Evening star., 1945-01-11

Platform jobs start at n cents ar
hour and 60 up. to 95 cents. Durine
the 2l-day training period. the scale
is only so cents.
A great number Of Philadelphia I
colored citizens work In war plants
where the wage average Is consid.
erably higher than on the street.
cars.
In any event, both FEPC, whose
official efforts finally brought about
the upgrading, and the National
Association for the Advancement OF
Colored People, which fought the
issue for years, are satisfied that at
present the company is not discrim-
mating racially.
j. Henry Scattergood Of the Phila-
delphia Transportation Co.'S execu-
tive board, says the use Of colored
operators has passed the risk stage
Company oficials reported to FEPC
that the public acceptance Of colored
motormen and conductors had been
excellent" The men themselves
and several of those whose upgrad-
ing precipitated the strike were
interviewed by this correspondent
say they have found their new work
pleasant, and there have been nc
troublesome episodes or none of any
consequence. And the attitude OF
their white fellow workers apparent
ly has been not unfriendly.
80 Await Trial.
During the riotous strike of last
summer 5000 workers stayed away
from their jobs, and their avowed
spokesman said they wouldn't re-
turn until assured the colored work.
ers would not be upgraded. But
after the Army took over and the
commanding general of the troops
ordered the men back, they went
back and stayed when the company
resumed operation. Thirty who al
|legedly refused were indicted by q
Federal grand jury and await trial
on charges of violating the Smith
Connally Act forbidding wartime
strikes against the Government.
An outsider wondered naturally
why the men. struck, since they ap-
pear to hAye ghctepted talmlys the
condition SAieh Hask1ASir surpassed
grievance. Many Philadelphians
hAse b&ensequally HnEzled. "a
Some of the st-informed OBJ
server. nfnclals and others who
stood in, the wings during the
strange drama, feel that the racial
issue was a subterfuge, that it was
used to stir up prejudice in an inter-
union struggle for control over the
employees.
The Transport Workers Union
(CIO), bargaining agent for the
employees, 50 designated at an NLRB
election last March, repudiated the
strike and Immediately called on the
men to 60 back to work. Philip
Murray, CIO president, joined in the
appeal, pointing to the organiza-
tion's policy Of drawing no racial
or credal lines.
Charges Plot.
James ]. Fitzsimon, international
vice president of the TWU, who or
Iganized the street railway workers
here, goes further than to say what
many union officials and others
charged-that it was a plot to dis
credit this union, since the public
would know only that 1t had to walk
and would blame the dominant
union. Mr.. Fitzsimon calls it a
conspiracy, in the heat of the pres
Iidential campaign, to discredit the
whole CIO and its Political Action
Committee and alienate the colored
vote from the New Deal camp. This
view even was reflected In the
charge which United States District
Judge George A. Welsh gave the
grand jury that investigated the
strike. He said 1t might have been
called "to have some effect on the
impending election"
The grand jury reported that "a
comparatively small number Of en-
|ployes seriously opposed upgrading
and there was mo widely planned
strike" and the rank and file OF
workers knew nothing of such a
lplan. The report, making no further
analysis Of the probable cause, took
a back-handed swipe at the CIO
though there was no evidence that
it had anything to do with the strike
except to try to prevent It, The
Jurors accused the CIO by imphca-
ton, though 1t was not mentioned
by name, Of trying to develop In this
country "a strong central power and
government reaching its tentacles
into every community Of any size in
the land"
Election Contested.
| The CIO contested the employe
election Of last March with an AFL
union (the Amalgamated) and ar
old independent" union known as
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit EN-
ployes' Union (after the corporation
that was the Philadelphia Trans
portation Co.'S predecessor}. Until
after the election and until the COM
tpany signed contract with the GIG
Transport workers Union, the bar
gaining agent was the so-called
company union, which had q con-
tract. A clause in this contract pro-
vided that customs bearing On en-
ploHer-employe relationship shall
continue In full force and effect
until changed BY agreement between
1.-THE parties"
The records Of James Fleming
regional director Of FEPC, show tina,
efforts to upgrade colored worker,
date back to August, l94l. Accord.
ing to these records, the company
union refused to modify the acus.
toms" clause and the company hele
1T could not without the unions
consent. All negotiations broke dowr
on this point. In the fall Of 1g43
"a individual complaints Of raciaI
discrimination were filed with FEPC
During the strike, Frank p. Car
lney, president Of the r. r. T. Union
was quoted as declaring ct . meet.
ling Of absentee employees: I'VE don't
want NnNrnns ead Hn wnu,x -~~s.