Monthly Report of Labor Secretary, December 2, 1947

National Labor Committee Meeting

The quarterly meeting of the NAACP’s Labor Committee was held in Washington on November 17. Items discussed at the meeting are set forth in the minutes which are being prepared and will be distributed. One of the most important things discussed was implementing the report of the President’s Committee on Civil Rights on government discrimination. The committee members agreed that prospects for success on this would be heightened by prompt and vigorous action. ¹

Problems Affecting Labor Unions

Colored members of the International Longshoremen’s Association contend that they are denied work by a white local in Brownsville, Texas. They state that this is one of the most important ports in Texas. This appears to be a very knotty issue from the evidence before us and we have taken it up with the President of ILA, Mr. Joseph P. Ryan.²

President John Green of the Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers expressed appreciation to the NAACP for its cooperation to the union during the strike against the Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Company.³

We have again urged President Harvey Brown of the International Association of Machinists to work for the elimination of color restrictions throughout the jurisdiction of his union.

Migrant Farm Labor

Again this month, we mention the problem of migrant farm workers. The Department of Agriculture and the Children’s Bureau have given us commitments that there will be no discrimination against Negro migrant workers in a hospital which is being turned over to local authorities at Belle Glade, Florida. We have asked the Florida branches to indicate whether the commitments are being lived up to at present.⁴

Colored migrant workers have complained about conditions described as approaching near slavery in a camp at Pocomoke City, Maryland. This is at the tip of the Maryland peninsula and one of the worst areas in the state so far as race relations are concerned. We have taken this matter up with the Farm Extension Service and have also asked assistance of the local branch at Snow Hill, Maryland in getting at the facts.⁵

Loyalty Investigations

This month, the Labor Secretary met with Admiral John E. Gingrich, Chief of Security for the Atomic Energy Commission. We were meeting on a specific complaint involving a colored man, the father of six children, who was dismissed for security reasons from an atomic energy project in Richland, Washington.⁶

The Admiral was told of our grave concern about the establishment of procedures for ensuring a fair hearing for persons accused. The complainant has since been given a hearing and we are expecting another meeting with the AEC Security Officers. The penalties in the Atomic Energy legislation are rather sweeping and include the death sentence for persons who willfully give information to a foreign country for the purpose of harming the United States. With this grave responsibility, the Commission’s Security Program must have adequate safeguards for civil liberties.⁷

Post Office Discrimination

Discrimination in the Post Office Department continues to be a serious problem. This month, the Civil Service Commission indicated its failure to find evidence of discrimination in one of its most flagrant cases which involve a number of veterans in the city of New Orleans. What is worse, the Acting Postmaster General, Jesse M. Donaldson, also indicated a failure to find any discrimination because of race in this case. He has been appointed Postmaster General by the President.⁸

State USES Problems

As we predicted, increasing evidence is shown of racial discrimination in the state operated offices of the employment service.⁹

From New Hampshire, we have a complaint involving a colored woman who is the wife of a veteran. She charges that, as the only colored employee in the local office, she is faced with constant efforts to oust her.

From North Carolina, we have the complaint that colored persons in Winston Salem, although they are 75% of the persons using the local employment service, must get their service in a basement and use an alley entrance.

We have taken the matter of the New Hampshire discrimination up with Mr. William H. Riley, Commissioner of Labor, Concord, New Hampshire, and, in the case of North Carolina, we are registering a protest with the governor as well as the Department of Labor.

Restaurant Discrimination Against Federal Workers

Evidence that vicious attempts to enforce the Washington pattern were used to blackjack an outside restaurant into line came to our attention this month. The Whalen Drug Company is operating a cafeteria in a space formerly used by the Government Services Incorporated. This space is located in the Longfellow Building, a privately owned structure occupied by the Public Housing Agency and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

The Whalen Company agreed to serve colored people but withdrew its agreement allegedly because of pressure from Washington store owners and businessmen. We have been attempting to arrange a meeting with the company and government officials on this and have also submitted a request for guidance to the Legal Department.¹⁰

Meetings Attended

As alternate for the Secretary, the Labor Secretary attended a meeting of the National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. As a part of the meeting, those present were taken to the White House for a short talk with the President.

The Hotel and Restaurant Workers requested the Labor Secretary to address a meeting of workers from the Johns Hopkins Hospital with the hope that these persons could be organized.