The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1944-10-25
F.E.P.C. CONDUCTS PORTLAND HEARING

Last Wednesday in the Pom
pean Room of the Multnomah ho-
tel, Malcolm Ross, chairman of
the Presidents Fair Employment
Practices Committee and Charles
A. Houston, attorney of washing
ton, ID. c., conducted a hearing
of the Kaiser management agen-
ry. Attorney johnson, counsel for
Kaiser, introduced three witness
es, T. Murray, V. Martin and c..
e. Ivey. A fourth, the writer, at
ter hours, did not remain to
hear introduced, all testiying in
defense of Kaiser's policy In re-
CARDS to workers and his adher-
ance to the Presidents order
$500.
hurry, top person next to Kali
ser, was questioned at length on
classification of employees regard
less of race. Records produced
disclosed that 1906 Negro men
and women are employed in the
three Kaiser yards, Oregon, Swan
Island and Vancouver. All except
a few work at the first two nam
ed yards, many of whom have
been hired the past few months.
hurry claimed there are less
skilled and qualified Negroes
than whites on basis of numbers.
Records showed further that
there are 1926 Negroes as tank
scrapers, clippers and cleaners.
On production jobs only $50 and
welders In far less numbers. Few
er Negro women are hired said
hurry, because they lack adapta-
bility and are over weight. Isn't
that true of many white women?"
asked the cross examining coun-
Gil. hurry answered in the af-
firmative. What about education
al advantages provided in the
yards, a possibility and process
where by upgrading from the
lower brackets and unskilled to
skilled and first class labor? Muir
ry in a low muffled tone (same
low tone throughout his testi- !
mony) answered 81 don't know"
In recruiting Negro workers,
why are they all with few ex-
ceptions placed at Oregon and
Swan Island yards? hurry, be-
cause they could be housed near
these yards. Altho denying any
practice of discrimination or seq
regation, hurry admitted upon
cross examination that Negro
scalers, scapers, cleaners and 9TH
ers in low classes were put in
medium, Murry was asked, does
the Negro worker secure clear
ance? Is 1t through local ~ or
auxiliary 832? Through me-"
Are there any Negroes in the
clearance department? No-any
in the department of manage
ment? One. In what capacity? AS
sistant to personnel director. Who
Is he? Clarence e. Iyey. With
over seven thousand Negroes en-
ployed in the three yards, you
tell us there is only one-an as
sistant in the department of man.
agement. Attorney Houston stat
ed with emphasis the set up is
inadequate.
Volda Martin, labor coordinat-
or, whose duties are to take care
of grievances. discharge cases,
transfer shifts to srifts, union to
union and job to job, said he
spent much time with Negro
workers when they brought their
troubles to him. Eyes. l do check
ed about his followup cases.
Clarence E. Ivey, assistant In
personnel office stated he was
hired by Kaiser October 1912, af-
ter a committee of five namely
Wyatt w. Williams, DR.. ID. N.
Unthank, Roy L. Blackburn, Ken
meth F. Smith and himself had
a conference with Mayor Riley in
the matter of Portlanders and the
influx of migrants to Portland
for ship yard work. My seeming
interest and general information
of the Portland Negro, apparetly
fit me for the job which was at
first temporary. After three
months it became permanent.
Asked if he had the authority
to yeto-about labor coordlna-
tions, plant morale or hiring poll
cies Mr.. Ivey admitted having no
specific program. I'm case
worker to assist Negroes with
housing problems and settle
grievances among them If pos
sible before they are taken to
higher authorities.