Evening star., 1945-01-11

WSAC up6i odCu dSUudlly tOOh GUS
: II cents an hour each, though the
= will surpass their old pay in time
Platform jobs start at II cents al
hour and go up to 95 cents. Durin
the 21-day training period, the seal
is only so cents.
A great number of Philadelphia
colored citizens work in war plants
where the wage average is consid
erably higher than on the street.
cars.
In any event, both FEPC, who's,
official efforts finally brought abou
the upgrading, and the Nationa
Association for the Advancement O
Colored People, which fought tn,
issue for years, are satisfied that a
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 coloret
Operators has passed the risk stage.
Company officials reported to FEPC
that the public acceptance of coloret
motormen and conductors had beer
excellent" The men themselves
and several of those whose upgrad
ing precipitated the strike wer,
interviewed by this correspondent
say they have found their new worl
pleasant, and there have been NJ
troublesome episodes or none of an,
consequence. And the attitude O
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 avowec
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
Presumed operation. Thirty who al
legedly refused were indicted by g
Federal grand jury and await tria.
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 have accepted calmly the
condition which was their supposed
grievance Many Philadelphians
have been equally puzzled.
Some of the best-informed OBJ
servers, officials and others who
stood in the wings during the
strange drama, feel that the racia
issue was a subterfuge, that it wa.
used to stir up prejudice in an inter.
union struggle for control over the
employees.
The Transport Workers Unior
(CIO), bargaining agent for the
employees, so designated at an NLRE
election last March, repudiated thu
strike and Immediately called on tht
men to go back to work. Philir
Murray, CIO president, joined in tht
appeal, pointing to the organiza.
tons policy of drawing no racia
or credal lines.
Charges Plot.
James j. Fitzsimon, internationa
vice president of the TWU, who or.
ganized the street railway worker!
. here, goes further than to say what
many union officials and other!
charged-that it was a plot to dis.
credit this union, since the public
would know only that it had to wall
and would blame the dominan
union. Mr. Fitzsimon calls it {
conspiracy, in the heat of the pres.
idential campaign, to discredit tht
whole CIO and its Political Actor
, Committee and ALLEVIATE the coloree
vote from the New Deal camp. Thi.
view even was reflected in the
charge which United States Distric
Judge George A. Welsh gave tn,
grand jury that investigated tn,
strike. He said it might have beer
called "to have some effect on the
impending election"
The grand jury reported that "s
comparatively small number" of EN-.
ployes seriously opposed upgradint
and there was mo widely planned
strike" and the rank and file o.
workers knew nothing of such 6
plan. The report, making no further
analysis of the probable cause, tool
a back-handed swipe at the CIO
though there was no evidence thai
it had anything to do with the strike
except to try to prevent it. The
Jurors accused the CIO by implica.
tion, though it was not mentioned
by name, of trying to develop in this
country "a strong central power anc
government reaching it's tentacle'
into every community of any size IL
the land"
Election Contested.
The CIO contested the employt
election of last March with an AFT
union (the Amalgamated) and az
old independent" union known a.
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit EN-.
ployes' Union (after the corpofatior
that was the Philadelphia Trans.
portation Co.'s predecessor). Unit
after the election and until the com.
pany signed contract with the CIC
| AoAAoPoiV NOl hClo olllOil, UllC UdI
gaining agent was the so-callee
company union, which had a con.
tract. A clause in this contract pro,
vided that customs bearing on EN-
ployer-employe relationship shal
continue in full force and effec
until changed by agreement betwee,
the parties"
The records of James Fleming
regional director of FEPC, show tina
efforts to upgrade colored worker
date back to August, 1941. Accord
ing to these records, the compan
: union refused to modify the "cus
toms" clause and the company hel
Iit could not without the union
Y consent. All negotiations broke dow
on this point. In the fall of 1874;
. "A individual complaints Of racis
' discrimination were filed with FEP(
r During the strike, Frank P. Car
Y lney, president of the p. r. T. Unior
: was quoted as declaring at meet
S ling Of absentee employees: I'VE don
. want Negroes and we won't wor