Dhonan.jayono Godgil LiInIy ImmommlDllDIIII G/PF.-PUNE-014119 . THE NEGRO LABOR UNIONIST OF NEW YORK Probleme and ConditiON DlOnS Near- in the Labor • UniOll8 in Manhattan with Svecial Reference to the N.l\.A. and POIt-N.R.A. Situaucma BY CHARLES LIONEL FRANKLIN, A.M. SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL F\lLFlLIIIDIT OlP THill RlllQIIIRUIIDITS POR THill DEGRO OlP DOCTOR OlP PHILOSOPHY III ".. FACULTY OlP PoLI'IICAL Sc:mt«:K COLUIIBU UNIVUSJTY NO. If). 0 10 the "studies 10 His tory, . Eoonomios £:.nd ~blio ~W- of columbia University. NEW yOU 1936 x: 96(Y7b) 13".U:1. 6f:. \4119 Con&lOHT. 1936 ·CoLUKlIA UNIY.UIT\' P.... SIMc.lIlIILY DBDICATBD 'fO GERTRUDE BISHOP PHILLIPS AUSTIN AD IDlpirina FrieDli PREFACE TUE Harlem II Riot n of March 19, 1935, the causes of which were determined to have been basically economic, created a new interest among laymen as well as students of social and economic problems in the conditions of life.and work of the people of that area. So great, in fact, was this interejlt, that the City of New York, in an effort to determine the cause of the riot, gave legal recognition to the need of a fundamental social and economic survey of that area and the Mayor appointed a Commission to undertake the study. One of the phases of this research project dealt with the prob­ lems involved in the employment of Negroes and the neces­ sarily related consideration of their status in the local organ­ ized labor movement-a tremendously important issue, for trade unions, broadening· their jurisdictional activities to cover many professional and II white-collar" occupations as well as the skilled craftsmen and unskilled common laborers, have increased their scope to such an extent that union mem­ bership is now a prerequisite for almost any kind of employ­ ment. It was during his service as a research worker on this problem that the author of this treatise developed a keen interest in the use by Negroes of colleetive bargaining through trade unions in their efforts to secure and maintain desirable employment. Therefore, apart from his official work with the Mayor's Commission on Conditions in Har­ lem, he began this intensive study, the purpose of which is to present objectively and descriptively a picture of local con­ ditions among Negroes in the labor unions of Manhattan, with a brief sketch of the historical deve10pment and special emphasis on a descriptive analysis of the situation at the dose of the N. R. A. period. 7 8 PUPAe! . A preliminary survey of the published and written mater­ ials and all other available sources on the subject revealed the complete lack of up-to-date information and the utter inade­ quacy, because of recent developments brought about during the N. R. A. period, of the data available on the local sit­ uation. However, several comprehensive studies dealing wholly or in part with the status of the Negro worker in the American labor movement were available. Outstanding among these are: The Black Wcwker by Sterling Spero and Abram Harris, Racial Factcws ill Americall ltulustry by Her­ man Feldman, Negro Membership ifI Americall Lobo,. UlliollS by Ira Reid and an earlier one, Neg,.o Labcw in the United States by Charles Wesley. All of these point out that in his struggle to gain a prominent, stable and desirable position in the economic life of the American people the Negro worker has been handicapped by his laclc of member­ ship in some unions and various limitations on his full mem­ bership in others. Throughout these treatises there are num­ erous references to local New York conditions. Collection of these references, together with many other isolated reports, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. dealing with or related to Ibis subject, served very well in the historical develop­ ment of the background of the present conditions. On the other hand, information on the N. R. A. and post-No R. A. situations is the result of original, first-hand research and in­ vestigation carried out during.the last six months of 1935. The major part of this field work consisted of interview­ ing union officials, members and other people connected with the organized labor movement in Manhattan, attending labor conferences, union meetings and lectures and making gen­ eral observations. Since no one agency, such as the Central Trades and Labor Council of New York, had complete in­ formation on the actual relationship of Negroes to local unions--no records of the racial identity of the members PlUlPACB -9 of these locals being kept in many c:ase&-aIld since definite; information on the particular experiences of each 10cal union with Negro members was desired, the author resorted to the alternative method of getting. authentic information-the personal interview with representative officials and the Stru­ tinous examination of the records of each individual local union. These investigations were supplemented by interviews with both white and Negro union members selected at ran­ dom. Contact