St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-10-23


62nd annual convention buried, as
in previous years, the issue of
race discrimination and jim crow
practices by most of its affiliated
unions.
A. Phillip Randolph, president
of the Brotherhood of Sleeping
Car Porters, who Wednesday pro-
posed a committee to fight anti
Negro attitudes in the federation,
was voted down by fellow dele
gates.
Only dissenting "No" was shout
ed by Milton P. Webster, the 9TH
er Negro delegate from the port
er's union.
ALL leaders and the more i'm
portant unions were assailed from
the floor for 80 minutes by Ran
dolph for lodging the proposal.
He charged speeches of other del
egates about democracy mere "ba-
loney."
Tried to Avoid the Issue
An attempt was made to
avoid the issue by the conven-
ton and John P. Frey, secretary,
read a statement adopted by the
resolutions committee declaring
the ALL firmly opposed to dis
elimination and stating that the
convention proposed to do nothing
about it.
While Frey spoke the tall, digni-
fed Randolph walked slowly and
stoically toward the platform. Will
liam Green, AFL president who
was reelected for his 10Th con-
secutive term, squirmed in his
chair, and apparently wished he
was the man who wasn't there.
Members present sent a pail of
silence throughout that hall in ex-
pectancy of what they knew was
to come.
Upon recognition by Green,
Randolph said:
eve have heard many grand
and splendid speeches at this con-
vention, and if a man from Mars
had come here he would have
thought most of the speechmakers
believed in democracy. When he
learned that many of the same
men denied Negroes the right to
join their unions he would reach
the conclusion that these speeches
are baloney.
"The American Federation of
Labor cannot say it is democratic
unless it cleans it's house and
says that regardless of race, col
or, and creed any worker can
join any ALL union-and that any
union which does not have this
spirit of democracy will be expelled
from the federation"
States It Is Urgent to Mobilize
Randolph cited four types of
discrimination inside the AFL
unions that have "color clauses"
those that observe "unwritten
laws" others that create "undem-
ocratic auxiliaries," and those that
insist upon a new member be-
ing Recommended by present
members"
Citing the urgency of modifying
manpower in the war emergency,
Randolph blasted the international
Machinists association, the Boiler
makers union, and others of being
guilty of "color clauses" He casti-
gated the Electrical Workers,
and Pipefitters, and
others like them for requiring that
new members be recommended by
present members" when no Negro
members are present members"
No Negroes ever will be recon-
he predicted.
ALL chiefs this year had no
answers for Randolph as in form
er years. They listened to his mill
tant speech in silence, and were
content to let the resolution
adopted earlier stand.
However, Daniel ]. Tobin, presi-
lent of the Transfers brotherhood,
Thursday, replied to Randolph's
charges of racial discrimination.
He said the allegations were ''brut-
ally untrue insofar as they relate
to 80 percent of the organizations |
affiliated here"
Resolution Passed Wednesday
The resolution passed Wednes-
day said in part:
SIT is unfortunately true that be-
cause of geographical situation
and other reasons there still re-
mains a degree of discrimination,