St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-07-28

Ass n. The association, whose
posed Of railway mail clerks, HI
operates in all states or cities
or ordinances.
Facts in the situation and new
developments were revealed to
this newspaper by Ben F. Perry,
veteran railway mail clerk and
active American Legionaire and
Wilfred c. Leland, executive sec
rotary of the Minneapolis FEPC
Commission.
The membership clause of the
association until 1914 excluded
all except Caucasians and native
American Indians. Passage of the
New York FEPC law resulted in
court action in that state against
the union and the N. Y. courts
ordered 1t to open Its membership
to others besides Caucasians and
American Indians.
In 1947 at the Florida conven-
ton an unsuccessful effort was
made by the northern delegates to
open up the membership to other
Americans.
In 1949 the move TO open the
membership lost when 80 per
cent of the delegates voted
against II, but the membership
clause was liberalized to permit
membership of Negroes and
others in those states and cities
with FEPC laws.
The old membership clause
section in operation in 40 Of the
4S states Is as follows:
ANY regular mail postal
transportation clerk or mail
substitute postal transportation
clerk of the United States Pos
tai Transportation service who
is of the CAUCASIAN race or
a native American INDIAN
shall be eligible to membership
in the National Postal Trans
'portation Association.
The addition occasioned by the
FEPC laws modifies the old dis
criminatory clause by the addi-
ton of the following paragraph:
Except that the restriction
commencing with the word
who and terminating with the
word Indian -" shall have no
application in any state where
1t is found TO be in conflict with
the laws of the state and in any
city in which 1t is found to be
in conflict with the city ordin-
ance."
In other words, Negro postal
clerks are eligible for member
ship in the association In the
states Of New York, New Jersey,
Massachusetts, Connec lieu t,
Rhode Island, New Mexico, Ore
gon and Washington.
They may be admitted in Cleve-
land and Minneapolis where the
city councils have enacted FEPC
legislation but they are not
eligible in st. Paul where no or
dinance covers discrimination on
account of race or color by EN-
ployers or labor unions.
It is understood that two Min
neapolis Negro postal clerks are
now eligible for membership in
the association.
The Transportation Associa-
TONS present position highlights
the often ignored fact that the
efforts for FEPC legislation is
not aimed completely at employ
ers but also designed to break up
widespread discrimination by
huge labor unions. For example,
the Big Four Railroad Brother
hoods have always barred from
membership all but whites. These
policies would have to be adjust
ed IL Federal FEPC legislation
was enacted.
These unions know this and
they can be found fighting, some
what shamefacedly alongside
the Dixiecrats and the more un-
enlightened employers to kill
FEPC legislation. This is not to
say that in the rank and file Of
the big four Brotherhoods there
is not considerable sentiment to
change the un-American lily
white clauses In the unions by
laws.
In those states and cities which
have FEPC, laws should be made
to force the Big Four and IT
other discriminating unions to
clean-Yp and make their member
ship qualifications truly Amer-
can. The manner in which the
postal workers group was forced
in line points the way.