‘Race’ Charges At Armory To Be Heard Sat.
Lawyer to Represent Negro Minister’s Wife in Meeting With Officials
Charges of unfair treatment of Negroes at Springfield Armory will be aired at a hearing
scheduled at the plant tomorrow afternoon, Rev. M. N. Ward, Negro minister who
charged yesterday his wife and other Negroes had been victims of discrimination,
said today.
Att. Irwin
T Dortch of Boston will represent Mrs. Ward and other Negroes, who have complained
of unfair treatment, in presenting their cases to Armory officers, Mr. Ward said.
Charges
Denied
Meanwhile, the minister’s charges brought denials of unfair treatment from other Negroes
employed at the Armory and from the Armory union, lodge 431, American Federation
of Government Employees, AFL, which issued a statement today backing up Armory
officers.
Col. George A. Woody, commanding officer at the Armory, issued a flat denial of charges brought
by Mr. Ward, and Maurice W. Cruze, head of industrial relations, admitted that
Mr. Ward had entered a complaint last December which has not yet been settled.
The entire issue of discrimination against Negro workers at the Armory appeared to hinge
today on the question of transfers from piecework to day work, involving cuts
in pay, as a result of changes in production requirements at the plant.
Indications that complaints against treatment of Negroes at the hands of Armory supervisory
employees are not new came today from one Negro girl employee, who refused use
of her name, but said that one white forelady had been discharged several weeks
ago because of her attitude toward Negro women under her supervision.
The Armory
union, in its statement, contended it had not received Mrs. Ward’s complaint,
or complaints of discrimination against Negroes on the part of foremen at any
other time. Union officials are now awaiting word from Col. Woody on a request
that the Armory make transfers from piece rates to day rates on the same seniority
rules that apply to transfers resulting from layoffs, furloughs or dismissals.
Two Negro
employees at the Armory, Daniel A. Fultz and Arthur A. Fletcher, today issued
statements criticizing Mr. Ward’s stand, and upholding Springfield Armory
officials.
“Misunderstandings” Admitted
Both acknowledged
that there may be “misunderstandings” and friction between Negroes
and white foremen, but said that general Armory policy did not allow room for
discrimination. The two have been employed at the Armory for some time, and said
that they had received the same opportunities as white coworkers.
“There
are machine operators, checkers, truck drivers, platers, time keepers, yes and
even a foreman, that are colored, working at the Armory,” Fultz said.
Hitting at
Mr. Ward and other Negro leaders who have entered the fight against discrimination,
Fultz said that “I think if these socalled civic leaders of the colored
people of Springfield would stop and think before they use the word discrimination,
they would be doing more good as far as harmony and working conditions go for
the colored people.”
No
Racial Bases
He said
that “misunderstandings and arguments” which might arise at the Springfield
Armory do not have a racial basis.
Negroes are
not “the only ones who have misunderstandings with the bosses,” Fletcher
said, bearing out Fultz’s contentions.
The statement
from the Springfield Armory union follows:
Union
Statement
“We
have been asked for our expression on alleged discrimination at the Springfield
Armory. In our capacity as the only nationally affiliated labor group at the
Springfield Armory, we have had to consider most of the employee grievances for
the past several years.
“We are glad to report that at no time in our records have we ever been
approached with a case of even supposed discrimination because of color. The
case of Mrs. Ward was never brought to our attention by Mrs. Ward or anyone else.
Our first knowledge of any such charge came from the newspaper story, and we
have not had occasion to investigate this particular complaint.
“But based on past history we do not believe that color entered into any
change made.
Better Positions
“Negroes
of Springfield have been aware for years that they could attain better positions
at Springfield Armory than they could anywhere else in this area. Before the
labor shortage, Springfield Armory was almost the only industrial plant employing
large numbers of Negro people and they have always been welcomed into our AFGE
organization and have received the same protection and services as accorded any
other members.
“In fact as recently as last Saturday a conference was held with Col. Woody
by officers of this lodge in regard to the transfers and changes which will be
necessary in the reorganization of production schedules necessitating the transfer
of many of our members and other employees due to the receipt of new ordnance
materiel for manufacture.
“At the conference with the Commanding Officer we asked for the adoption
of the same policy for transfer of employees from one division to another as
is followed in reduction of force by layoff, furlough, or discharge as recommended
by civil service regulations.
No Haphazard Selection
“This
procedure would require any changes or transfer of employees to be made according
to employee standing on the efficiency lists and not left to any haphazard selection
by supervisors in the several departments.
“While no definite regulation covers the transfer of the employees within
an establishment, this lodge is of the belief that Col. Woody was favorably inclined
to our request and we expect a definite decision will be made by him in the near
future.”
Taking exception to Cruze’s statements today, Mr. Ward denied that Mrs.
Ward had ever canceled appointments to see him. In three previous conferences,
he said, she had “gotten nowhere” and saw no use in continuing the
meetings. |