Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1960-06-18
SayMegro...
Continued from Page One)


what leaders described as "a nom
violent revolution for equality and
an end of discrimination in the
labor movement. To delegates,
this means pressure on the ALL
CLIO and its leaders to enforce the
federation's policies and commit
ments against race bias in any
form-as one spokesman put it.,
"NALC will support AFL-CIO
leaders in voluntarily enforcing
race equality, and maybe prod
them bit to get them to do it."
Target Sighted
Unions still clinging to discrimi-
natory practices, segregation, and
"Jim Crowism" will feel the first
pressures. This is expected to
make the NALC's first broad tar
get the building-trades unions
which bar or sharply restrict Ne
groes as apprentices and journey
men members.
This is a matter of particular
concern for the AFL CLOS top
leadership. The building crafts
are increasingly unhappy in the
federation as a result of their
long struggle with the industrial
unions over job jurisdiction. From
time to time crafts leaders have
talked - largely for pressure
building reasons =. of mass
withdrawal from the AFL-CIO to
protect their rights. Up to now
nobody has taken the secession
threats too seriously.
If the federation now moves,
under prodding from the NALC
and it's industrial union allies, to
enforce equal-rights rules, it could
easily get embroiled in new and
potentially explosive problems with
unions with more than 100000
members-about one-fourth of the
AFL-CIO's total strength today.
Largely because of concern over
what the NALC might do, fedora
ton leaders and presidents of
most AFL-CIO affiliates - reject
ed invitations to attend the found
ing convention. The federation's
president George Meany and civil
rights staff representatives Of the
AFL-CIO had prior commitments,
they advised Mr.. Randolph.
Not so the industrial unions
spokesman, Walter P. Reuther,
president of the United Automo-
bile Workers of America, Mr.. Reu-
ther spoke to the NALC in blum:
words, backing to the hilt their
fight "for status and acceptance
in the mainstream of life"
"We need one set of standards
in the ALL CLIO and to insist
that it is enforced" he said.
Either the building-trades unions
are going to comply with the con-
stitution of the AFL-CIO (which
prohibits racial discriminatory or
they have no right to be members
of the AFL-CIO."
Fight Held Necessity
He said that the federation
should not dodge it's responsible
ties-even if it means more in
ternal problems. But he forecast
that if the AFL clio takes
firm stand, and demonstrates that
it means it, 81 think the offend
ing unions will give up their
prejudice"
Many within the NALC aren't
as confident, but they insist that
fight must be made-prefer-
ably by the AFL-CIO, if not then,
perhaps, by the NALC. Delegates
showed militance, and anger, over
the slow progress Of Negroes
seven in a friendly labor move
ment." One said that the NALC's
is "born of necessity" and will
grow in strength for the same rea-
son.
In adopting its basic principles,
it overcame a left-wing movement
supported by delegates FRI /. the
international Brotherhood of Team
stersLto bar from the constitution
a clause that expresses "unalter-
able opposition to racism, COM
munism, fascism, corruption and
racketeering in the trade union
movement and the NALC."
It carefully made clear that it
does not intend to function in any
way as a union-even if Negroes
complain they are not getting
proper collective-bargaining rep
resentation from their unions -
or as a federation. It will be
loyal to the AFL-CIO and its lead
ers. And it intends to be non
partisan but, it said fatty, mot
nonpolitical."