Proposed Program for Division of Field Operations

PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR THE DIVISION OF FIELD OPERATIONS*

(ROUGH DRAFT)

[ca. July 31, 1945]

It is proposed that the Division of Field Operations adopt the following program for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1945. Major points of the new program are listed in order and each item is thereafter discussed more extensively.

    Cultivation of friendly relations with large employers, government agencies, and important labor union[s].

    Processing the most significant cases in the more important industries and government agencies which will be operating in peace time.1

    Investigating policies of important industries such as public utilities, food processing, and heavy merchandise manufacturing which do not now employ minority workers but against whom we have received no specific complaints.

    Making compliance checks with greater frequency to expand gains already made and offer services to employers who face specific difficulties which may have arisen as a result of changes in employment policies with regard to minority groups.

    Making a greater utilization of our agreements with industries, labor, and government agencies in the handling of routine problems.

CULTIVATION OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS

Although the Committee has operated effectively in the past, too frequently our contact with parties charged is when we must make a visit on the basis of specific complaints. It is proposed that this approach be expanded to permit the regional director to discuss the FEPC program on an informal basis at luncheons, in offices, and wherever possible, with government officials, heads of industries, and labor leaders. Such discussions would be designated to bring out operating suggestions from these persons which may be later used by FEPC.

PROCESSING MOST SIGNIFICANT CASES

A careful inspection should be made of all new and pending cases for the follow- ing criteria:

    Is it likely that industry will continue its war production until V-J Day? (e.g., certain types of production such as small arms and ammunition are being cutback at present. A case in this group would be low on the list. On the other hand, the manufacture of radios would be given a high position.)

    Will the company return to peace time production in the near future?

    Will the company’s operations have peace time significance? (e.g., the National Cash Register Company in Dayton may now be making war materials but at the end of hostilities will revert to its peace time program.)

    Do the issues involve broad policies which if changed would result in substantial progress in correcting discrimination against minority groups. (e.g., elimination of discriminatory auxiliary set-ups in a labor union or correction of policies which prevent the employment of Negroes in skilled jobs in the textile industry.)

INVESTIGATING POLICIES OF IMPORTANT AGENCIES, COMPANIES, AND UNIONS

The regional director by studying labor market data, ES 270 reports and other official records on labor problems should determine occupations and industries from which minorities are barred by policy or custom although shortages exist in these fields. Using these data the regional director will hold conferences with industry, labor, and government groups for the purpose of correcting the problem even though no complaints have been filed with FEPC. In government this would involve a greater utilization of FEPC’s power to recommend. (e.g., the study of employment of minorities in government agencies made by the Division of Review and Analysis shows that although there is a reasonable number of Negroes employed in Washington, the field offices of various government agencies have very few. The contents of this Review and Analysis report should be used as a basic program in the regions to expand employment opportunities on the basis of merits.)

INCREASING THE COMPLIANCE CHECKS

The substantial gains made as a result of examiner contacts in the field and Committee hearings should be reviewed and, wherever it is practicable to do so, follow up visits should be made for the following reasons:

    Obtaining a source of experience from employers which will be useful in passing on techniques of utilization and integration to other individuals who may need such material.

    Determining the degree of success in existing programs and the possibilities for expanding in other occupations where FEPC has not yet received complaints but in which the company’s positive program of utilizing a new source of labor has not yet resulted in inclusion of minorities.

    Offering to employers advice on meeting new problems such as absenteeism, cleanliness taboos, and other matters.

MAKING A GREATER UTILIZATION OF AGREEMENTS WITH INDUSTRY, LABOR AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

The FEPC agreements with the UAW, U. S. Steel, the Civil Service Commission, and the War Department provides machinery for handling certain routine cases which we cannot hope to deal with on the basis of a contact with the party charged.2 A percentage of these cases may be settled to the satisfaction of complaints through these channels. Therefore, some time should be devoted to pointing out the weaknesses in the processing of cases by these agencies in the past and urging them to strive for better results in view of FEPC’s staff limitations. It might be well for the Division of Review and Analysis to make a short appraisal of FEPC’s past experience with these agreements. It will be an important talking point, for example, if we are able to say to the War Manpower Commission that in a specific number of cases, the Commission was unable to affect adjustments but subsequently FEPC succeeded in correcting the policy. Thus demonstrating that a little more time and effort on the part of the agency or union with which we have the agreement might have similar results in the future.

This copy of the draft proposal was enclosed in Mitchell to Regional Director Roy A. Hoglund, memorandum, 7/31/45, but other copies were sent to regional directors and FEPC staff members with requests for comment. Hoglund replied on 8/7/45. See FR89, Region IX, Memoranda, 1945–46, St. Louis. The proposal was required owing to Congress’s cutting the agency’s appropriation in half (to $250,000) for fiscal year 1946. At its 7/21/45 meeting, the Committee voted to cut its staff from 117 to 51 and to close five of its fifteen field offices. Other actions taken accordingly are in the minutes of the meeting, HqR1, Summary Minutes of Meetings.

MS: copy, FEPC FR89, Region IX. Memoranda, 1945–46, St. Louis, DNA.

*This program was proposed in part some time ago by Harry Kingman. [A copy of Kingman’s suggestions, as given in his report of 1/22/45, is in RG 228, Office Files of Clarence Mitchell, box 458, DNA.]


[1] For examples of FEPC’s increasing focus on industries with postwar significance, see Mitchell’s memoranda of 10/7, 10/10/44, 5/18, 8/8, 10/9/45.


[2] For the FEPC’s working agreements with these federal agencies, see HqR66, Central Files. U.S. Government, Civil Service Commission; undated digest of agreements with other agencies in Files of John A. Davis, Agreements with Other Agencies, in HqR68. For the background, see the headnotes on Relationships with Federal Agencies and on the FEPC and Unions. On the UAW agreement, see Hill, Black Labor 260–62.