Memorandum on Case Load of Region VII

When I visited the Atlanta Office I intended to review all of the current cases there.¹ However, because of the numerous matters before us I could only review the most important cases. Complaints against the Bell Aircraft Corporation in Marietta, Georgia, involve failure to hire skilled Negro workers and failure to employ Negroes as trainees. The company operates a training course for Negroes which was established as a result of FEPC efforts, but four courses are offered for whites while only one is offered for Negroes. The Negro course is not full at this time because the company employs colored individuals on a segregated basis and the section for them is supposedly filled.² The Reynolds Metal Corporation at Macon, Georgia, is charged with failure to employ Negro trainees on a paid basis. The Regional office is currently working for the establishment of a training program and reports that 116 Negroes are available for instruction. I had one meeting with officials of Bell Aircraft on pending cases and I was already familiar with the details of complaints against the Reynolds Metal Corporation. These two companies, and certain shipbuilding companies mentioned in this memorandum, are the most important docketed cases in Region VII.³

Our discussions show that there will be many new training cases in the near future because the regional office had not engaged in a consistent effort to correct previous discrimination. This is no criticism because the office has had its hands full on many other matters.

The following represents cases on which the Regional Director and I are in agreement. These are not all of the region’s cases, but they are important.⁴

POSSIBLE HEARING CASES*

1. Tampa Shipbuilding Company, 7-BR-315, 317, 318, and 319; also 7-GR-321 and 7-UR-314, against the USES and Boilermakers Union respectively. Mr. Brin is to visit the company and the union concerning the specific complaints which allege that Negroes are not employed in trades under the jurisdiction of the Boilermakers Union. An RFA is to be prepared on these cases as soon as Mr. Brin reports that his visit to the parties charged have produced no favorable results. It is expected that these cases with the possible exception of that against the USES will be ready for a hearing by the Committee.⁵
2. J.A. Jones Construction Company (Wainwright Yard) Panama City, Florida, 7-BR-506. In this company, Negroes were employed as riveters but were later chased out of the yard by white workers. The company states that it is willing to employ Negroes in skilled capacities but is prevented by doing so by the Boilermakers Union. Dr. Dodge is to docket a case against the union and prepare an RFA if no progress is made. This case is also at the point where a hearing seems necessary.  
3. The Mingledorf Shipbuilding Company, 7-BR-493, Savannah, Georgia. This yard, which has a Navy contract, refuses to hire Negroes at maximum skills. There is also a case docketed against the Boilermakers Union (7-UR-484) charging that it interferes with the employment of Negro workers. Immediately after I left Atlanta, the Navy Department sent a representative [Captain George M. Keller] in to discuss this case with Mr. George McKay. Dr. Dodge is optimistic about the union’s attitude but unless the assistance of the Navy Department results in progress, the case will be referred to Washington for a possible hearing.⁶
4. Savannah U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-421. The region believes that this office of the USES conspired with the Southeastern Company in Savannah (7-BR-58) to prevent the hiring of Negroes in skilled capacities. The regional office requested that I arrange a meeting with the Maritime Commission on this case in Savannah. I have done this and unless there are favorable results from this meeting, the case will be referred to the Central office with the recommendation that a hearing be held against the company and the USES.

CASES TO BE SENT TO D.F.O.

1. Tennessee Eastman Corporation, Knoxville, Tennessee, 7-BR-432 through 476. The basic issue in these cases is the refusal of the party charged to employ Negro women at their maximum skills. Trainees are also refused employment although whites are being used extensively. In one instance, a Negro woman was employed as a secretary but was removed from her job as a result of pressure from white employees. This is a secret military project and the regional office has encountered considerable difficulty in getting any information on the hiring policies and the current employment figures. Mr. Hope has been in touch with a Lt. Flaherty who is a Naval officer but represents the Army in labor matters. The party charged argues that integration of Negro employees is in process but details were not given because of the alleged secrecy of the project. I suggested that approximately ten additional days be given for the furnishing of necessary information and if it is not received, the cases should be sent to the DFO.⁷
2. There is a case against the Post Office, 7-GR-101. After discussing this matter, I suggested that it be referred to the DFO for action in Washington.
3. Fulton Sylphon Company, 7-BR-84. This is a 1943 case charging discriminatory dismissal. After a review of the file, it appears that the matter should be sent to Washington for further study. In my opinion, it will be necessary to dismiss this case as other, but before doing so, I wanted to carefully review the file.⁸
4. Buckeye Cotton Oil Company, Memphis, Tennessee, 7-BR-10. I have suggested that after one more contact with the party charged in this case, the matter be referred to the DFO for further action.
5. Swift Manufacturing Company, 7-BR-65, 75, 155, and 157. This file, because of its age and numerous denials by the party charged, is a considerable problem in Region VII. I have recommended that it be sent to the DFO for further study and recommendation.