was established with every union in Man­ hattan, although a small proportion of them evaded coopera­ tion. On the whole, it cannot be said that the unions that did not furnish information were unfavorable in their atti­ tude toward Negroes. On the contrary, many of them-for example, a few locals of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the champion among unions fighting for the advancement of Negroes in the organized labor move­ ment-are exceptionally friendly toward Negro members, while in both the groups that supplied information and those that withheld it there are some that exclude Negro members by means of a constitutional provision. Practically all of those refusing information merely insisted that they do not usually open their records to the public. The results oftthis research and investigation have been interpreted in such a manner as to show whether or not the situation in New York City is similar to that in the United States as a whole, and it is hoped that they may serve as a factual basis in future plsnning for a more complete integration of Negro workers in the local organized labor movement. The author wishes here to take the opportunity to acknowl­ edge his indebtedness to the several individuals and organiza­ tions without whose invaluable assistance this study could not have been made. To Dr. E. Franklin Frazier, Professor of Sociology at Howard University and Director of Research for The Mayor's Commission on Conditions in Harlem, [0 PlUlPACB gratitude is expressed for making it possible for the author to do much of the field work for this study while serving as a research worker for the Commission. Especial indebted­ ness is acknowledged to Dr. S. McC. Lindsay and Dr. R. E. Chaddock, who gave valuable advice and criticisms on the planning of the study and made pertinent suggestions throughout its development. Similar credit is also due Dr. A. A. Tenney and Dr. L. Wolman. The author is under obligation to the many labor union officials and members who willingly cooperated and to The National Urban League and The Harlem Labor Committee for placing at his disposal their research departments. Gracious thanks are extended to Professor Ira DeA. Reid of Atlanta University for reading the entire manuscript and making valuable suggestions and to Caulbert A. Jones for assisting in the preparation of the source materials and the final manuscript. To Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. sincere appreciation is expressed for the grant to the author of a fellowship award which partly financed the study. C:L.F. CONTENTS Punca .•...•.. 7 PART I NBGRO LABOR UKIOKISM IN MAIIHATTAII PIlIOR TO THE N.R.A. PEIlIOD CHAPTER I IndUJlriaJ and ac.:-tioDal Backllftllllld al the Organized Labor Movement amcmc Negroes ill New York Cit,' ., • • • • • •• 17 CHAPTER II UDiDD Membenhip and AetiYit,' before the World Wu • • • •• sa CHAPTER III Union Membership and Ac:tiYit,' from Begimlinr al World Wu to the N.R.A. Period.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 81 PARTn THB N.R.A. AIID Posr-N.R.A. SITUATIONS CHAPTER IV The Nesro and Union Ac:tiYiti.. dariq the N.R.A. Period • • • 121 CHAPTER V Ex.... t alMembership ill Unions • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 159 CHAPTER VI ExperieDc:ea al Local Unions with Nqro Membon lib CHAPTER VII Tho Nqro Labor UDiomat • • • • • • • • II 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER VlII Summary and Conclusion,.. • .......... 255 APPENDIX I Oc:eupationaI Opportunities for Negroe, in New York Cil)' •••• 271 APPENDIX II Synopsis of Action. on the Question of Negro Labor taken by American Federation of Labor Conventions • • • • • . • • • • 278 APPENDIX III Excerpts from .. Preliminary Survey of IndustriaI and Union Status of Negroes in New York Cil)'," by The Labor Bureau, Inc. • • • • • • • • • . ..•••••••• 297 APPENDIX IV Experience. 01 Local Unions with N elP"O Members, continued 305 BIBLlOGItAPHY 398 INDEX. • 403 UST OF TABLES ..... N......,.,. aDd I'fopomoa of N.....,. aDd AU Other Classes ill the Total PopaIatioa, MaDhallaD, N. Y. 191C1o 1_ aDd 1930 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 33 II Number .... Proportion of N.....,. aDd AU Other a­ ill the Papalatioa 10 Yean of Age aDd Over. MaabattaD, N. Y .. 1910, 1_ uull!I3D ••••••••••• '" ••••••••••• ••••• 34 m Namber aDd Proportioo of the PopuIatioD-TotaI. NOIItO aDd AU Otber a-- Gainfu1b' 0ccapiaI, IlllllhattaD, N. Y. I9ICIo 1_ aDd 1!I3D •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3S IV Number aDd ProporIioa of the Population 10 Yean of Age aDd o.-Total. NOIItO aDd AU Other ~ Oecapiod, IllDballaD, N. Y.. I9ICIo 1_ aDd 1930 •••••••••• 35 v Pen:enIop of N.....,. aDd AU Other a- ill the ~ latioo 10 Yean of Age aDd Over aDd Pen:enIop of N_ aDd AU Other Classes ill the GaiDfu1b' 0cI:aP<d ~ IllDballaD, N. Y.. I9ICIo 1_ aDd I!I3D •••••••••••••••••• ~ VI Peft:eD..... a..- ill Popalatioa 10 Yean of Age aDd Over aDd ill GaiDfu1b' Occapied PopaIatiGa, IlIDbattaD, N.· Y.