The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-03-27
THE FACTS IN
OUR NEWS :.
sy HORACE A WHITE

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lively with the organized body. to
rectify an" wrong. and to exhaust
all the possible machinery before
any individual action Is taken, or
an" group action within the union
itself Is taken. Sometimes this takes
longer time than We are willing
to wait. but nevertheless, this g.
the correct procedure.
The men at the Chrysler plant
who went on strike. had complaints
that had TO be dealt with. no enc
would even suggest that these men
not deal with these complaints The
way they deal with them. however,
in relation to the future Of Negro
workers in organized labor. Is Of
tremendous importance. both 20
present Negroes In unions, and to
future Negro workers in the union
First, II must be remembered. that
Negro workers because Of their
small numbers. cannot correct their
difficulties by themselves. Their
difficulties must be corrected In
terms Of the whole principle enun-
ciatei by the UAW-CIO. When for
example. q group Of Negroes In .
given plant say, that We are going
to take the machinery setup for
dealing with problems between
management and unions in our own
hands. that group whether Negro
or white. puts Itself in the position
Of being exploited by mana cement
ultimately and excluded by the
unions, In its general policy Of
planning for the workers.
|. is easy 10 see how Negro
workers would fall into such o
trap" because there is Just enough
prejudice and indifference to the
Negroes cause in labor unions. to
discourage short-s GIFTED Negro peo--
pie. Il also just happens. however.
that the union is so organized. that
IL the Negroes who are members OF
the union attended meetings. and
made their strength felt in the gen.
eral union program. there are very
few difficulties effecting Negroes
themselves. that could not be cor.
rected through general union ma.
chinery.
The six hundred Negro workers
At the Chrysler plant. could see to
II my their numbers. and their in
tercst In their own security. that
the Chrysler union through its
president. Mr.. Rubini. dealt with
their grievances effectively. and 50
effectively that the grievances
would be corrected. A separatist
plan on the part Of Negroes vine
are members q the unien can -
very astxinsatal - Negro wsskeass
A sspaxstlse plan creates n - uan6
q Tie average white worker lat
the Negro problems are di6eFent.
and must be dealt with outside 81
the regular union machinery.
This sort of thing Negro union
workers ought to be very careful to
see is avoided. II is very healthy
thing on the other hand 10 find Ne
groes who are willing to stand TO-
gether But they ought to stand
together in the union. finally They
may meet outside TO plan their
strategy and program. but certainly
that strategy and program must
find itself being expressed in terms
/ Of the unions policy on any given
issue. whether it pertains TO Ne.
groes, wages, upgrading. and wha,
+ have you. OF course this takes
leadership.
imagine that some Of these
union clubs who have no Official
status that have sprung up ameng
Negroes, are responsible for some
Of the "officiai action" that groups
Of Negroes have presumed 10 take.
II IL could be seen by the leaders
Of these clubs, that the real worth
Of the clubs, lay In the fact. that
they prepare Negro people In the
unions for intelligent and decisive
action In regular meeting Of the
union. some real good could be
accomplished by the clubs. The
clubs, which are not unions. could
b. basis for seeing 70 Il that Ne
groes were put into ofacial posi-
tons in the unions. and that the
policies enunciated would always
represent the interest Of Negroes ~
well as the rest Of the workers.
This takes real Leadership. and real
thinking on the part Of leadership.
The men who are responsible for
the Chrysler strike. have something.
IL they can be made 70 see that its
expression TO be effective must BE-
within the Official unisa srganisa-
ton meeting.
Unless this Is true, management,
will use Negroes TO break up the
union. and 10 further segregation.
Negroes will think that they an
getting advantage. and when they
ultimately wake up they will be set
back. twenty-five TO thirty years.
Negroes have gained a lot through
or ganized labor in the city OF De-
,roit. Things that were thought by
most people 10 be impossible. are
today a reality. Many OF them were
realities long before Pearl Harbor,
Let us not do things that will set
back the hands OF the clock. In The
matter Of union organization. and
is relationship 20 the Negroes
right 10 work. and more than that
his right 10 expect and demand OF
the lsbor organizations. that his
problems be taken care OF along
with every other problem In the
union.
Virginian, Ex-Slave,
Dies At Age Of 102
a -,