Memorandum on Strike at American Steel Foundry Plant, East Chicago, Indiana

Following receipt of a copy of Mr. J. Edgar Hoover’s report on the strike at the above mentioned plant, I checked with Mr. Austin H. Scott of the War Manpower Commission, Chicago, Illinois, via long distance telephone. Mr. Scott stated that he was expecting to have a meeting with the Chicago Urban League on this matter at 3:00 P. M. today. He also said that he expects to have a meeting with the company on Monday, July 19. At that time he will talk with Mr. Rishel, Works Manager.

Mr. Scott stated that the trouble at the plant is a result of an accumulation of grievances. The immediate disturbance occurred early Friday morning on the night shift when a colored man went to a white foreman to complain about the fact that another man was very close to him with an acetylene welding torch. The white foreman and the colored individual who made the complaint got into an argument, Mr. Scott said, and as a result of it the colored man struck the white man. The company guard came on the scene and took the colored man into custody. Later the Negro was turned over to the police officials of the City.

Mr. Scott stated that as Negroes found out about what had happened they protested the arrest of the colored man and suggested that if an arrest had to be made both persons should have been taken into custody. The Negroes then asked that the company intercede in getting the colored man released from jail. When this was refused by the company, the Negro employees walked out, thereby precipitating a strike. Mr. Scott said that the whole strike was of very short duration in that the men went back to work for the most part on Friday night and Saturday morning, July 9 and 10.

Mr. Scott said that Colonel Brawner, Chief of the Labor Branch, Sixth Service Command, is at work on the situation as well as Mr. Thomas Wright, Area Director of the War Manpower Commission. According to Mr. Scott, in November of 1942, Negroes were scheduled for upgrading to jobs as crane oper[a]tors. White employees threatened a strike if this happened. The matter was finally settled and Negroes were placed on crane operations. Later, the company began hiring women and refused to accept colored women. This matter was also ironed out finally.

At present, the men are complaining because they have not had an opportunity to be upgraded to jobs as foremen and in other responsible jobs for which they believe themselves capable. Mr. Scott also said that Mr. Clarence Goins, President of the Local of the United Steel Workers at the plant, has been trying to keep harmony and peace among the persons who work there. However, most of the colored employees come from Chicago, Mr. Scott pointed out, and resent the conditions of discrimination which they say exist in the plant which is located in Indiana. Mr. Scott did not know Mr. Ray Hansbrough, described by Mr. Hoover as a well-known Negro Communist leader in the south side of Chicago. It is my assumption that if Mr. Hansbrough was well known, at some time or other his activities would have come to the attention of the War Manpower Commission. Mr. Scott promised to send us a report on what happens in this matter.¹