Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-06-07


the National Committee to Abolish
the Poll Tax, have done good jobs.
The NAACP has won increasing
ly important victories in the Su-
preme Court, where it established,
for example, the rights of Negro
students in states having segre-
gated schools to every type Of train
ing open to any other citizen, and
the right Of Negro teachers in
segregated schools to equal pay for
equal training and work.
But in the legislative field, the
Washington Bureau of the NAACP
lacks a program of action.
Unbiased students of organized
labor are fairly well agreed that
an characterization program
would be materially aided by
amendment of the Wagner Act
to deny collective bargaining
rights TO unions which discrim-
mate because of race. color or
religion; by fOrbidding such
unions to be parties to closed
shop agreements of any sort, and
refusing them the use of public
supported mediation. labor rela-
tons or adjustment boards.
But the NAACP for a long time
has been opposed to any effort to
amend the Wagner Act. Walter
White, its secretary, took the posi-
ton some time ago that if the
Wagner Act were opened up for
amendment, such as one denying
collective bargaining rights to
unions which practice race or re-
ligious discrimination, foes Of la
Dor would seek to emasculate the
entire act.
The situation has changed. Con-
gress is ready to thoroughly revise
existing labor legislation, particu
larly the Wagner Act. But Leslie
s. Perry, legislative representative
of the NAACP, argues that the
time is not now ripe to urge adop-
ton Of a provision denying collec-
tive bargaining rights TO unions
which discriminate because the foes
of labor have labor by the throat
and Negroes ought not join in with
labOrs' foes.
Negro workers are in integral
part of the labor force in virtual
~ every important industry. But
the Locomotive Engineers, the
Railway Conductors. the Loco
motive Firemen, and the Railway
Trainmen have always barred
Negro workers from member
ship. On the other hand, policies
of the United Mine Workers of
America, the John l.. Lewis Or
RaniZatiOn, toward cOlOred miners
are relatively friendly and fair.
A provision to deny bargaining
rights to unions which practice race
or religious discrimination would
not be aimed at the Lewis organiza-
ton because the Miners admit
Negro miners to membership. 1t
would be aimed at the Engineers,
the Conductors. the Locomotive
Firemen, the Trainmen, the Rail-
way Clerks which have auxiliaries;
the Railway Carmen which have
separate lodges but require repre-
sentation by the delegate of the
nearest white local in any meeting
of the Joint Protective Board Fed
GRAFTON; Maintenance Of Way En-
ployees which have a similar pro-
vision in their constitution; Black
smiths, which organize Negro help
ers into auxiliaries, and the Sheet
Metal Workers which permit Negro
sheet metal workers to organize in
separate locals with the consent Of
the white local.
II ,--NA-Ia Aknk Nla
cent" Senator would introduce a
provision to deny collective bar
gaining rights to unions which ex-
clude Negro workers. He takes the
anomalous position that the only
decent Senators are those who OPP
posed President Humans emer-
gency proposals, and he regards
Senator Alben W. Barley, the Ma
jority Leader, as a "minion Of the
White House"
OF course, his views are his per-
sonal views and not necessarily
those Of the NAACP. Nor do they
represent the views Of the rank
and file of NAACP membership.
One thing that Senator Forrest
c. Donnell, Republican, of Missouri,
has done in his opposition to the
Wagner Murray Dingell compul-
sorry health insurance bill during
hearings has been to have repre-
sentatives of various organizations
confess that the views they ex-
pressed were not obtained by a poll
Of their membership or action Of
the board Of directors or Of the
executive committee.
II is a fair assumption that the
rank and file membership Of the
NAACP would favor the imple-
menting by federal action of the
rights Of Negroes firmly establish
ed by the organization in court ae-
ton, and one step in that direc-
ton would be for the Washington
Bureau Of the NAACP to bestir
itself in behalf of some type Of
legislation that would deny collec-
tive bargaining rights to unions
which deny membership to workers
because Of race, color or religion.