LETTER TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS DEPARTMENT

Boris Shiskin &  H.L. Mitchell

National Agricultural Workers Union

2140 P Street, N.W.

Washington 7, D.C.

Birmingham, Ala.

March 7, 1956

Mr. John Livingston, Director of Organization

AFL-CIO

901 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.

Washington 1, D.C.

Dear Jack:

Enclosed is a copy of a letter I have sent to Boris Shiskin concerning the infiltration of trade union by the White Citizens Councils. Paul Christopher whom I saw on my way down here, told me you were quite concerned about this matter. I am to see Lew Rhodes in Atlanta before returning to Washington. He too is quite concerned with the rapid developments, especially here in Alabama.

I shall be in Washington the first of next week and hope I can see you.

Fraternally yours,

H. L. Mitchell

President

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Birmingham, Ala.

March 7, 1956

Mr. Boris Shiskin, Director

AFL-CIO Civil Rights Committee

901 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.

Washington 1, D.C.

Dear Boris:

As you can see by the newspaper clippings, President Meany has become one of the figures in the controversy here in Alabama as a result of the statements made in Miami about the White Citizens Councils. It is unfortunate that his office did not accept the registered letter sent by 200 members in Bessemer.

There is substantial disaffection among all of the trade unions both here in Birmingham and in Montgomery and it is being exploited to the fullest extent by the leaders of the White Citizens Council movement. I am also told that this extends throughout the state and is beginning in other areas. So far, I have not found conclusive evidence of an independent union movement actually being organized, but there is talk of such being done. For instance, Dial Murphy, Southern Director of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers told me of a local union composed of 1,200 workers employed in several plants in Montgomery, whose officers advised him that all of the members were withdrawing from the union. With the greatest difficulty he persuaded the officers to retain their posts. How long they will continue in office with their membership pulling out, is a question. There are no lines of communication between the white and Negro workers. Men working side by side on the job no longer even talk to each other.

In Unions which have no Negro members--telephone workers, railway, printing and others--there is also talk of getting out of the national and international unions and establishing a southern federation of labor based on segregation.

So far, I have not found out what the situation is in the United Steel Workers which appear to be the center of activity of the White Citizens Councils. The entire staff of the Steel Workers Union is in Chicago this week, attending the wage policy committee meeting. The State Federation people are away on trips too.

I have been in touch with J.L. Rhodes, AFL-CIO Regional Director, who was out of his office for a week or so due to illness and a death in his family. Lew told me he is quite worried about what is going on here and elsewhere. I am to see him in Atlanta tomorrow.

Here is what I think should be done, and the reason for this letter. This situation should be called to the attention of President Meany and Organization Director Livingston immediately. They should alert the AFL-CIO regional directors and their staff and the presidents of the national and international unions whose members are involved. Staff organizers or officials who know the union leaders personally should come into Alabama, meet together and agree on a procedure. They should then contact or call together local union officers where this disaffection exists and put on a campaign to hold the loyalty of the local union officers and secondly, conduct mass meetings of the membership wherever that is possible. They should approach this matter on the basis that the WCC leadership is anti-labor and is using the trade unions to further their own political ambitions. The integration issue will have to be handled very carefully.

The next thing is to get approval of the project we worked out for a long range research and educational program on the civil rights issue. It should be recognized that what we have in the southern labor movement is a mass of uneducated workers who are willing to pay dues to the unions in return for the high wages they receive. The vast majority of them are from rural areas and they do not understand the first principles of trade unionism.

I shall return to Washington the end of this week, but let me urge that this matter be called to the attention of the officers of AFL-CIO immediately.

Sincerely and fraternally,

H.L. Mitchell

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posted 24 July 2008