The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1942-07-04

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the Michigan Chronicle.
II appears that the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor in the land Of
the south. last stronghold OF union
chauvinism. is being placed on a
very uncomfortable spot by certain
shipbuilding companies whose dis
elimination policies ALL unions
have supported in the past It seems
that while these companies, whose
financial larders are being wei
stocked by the government, secretl,
hope they can continue their anti
Negro policies. they are unwilling
10 defy the government which has
ordered a cessation OF race bias in
government subsidized industry,
and so they pass the buck to the
unions in a subtle sort of way.
During recent hearings conducted
by the Presidents Committee on
Fair Labor Practice in staid old
Birmingham, Ala. Harry Hill, vice
president and general manager OF
the Gulf Shipbuilding corporation.
denied that his company discrimi-
mates against Negroes. but added
that no Negroes were employed.
In an effort to bypass responsibility
for race bias in his concern Hill
said the anti-Negro problem was
one for the workers to solve. and
in the same breath added that he
was inclined to doubt that dis
elimination can be done away with
because OF the attitude Of white
workers" That is buckpassing with
a fnesse southerners must have
borrowed from certain northern
concerns, but you "ain't heard
nothing yet"
B. B. Kaplan, assistant secretary
of the MacEvoy Shipbuilding COM
pany, of Savannah, Ga, shifted the
blame for discrimination to the
ALL. by testifying that his COM
pany had a closed shop agreement
with that bargaining agency and
thus was not responsible for not
hiring Negroes. Kaplan placed ar
ALL. carpenters union. which had
ignored Negro affiliate union and
brought in white carpenters, on the
spot, but not for long. for an ALL.
representative. sensing Kaplan's in
tent. Immediately promised to hire
local Negro carpenters on Kaplan's
job. It seems, in this case. the ALL.
is determined not to take the rap.
Not to be outdone by the above
officials, R. B. Acker-
man, vice president of the Delta
Shipbuilding corporation, OF New
Orleans, hedged on discrimination
by stating that his firm would use
Negroes if it would not disrupt
production" statement which
said, in effect, that the company's
bargaining agency is solely respon-
sible for discrimination in his con-
Germ.
This buck-passing reminds the
writer OF a similar case back in
1939-40 when the B6eing Airplane
company held the Aeronautic Me-
chanics Union local 75D respon-
sible for discrimination at the BoeS
ing plants in Seattle. In the Boeing
case the buck was passed back and
forth from the company to the
union until both found themselves
in the awkard position of both
blamer and blamee; Boeing making
the statement that the company
would hire Negroes if the union
members would work with them at
the exact moment a union spokes-
man was telling the writer that
white workers would work with
Negroes -if-the-B ocrng company
fould hire them.
never found out who was pull
ing the others leg because there
was so much confusion raised that
l was barred rom the Boeing plant
and also from the local meetings,
which TO me proved conclusiyely
both the company and the union
were trying for top honors in
lying contest. On my last trip to
the Boeing plant someone snapped
a picture of me and l was told later
that a large print was posted at
each entrance with an inscription
underneath giving instructions to
toss me out if l showed up again.
| understand that l was labelled a
Communist"
This little paragraph on the Boo
ing incident just shows that the
company had no more intention OF
hiring Negroes than the union MEM
bers had of working with them.
However, l received word from
Seattle recently that the Boeing
company, hard pressed for stenog-
raphers, is hiring Negro women.
and that one, 1zetta Spearman, is
now working for the company. Blu;
Boeing and the Aeronautic Mechan-
les Union are still keeping skilled
machinists out Of the airplane fac
tory.
In the case OF the southern ship
builders things are different from
what they were in l939-40 for now
the government has ruled that there
must be no discrimination in gov
eminent subsidized industry. and
the Fair Labor Practice hearings
may result in token hiring" or the
placement Of few Negroes Just to
escape punishment for violating the
rules.
These hearings in the south
should be watched carefully, for
through them may come change
in ALL. unions which may revo-
lutionize the Industrial and social
structure OF the whole south.
One ruse that the shipbuilders are
using is the old one about Negroes
not being qualified for skilled Jobs,
but this is being kicked out of the
book Of excuses by the Savannah
i A r l.