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Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - IV. Economics - 19. The War Boom—and Thereafter - 2. A Closer View
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Chapter 19. The War Boom—^and Thereafter 413
leading Negro-employing war industry. ,Many of them are hiring an
increased proportion of Negro workers and have widened the occupa-
tional range for Negro employees. Some yards use Negroes in all occupa-
tions except professional and clerical. Nevertheless, as late as May, 1942,
most shipyards still used Negroes almost solely in unskilled jobs. By and
large, private yards are more restrictive than are Navy yards and Southern
yards are less willing to hire Negro workers at higher occupational levels
than are Northern yards, but there were several exceptions to this rule.
In Miami, Florida, it has been impossible to use Negroes in skilled and
semi-skilled work, since there is a city ordinance forbidding their employ-
ment in such occupations outside of the Negro section.’^
There is an increase in Negro employment in the ordnance industry as
well, although it is not proportionate to the general expansion. A few
plants are using Negroes in all kinds of skilled occupations, but the gen-
eral pattern is to keep the Negro down at the bottom of the occupational
hierarchy. Again Southern establishments are more bent on keeping the
Negroes down than are Northern plants; Army-owned factories tend to
be more liberal than private factories.^®
It is reported that the Negro has recently gained in the automobile
industry—or rather in those plants which used to constitute the Ameri-
can automobile industry—^although it is not known whether the propor-
tion of Negro workers, as well as the absolute number, has increased.
The conversion to war production brought about certain problems.
Employment dropped off temporarily when production of passenger cars
for civilian consumption was restricted, during the winter of 1941 -1942.
The Negro skilled workers, most of whom used to work in foundries
faced a rather critical situation, since little foundry work is needed in air
craft production. Some can still be used in tank and truck plants, however.
The rest have enjoyed much protection from the United Automobile,
Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers’ Union and from the gov-
ernment.^®
Owing to this protection, the Negro automobile worker has been able
to enter skilled occupations where he previously has had little or no rep-
resentation; it is not certain, however, that this protection in actual prac-
tice has been as complete for Negro as it has been for white workers.
Newly organized rank-and-file members of the union have shown some
opposition to the introduction of Negro workers in plants and occupations
where they had not worked earlier. During the winter of 1941 -1942 and
until the summer of 1942 a few "spontaneous” sit-down strikes occurred
in certain plants (Hudson, Packard, Dodge and others). In every case
the union leadership immediately went into action, and these "wild-cat
strikes” were called off within a day or two—sometimes even within a few
hours.^^
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