Blacks Face Solid Front of Builders: Unions Join in Action 

JAMES STRONG / Chicago Tribune 4sep1969

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Demands presented by the coalition of black community organizations for more construction jobs in Chicago's building industry as a price for labor peace were rejected late yesterday by union leaders and contractors.

The decision to reject the demands will be announced to leaders of the Coalition for United Community Action at a meeting today at 10:30 AM in the Sherman House. The demands call for a plan backed by union and management for a multimillion-dollar training and quota system for placing blacks in the construction trades.

Black leaders refused to reveal what effect the rejection will have on their future action but said they will have an announcement after today's meeting.

Last July 22, the coalition disrupted construction on the south and west sides and eventually closed 20 projects valued at more than $80 million. The action was halted by a court injunction on August 14.

David R. Reed Coalition for United Community Action

During the dispute three persons were injured and more than 20 blacks arrested.

Thomas A. Murray, president of the Chicago Building Trades Council, and Arthur F. O'Neill, president of the Builders Association of Chicago, joined with David R. Reed, coalition spokesman, and the Rev. C. T. Vivian, and telling reporters of the new mood for a peaceful settlement.

Union leaders and contractors met past 11 PM Tuesday and all day yesterday to debate the coalition demands, which one representative said amounted to "extortion" and a "returned to the Mafia tactics of 40 years ago."

The Tribune obtained a copy of the demands and coalition's reasons for its endorsement by contractors and labor unions.

The introduction read in part: "1. Except in the very lowest paid semi-skilled and unskilled jobs, black people are nearly excluded from apprentice and journeyman positions because of arbitrarily restrictive and racially discriminatory rules.

"2. Union's have an supported and assisted in this conspiracy...by contractors allowing unions to dictate who may gain access to jobs.

"3. In all cases, government officials on the federal and local levels have not enforced the law...union where violations were clearly known."

The coalition said of roughly 90,000 construction workers in the Chicago area only 2,700 or 3 percent are from minority groups.

Demands include:

1. An administrative committee composed of two members from union-management, two from the coalition, and the fifth member to be Edwin Barry, former Urban League executive director.

2. An operations committee to establish general standards for trainee qualifications which must be ratified by the administrative committee.

3. At a establishment of a training program with funds from labor can management and available federal funds. Trainees may enter without testing or prior experience, with or without a police record.

4. Trainees collecting to enter any craft within the industry and makeup of trainees be three journeymen to one minority trainee and where there are only five journeymen on the job, two must be black.

5. The coalition is to operate and control the training program. Labor and management [funding the program estimated between one and 3 million dollars] "may" suggests standards can curriculum.

6. Trainees must be accepted in the program until there exists in overall minimum of 30 percent black pans full members in each craft.

7. Labor and contractors must provide funds for recruiting the end the coalition will recruit and "may contract" for such services.

8. Trainees must be subject to evaluation at end of three months and if adjudged qualified must be considered for journeyman after two years. This includes switching crafts if they trainee fails to qualify any craft.