Memorandum on Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas

On March 23, Mr. Ellinger called us from Houston, Texas to say that there was an impending walk-out at the Shell Oil Company in Houston.¹ According to Mr. Ellinger, approximately three weeks ago the company upgraded some Mexican workers in accordance with an agreement formulated on December 30, 1944 with FEPC. This was accomplished apparently without incident. On March 22, the company upgraded six Negroes to helper’s jobs and there were two work stoppages by white employees. The company removed the Negroes from the job and the whites resumed work. However, the workers then made a request that the Mexicans also be removed. The company would not do this and Mr. Ellinger stated that officials of the plant were given a dead line of midnight, March 23 for getting the Mexicans off the job to which they had been upgraded. (One Mexican was promoted to a truck driver and the other as a carman’s helper.) Mr. Ellinger asked for assistance from the Army and Navy in persuading the workers to remain on the job. He stated that the officials of Local 367 of the Oil Workers International were very cooperative and he was calling from their office. He indicated that the meeting would be held at 9 p.m. and approximately one thousand persons were expected to attend. He stated it would be at the Union Hall in Pasadena, Texas just outside of Houston. The plant employs 1800 workers of whom 140 are Negroes and 30 are Mexicans.

I agreed to make an effort to get Navy and Army representatives at the meeting. It appears from what Mr. Ellinger said that the workers did not have official sanction of the local of the Oil Workers International. I called Colonel Gow and Mr. Jack Ohley of the Army Service Forces, Industrial Personnel Division. Mr. Ohley agreed to try to get an Army representative at the meeting but said that the nearest person was in Fort Worth or Dallas. I also called Captain George Keller, Head of Personnel Relations Branch, Shore Establishments and Civilian Personnel Division of the Navy Department. Captain Keller said he would try to get a representative, but later called and said that the nearest person was in New Orleans and it was impossible for this man to be at the meeting. Colonel Nelson of the War Department attended the meeting as a representative of the War Department.

I also called Mr. George Dewey, Manpower Counselor of the Petroleum Administration for War in the Department of Interior. Mr. Dewey has a labor representative in Houston and I asked that this individual be sent in to assist in adjusting the problem. Mr. Dewey stated that his representative was Mr. Robert V. Shirk, telephone—Charter 4–4731 in Houston, Texas. This office is in the Melli-Esperson Building. Mr. Shirk was in Lake Charles, Louisiana, but Mr. Dewey promised that he would get him into Houston as rapidly as possible.

I also called Mr. George Weaver of the CIO who in turn called Mr. Knight of the Oil Workers Union in Texas. Mr. Knight informed Mr. Weaver that two vice presidents were suspended for the part they played in causing the strike. He also said that the union would request the dismissal of any worker who caused a walkout.

On Saturday I called Mr. Ellinger concerning the outcome of the meeting. He said that the company, through Mr. Foster, had an agreement with the union that the two Mexican workers would not be taken off the job until the meeting was held. Mr. Foster violated his agreement and the men were taken off the job at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Mr. Ellinger said that 700 persons attended the Friday night meeting and vigorously opposed the upgrading of Negroes and Mexicans. The union appointed a committee to negotiate with management for the re-upgrading of the Negroes and Mexicans. Mr. Ellinger states that management will not upgrade the workers again unless it has assurance that there will be no strike. The union committee is to give a report of progress in settling the matter at a meeting on Tuesday. Mr. Ellinger will remain in Houston until Tuesday.