The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-07
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BALTIMORE. Md. - The
language OF shipyard workers
ID hard for a layman to UNDER
stand when they talk OF the
technical aspects Of their
Jobs They speak casually OF wet
docks and dry docks. ways and slips,
stems and sterns, holds and decks,
burning and heating. welding and
lacking. psssers and buckers, push
ers and lifters. and hundreds OF
other terms that send you Keeling
and gasping for comprehension.
But they talk clearly. logically.
and TO the point when tn. discuss
their working conditions and their
chances for advancement and equal
opportunity. Anyone can under
stand them then.
I talked with a number OF work.
ers at the Bethlehem Shipysrd COM
psny's yard at Spsrrows Point, Md,
last week. talked TO some OF them
while they were off from work on
their own accord as protest TO the
closing OF the riveting school in
which Negroes had just been ad-
mitted for the frst time. / talked
10 Others after the company had
closed the entire yard in fear OF
violence last Friday,
Here is composite summary OF
what they say:
Get Short End
Negroes have been getting the
short end Of the deal at the yards
ever since they started working
there, about six years ago There
are certain jobs from which they
have been trsditionally barred.
These are the higher paying jobs,
such as production welding. rivet-
ing, carpentry. painting. and ship
lifting. In fact. except for a hand
full OF crane operators confined 70
the dry docks, most OF the Negroes
are classified as laborers 49, handy.
men.
A little over . year ago, Negroes
began demanding broader oppor-
tunities. AZ result, the company
opened its welding classes to Ne
groes. The man who 10 now prea-
dent Of Local 80 Of the CIO Indus.
trial Union OF Maritime and Ship
building Workers OF Americs--G
L. Crocetti-at that time led q dele
CATION Of welders to the comp y
officials in protest He 10 repor'so
to have said: The time hasn't come
for Negroes to get skilled Jobs; they
are only recently out OF slavery"
This attitude on the part OF Gro
cetti, who is reported to run the
union through clique OF welder'
sympathetic to him, accounts fol
almost two-thirds Of the Negroes
not belonging 10 the union. At the
Bethlehem-Fairheld shipyard OF thu
same company. on the other side o.
Baltimore. however. Negroes ART
90 per cent organized in the union
Plan To Join Union
This present incident however
has led the workers to realize tina
they should be in the union in or
der 70 exercise their voice and vot
in the selection Of .ts ofhcisis Tn
majority of them plan to affiliate.
Crocetu was elected president o
the local last fall. soon after he ha
led the delegation OF protestin
welders. Usually. not more tina
three or four Negroes attend tn
union meetings.
There is distrust Of the company
paid police at the shipyards too. IN
police are attached to and get thei
authority from the Balimcr
County police. but they are paid b
the company.
Last January. when 4 Negr
worker was pulled out OF the car
teen line by a white worker, 4 hgh
ensued in which the Negro wa
winning. The white worker pulle
out q knife, and the Negro ran. II
ran toward another line. and white
in the second line tripped aim. Tn
pursuing white worker jumped o
the fallen Negro and STABBED hi
three times. Four company police
men were nearby. saw what har
pened. but made no move to stop
The Negro was taken to the ho'
pital, the white was later arreste
and hned $50 for assault.
Ask Federal Troops
Another incident serving to le'
ten confidence in the police o
CURED about pa years ago. One
the compsny-paid offieer arres
ed a Negro worker whose car Ia
stalled on the highway just outsit
the yard gates. The vfYieer. ~
preaching the car. had yelled TO n
men to get it off the highway. n
$ driver. then out pushing the c,
) with the assistance OF others VIII
had been riding with them, told T.
{ officer he was doing so ~ fast as
: could. The ofiicer ordered III
worker to mind how he talked bsc