Racial Discrimination in Craft Unions

Archive Report

Black Demands to Join Building Unions

Organized labor and Negroes, though long allied in support of civil rights concepts in general, have had little success in efforts to reach common ground on a particular civil rights matter of vital concern to both—the membership policies of craft unions. Black demonstrators recently marched in several large cities to promote acceptance of their demand that Negroes be admitted in greater numbers to apprenticeship programs and to full membership in construction unions. The local unions concerned, and the parent A.F.L.-C.I.O., contend that to grant the demands would amount to imposition of racial quotas, which are prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A.F.L.-C.I.O. officials assert, moreover, that the labor movement already has been doing everything in its power ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles