Sunday Chicago bee. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1925-19??, 1942-03-01
Skilled Workers
Hired By WIPES
In D troit


Hundreds Of Negro workers
have undergone this transition re-
Gently in Detroit, according to DR..
Robert G. Weaver, chief Of the
Negro Employment and Training
Branch OF WIPES Labor Division,
and thousands more will be SINH
larly affected as the automobile
industry is converted to full time
production of tanks, shells and
aircraft.
The indignation Of Negro
workers from rOn-defense to
defense work in the Detroit area,
with the resultant opening OF
scores Of new ard better-paid jobs
to colored employees was reported
by DR.. Weaver to Sidney Hill
man, Labor Director Of the War
Production Board.
"Within the last few weeks"
DR.. Weaver stated, eve have been
able to over come many Of the
barriers to the transfer and up
grading Of Negro workers in this
area. As a result, hundreds of
former janitors, laborers and
foundry workers are already
speeding deferse production as
aircraft riveters, assemblers, pick
lerS, punch and drill press OPP
orators, precision workers on mill
ing machines and in many other
occupations in which colored
workers had seldom been en-
ployed previously"
The indignation of Negro
workers into the Michigan de-
Tense effort is being accomplish
ed through the Six-Point Trans
fer Program, DR.. Weaver said, and
through close cooperation between
| organized labor, management ana
representatives Of the Negro EN-
ployment and Training Branch.
Several obstacles have been
Surmounted through the action OF
international officials of the
UAW-CIO in invoking the non
discrimination clause in the I'M
ions constitution. The union has
also established international and
local interracial committees to
enforce the provisions Of this poll
cy."
This machinery was used re-
Gently by International union rep
resentatives, DR.. Weaver stated, to
overcome the opposition Of white
workers in several plants Of the
kelsey Hayes Wheel company to
the transfer of Negro foundry
workers and laborers to defense
production On a basis Of senior
ity.
AS result, by January 10,
1892, more than 100 Negroes were
at work in the Kelsey Hayes mil
ita1y plant as punch press oper-
ators, picklers, assemblers, and
laborers ard janitors; an addition
1O7 were drill press operators,
assemblers, punch press operators,
shippers, receivers and laborcrs in
the Kelsey Hayes McGraw Plant
No. 2, and 1874 others were en-
plCyed in skilled, semiskilled, and
urskilled positions in the Kelsey
Hayes McGraW Plant No. l. AT
the same time, an upgrading pro
gram was instituted for Negro
| workers who were transferred to
the Kelsey Hayes Plymouth
(Michigan) plant.
Similar opposition Of white
workers was overcome in the
ChrySler Tank Arsenal where 225
Negro janitors were transferred
from the Dodge plant. A sizeable
number Of these colorcd workers
have been upgraded to material
handlers, washing machine men,
stock chasers and foremen. Trans
fers and upgrading are continuing
daily.
January reports by representa-
tlveS Of Dr.. Weaver's office re
vealed further that 126 Negroes
had received employment in the
Murray Corporations Aircraft
plant No. ard in a variety Of
colored workers were aircraft ii
Veters, assemblers, aircraft repair
men, electric truck drivers and
stock handlers. Six Negroes
were enrolled in the company's
training school at 80 cents an
hour, ard 38 others had just been
finger printed and examined for
enrolment.
OF 30 transferred and upgrad-
ed janitors at the Lansing plant of
the OldSmobiie company, IL were
doing precision work on milling
machines and others were work.
ing as aSsemblerS, washers and
degreaSers. Negroes are also en-
ployed as riveters OH aircraft as
sembly, sanders, anodizers, heat
treatcls and material handlers at
the Briggs Manufacturing COM
pany and several are enrolled in
the company's aircraft school.
Although similar progress has
been reported in other plants, Dr.
Weaver revealed that obstacles
have developed in several shops.
Ore such difficulty was overcome
on February 2, 1912, when UAW-
Go international officials and
management rtervened il q
strike at th2 ChrysIer HighIand
Park plant over lAe transfer Of
Negro shippers, boxers and lead