OTHER IMPORTANT CASES BEING HANDLED BY THE REGION

Bechtel, McCone & Parsons Aviation Corporation, Birmingham, Alabama, 7-BR-489. In this case a training program for Negroes seeking employment at Bechtel, McCone & Parsons was discontinued. Mr. McKay reports that the WMC is willing to cooperate with him in getting it reopened.

1. Fisher Aircraft, Memphis, Tennessee, 7-BR-287–289, and 472. In this case the regional office has done an excellent job of cooperating with a local of the UAW which has a contract with the plant. Recent wage adjustment by the War Labor Board should facilitate the settlement of these cases and if so, the region will have some excellent satisfactory adjustments to its credit. Mr. Hope is going to Memphis on these and other matters in the near future.⁹
2. Aluminum Company of America at Alcoa, Tennessee, 7-BR-474, 475. These complaints involve wage discrimination and other problems of upgrading. No contact has been made with the party charged as yet because of the difficulty of reaching the plant.
3. Ferguson and J.A. Jones Construction Company, 7-BR-177 and 7-BR-483. These construction companies are in Tennessee. It appears that the region obtained a satisfactory adjustment of complaints charging refusal to hire Negroes as carpenters. The adjustment must be verified by a letter which the Regional Director hopes to receive. He has information from a Mr. Reed, who initiated the complaint, that fifty colored carpenters have been placed on the job. Mr. Reed did not indicate clearly which job is now open to colored carpenters and for that reason, an FDR has not been written. I suggested that in construction cases, the region should make use of the telegrams and long distance phone contacts since the work is of short duration and unless there is speedy action it will be over before a contact is made.
4. A. T. & T., 7-BC-522. This is a complaint of a Jehovah’s Witness against the American Telegraph and Telephone Company in Atlanta. It appears that the individual has a good case and he is seeking reinstatement to his job at the telephone company. Mr. Hope and Dr. Dodge have been working on this problem and it may be that some adjustment can be expected in the near future.¹⁰
5.  Merrill-Stevens Drydock Company, Jacksonville, Florida, 7-BR-230, 228, 229, 231, and 471. This is a CIO yard and the complaints have been filed with the Committee by the Union. However, there is one 510 report submitted by the USES charging that the company refused to employ a Negro as a welder. A discussion on these cases showed that many of the allegations are more instances of discrimination because of union membership if they have merit at all. For example, one of the complainants charges that two crews of workers (both Negroes) receive different wages for doing the same work. The union alleges that the higher paid crew is made up of “company pets” while the latter is made up of union men. We have taken these cases up with the company and explanations of each have been submitted. Dr. Dodge will be in Jacksonville next week and I suggested that he have a meeting with the complainants and the union to discuss these matters further. In my opinion, a discussion should result in a dismissal on merits in most of these cases.
6. Seaboard Airline, 7-BR-434, 171. This is a complaint against a railroad which is being processed at the regional level because it was not a matter referred to the President by the Committee. The same would apply to cases 7-BR-165, against the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad; 7-BR-214 against Missouri Pacific; and 7-BR-196 against the ABC Railroad.¹¹
7. The International Union of Operating Engineers, 7-UR-76. This is a case in which the union is charged with failure to permit Negroes to work on a construction project. The construction project is closed and the complaints are no longer available. The union denies that it discriminated against them. Under the circumstances, I have suggested that the case be closed as other because it is not clear that the union has a non-discrimination policy although it states that it does.
8. Williams Construction Company, 7-BR-184, 195. These are old cases which involve a construction project now closed. It will be necessary to dismiss them as other and I have so recommended.
9. Kennedy Central Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, 7-CR-485–7. In this case Negro employees charge that they were dismissed when they sought increases in wages and the regional office believes that there is an over-all pattern of wage discrimination which results in the freezing of all Negro workers at a wage considerably below that of white employees. Mr. Hope is to get additional information from the Civil Service Commission on the job classification at my suggestion. He will also make a return visit to the party charged when he is next in Memphis. These cases appear somewhat difficult and may require considerable time before they are closed.

