"....I do hereby reaffirm the
policy Of the United States that
there shall be no discrimination in
the employment of workers in de-
Tense industries or government be-
cause of race, creed, color or ma
tional origin, and 1 do hereby de-
clare that it is the duty of en-
ployers and of labor organizations
in f~urtherance of said policy and
of this order, to provide for the
full and equitable participation of
all workers in defense industries,
without discrimination because Of
race, creed, color or national or
igin...."
In a letter to defense contractors
which accompanied the posters,
Mr.. Ethridge, chairman of the Fair
Employment Practice Committee
established by President Roosevelt
on June 25, 1941, stated:
These posters were prepared
at the request of several defense
contractors who felt that the Gov
ernment's policy should be brought
directly to the aenion of workers
in their plants.
1T is the wish of the Presidents
Committee on Fair Employment
Practice that these poster be prom
inently displayed in your personnel
and employment offices and on the
bulletin boards in the shops Of
your establishments.
I'VE are sending these to faczl-
itate the cooperation of your o
kers with you in your efforts to
carry out a program of full util-
ization of all labor resources in
defense production"
Although nationwide distribu-
ton of the posters was inaugural
ed this week, the first set of the
placards which bear the heading
Fair Employment Practice in De-
tense Industries" were sent on
November 20, 1941, to the Column
bus, Ohio, aircraft plant of the
Curtiss- Wright Corporation where
81 tool and die makers staged a
walkout when a Negro youth was
employed in their department.
The Walkout was promptly set
tied through conference between
management, a committee of Cur
tiss-Wright workers, and repres-
entatives of the Labor Relations
Branch of the Labor Division of
OPM, and the Presidents Comm
ittee on Fair Employment Pract-
ice. The agreement embedded the
following points:
% Qualified Negroes, includ-
ing clerical and engineering work
ers, will be ~integrated into all div
isions of the Columbus plant.
; (2) Management will place no
tech on bulletin boards through
out the plant calling attention to
Presiden Roosevelt's Executive Or
der No. 1902 and signifying the
company's intention to abide by
the Federal non discrimination de-
tense employment policy.
C3) The Curtiss Wright Cor
poration will continue to train and
employ Negro skilled workers in
keeping with this Federal policy
and its earlier commitments to
the Negro Employment and Train
ing, Branch of OPM.
At the request of the Presid-
ent's Committee on Fair Employ
ment Pracice, John ]. Corson, Di-
rector of the Bureau of Employ
ment Security, this week sent cop
les Of the poster to all State En-
ployment Service offices for SIM
liar display in these offices. This
action is designed to expediate the
~referral of workers of all minority
groups to defense plants through
anproved governmental agencies.