The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-21
I||lATl0N
CHARGES FILED.
AGAINST F0RDS.
Local 600 Cites Bias In
Letters To FEPC; Six
- Cases Listed

Six specific charges against the
Ford Motor company for violating
the letter and the spirit Of the
executive order on Fair Employ
ment Practices have been filed
with Monsicnor Francis J. Haas
chairman OF the FEPc. by Ford
Local 800. UAw-CIO. according 10
q statement issued today by Shell
ton Tapes. recording secretary Of
The local al the Rouge Plant. The
letter 10 Haas requested that AZ
the FEPC's forthcoming Detroit
hearings. the charges and the un-
ions witnesses be heard.
The Ford Motor company"
Tapes said is pursuing policy
deliberately aimed al DENYING Jobs
s. a. hundreds upon hundreds Of Nc
gro workers. a large number Of
them trained AT SkillS sorely needed
IN war production in the Rouge
plant.
AT the same time. the company
continues 70 hire immigrants who
are without training. and whose
coming 20 Detroit only serves 10
sggravstc an already serious houS-
ing. transportation. food and war
time living situation.
I'VE charge that the Ford Motor
company:
y. Has consistently refused. since
April ], TO hire Negro applicants
fhrough regular employment chan
nels:
'2. Those who do get Jobs after
long delays only get them after be-
Ing subjected 10 the investigations
OF the notorious Sociological De-
partrent' which prizes into the priv
ate lives OF Negroes but asks only
routine questions OF other appli-
cants.
'3 In many cases Negroes are
permitted 10 fill out application
blanks and then told that they will
be sent for while white applicants
of similar skill are being hired at
the same moment. There are also |
cases where Negro applicants have
been urged to get jobs elsewhere
pending openings at Ford's. which |
Is in direct contravention OF the |
rules OF the u. S. Employment Serv-
ice.
-. The company has repeatedly
refused TO honor an agreement
with the union providing for job
preference for the wives, sisters
and daughters of Ford workers
called to military service. when
those women have been relatives
Of Negroes.
=. The company attempts to Jus |
tify its present policy by citing a
Negro employment ratio OF 10 per
cent, but has failed to point out
tina induction OF Negroes. and the
rapid hiring OF whites. has steadily
reduced that ratio.
IS. The company further JUST
fies IFS present policy on the ground
that the tenscness OF the present
racial situation makes this policy
necessary.
The union knows this position
20 be particularly wrong because
at the tensest moment in Detroit
race relations. the tragic two days
Of riots in June, there were no con-
flicts in the Rouge plant although
Negro workers and white workers
are employed there side by side.
We charge that the present pol
fey Of refusal TO place Negro APP
plicants is ir fact contributing
factor to the racial tenseness' OF
which the Ford management is ap-
prehensive. We charge that the
Ford Motor company's policy OF
advertising in Kentucky and Ten
nessee for workers while Detroit
ers are unemployed or underem-
ployed is a far greater contributor
70 this racial tenseness' than the
unions demand for full employ
ment opportunities for all, and is in
fact fragrant example OF the reck-
less acts which have produced the
nationwide wave Of racial con-
flicts.
I'VE have asked Monsignor Haas
20 hear these charges and our wit
nesses in the forthcoming FEPC
hearings in Detroit"