IMPORTANT U.S.E.S. CASES

United States Employment Service, 7-CR-436, Meridian, Miss. In this case the local office of the USES was charged with failure to submit 510 reports and also it was alleged that the office did not make proper referral of Negro workers. After discussing this with Dr. Dodge, I believe that it should be dismissed as a satisfactory adjustment and have so recommend to him. The local office now submits 510’s and the manager has persuaded a textile employer to use Negro women. This action came after a forthright letter from Mr. Lasseter, Regional Director of WMC. He stated that if the USES did not comply with the provisions of the agreement between WMC and FEPC, he could offer no safeguard against a possible hearing by FEPC.

1. Birmingham U.S. Employment Service, Alabama, 7-CR-285. This case involves failure of the USES to live up to the terms of the operating agreement. Mr. McKay is to take a tour of the main USES office with the State Director at which time he will visit the Birmingham office on this complaint.
2. Birmingham U.S. Employment Service, Alabama, 7-CR-317. In this case a complainant alleges that she was refused referral to a job for which she was qualified. After discussing the file with Dr. Dodge, I have reached the conclusion that it should be dismissed on merits. The USES wrote a letter indicating that even though the complainant had made an improper charge, it would be very glad to refer her to a job for which she is qualified if she will register. She has not done so at this time.
3. Chattanooga U.S. Employment Service, Tennessee, 7-CR-400. In this case the complainant alleged that she could not get war work through the USES. I have recommended that it be dismissed for insufficient evidence after reviewing the file.
4. Chattanooga U.S. Employment Service, Tennessee, 7-CR-403. In this case the State Director of the Employment Service has refused to comply with a request of Mr. Lasseter that [the] FEPC-WMC operating agreement be made effective in the local USES. It appears that this matter will be a showdown between the regional office of WMC and the State Office. So far, it appears that Mr. Lasseter has done his part in this matter.
5. Knoxville U.S. Employment Service, Tennessee, 7-CR-227. In this case, the USES was advertising in a discriminatory manner. Mr. McKay had a telephone conversation with the manager of the office and was told that the policy has been changed. It appears that this is a satisfactory adjustment and I have recommended a check of newspapers by the regional office to determine whether the practice has actually been changed. If so, the case will be closed as satisfactorily adjusted.
6. 7-GA-202. This is a case against the Atlanta USES which appears to have the necessary elements for a satisfactory adjustment. However, because it is a matter of alienage, I have suggested that it be referred to the DFO for consideration and disposition.
7. 7-GR-285. This is a complaint against the Birmingham U.S. Employment Office charging discriminatory advertising. A review of the file shows that it is ready for closing as satisfactory adjustment.
8. 7-GR-201 is against the Atlanta Office of the USES charging failure to refer Negroes to the Atlantic Steel Company. A review of the file and discussion with the Regional Director shows that this case is ready for satisfactory adjustment and I have recommended that it be closed on those grounds.
9. Atlanta U.S. Employment Service, 7-CR-218. In this case the USES is charged with failure to follow the WMC-FEPC operating agreement. Discussion with the Regional Director and a review of the files shows that corrective steps have been taken and the case can be closed as satisfactorily adjusted.¹²
10. Pensacola U.S. Employment Service, Florida, 7-GR-426. On the basis of information revealed by a visit from Dr. Dodge and other material in the file, this case now can be closed as satisfactorily adjusted. It alleged that the USES was not following the FEPC-WMC agreement. 
11. Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-441. In this case, the USES failed to submit a 510 report on the St. Johns Shipbuilding Company. A review of the file shows that it can now be closed as satisfactorily adjusted.
12. Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-320. This was a case of discriminatory advertising on the part of the USES. The file and reports from Dr. Dodge shows that the WMC has taken corrective steps in this matter and the case can be closed as satisfactorily adjusted.
13. Nashville, U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-404. In this case the WMC is charged with failing to live up to the terms of our operating agreement. Mr. Hope is to make a visit to the party charged when he is next in Nashville.
14. Miami, Florida, U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-322. This office is now submitting 510’s to FEPC. However, there are certain aspects of the case which will require further study and I have suggested that it be referred to me in Washington for further action. 
15. Brunswick U.S. Employment Service, 7-GR-420. Charges against this office of the USES have resulted in an investigation by FEPC and now appears ready for satisfactory adjustment.