The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-12-16

highest aValla-
Die employer priority rating. giving
the company the right 10 operate
outside the sterilization plan and
hire employees II the gate rather
than be limited 10 rcferralS from
the l.. s. Employment Service
Only FIVE employers in Washington
were given this privilege Capital
Transit stlll has il, despite depend
encv Of hearings against II for Vio-
lation az the Presidents executive
order against discrimination. and
FEPC Chairman Malcolm Ross as
surance given newsmen last week
that VINO is going 10 cooperate
Vernon MCGEE. deputy executive
director Of VINO. told me on Aug
10. that whenever an essential en-
ployer's employment practices are
discriminatory. there is violation
Of national VINO policy, which
would make the employer ineligi-
bic for the high priority rating to
justify the privilege Of hiring al
the gate. Then he continued:
But the VINO operates on a
voluntary basis Therefore. there is
In Il less Of the crack down philos-
ophy.
We rely largely on the FEPC &c
determine when an employer is IN
violation on that point. Once We
are advised with convincing evil
dence-and ] say convincing evi-
dence because well. you see Mr.
McAlpin. the FEPC is interested in
display and making a splurge. and
some OF those fellows over there
10 overheard sometimes.
What we want are results along
the line Of fair-play and not
flare-up as in Philadelphia. OF
course. I think Philadelphia was
something deeper.
But once we are convinced, we
can change the priorities and use
sanctions.
Take in Philadelphia. the VINO
cooperated with FEPC. II told the
men they could not be referred to
other Jobs unless they complied.
and in Philadelphia they cannot gffi
war jobs except through the U. b.
Employment Service"
MCGEE then said il was fair
inference from the action of the
VINO area labor-msnagement COM
mittee and the area director In
granting the highest priority to the
Capital Transit Company and not
cancelling 1t, that
they were not convinced that the
etc was violating any OF the labor
or sterilization program
regulations, not TO mention the
Presidents Executive Order.
Leo Warts, director Of Operations
a VINO, on Aug. IL. told me when
asked about the granting OF the
highest priority rating to Capital
Transit despite is discriminatory
practices:
We'll, now that's a very, very
big problem. ! doubt very much,
regardless OF our personal feelings
q bout some of these things, whether
the VINO can make this priority
referrsl program. ] mean use it as
q device TO correct all the social
errors that exist
"Of course. we have our regula-
tions that these companies should
not discriminate. But there have
been bigger people than we trying
TO get Capital Transit Strengthened
out. l think il is unfair to expect
acme OF us small fry TO do IL
through our machinery"
On August 10. Victor DAILY, then
the top-ranking Negro employee at
the District OF Columbia Office OF
the u. S. Employment Service and
recently promoted TO field repre-
sentative in the VINO regional Of
Ace commented concerning the
priority rating given Capital Tran
SIT:
That's the end OF the effort to
get Negroes hired by the Capital
Transit.
For over two years they have
had a Capital Transit man sittlne
in the USES. Office recruiting on
a discriminatory basis, at the pubic
expense. :,
What they should be doing Is
using the sanctions they have TO
enforce compliance with what the
Preslednt has called the national
policy. Instead they grant special
privileges 10 the company which L.
flsgrantly violating that policy.
They should cancel this priority,
withdraw the privilege OF hiring al
the gate. and refuse 10 refer any
men 10 the CTC. In addition, they
could grant statements of aVaila-
bility 10 those CTC employees who
request them.
There is hardly a day during
which from 20 to IS CTC employees
don't reoeust statements OF availa-
blity. But we don't give them 10
them. That's the only way the
company keeps the men IT has
II was on the committee which
reviewed requests for statements
O, availability On one occasion. }
granted nine Of them in one day,
because OF the CTC policy OF not
utilizing the available labor supply
and hiring Negroes for platform
and operator jobs AS a result, am
no longer on that committee.
I'm addition. they could use sane
tions that would cancel the Selec-
tive Service occupationsl defer.
rnents OF etc workers They could
have the War Production Board re-
fuse priorities for materials They
could settle the whole controversy
overnight. But they won't do il, as
this special privilege action shows.
There's your problem. Mr. Ross
What are you doing about II BE-
EnnE The kaartros1