Page:Chicago Race Riots (Sandburg, 1919).djvu/54

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UNIONS AND THE COLOR LINE

At the Saddle and Sirloin club there sat in conference one day a few months ago representatives from two groups. On one side of the table were men speaking for the most active organizations of colored people in Chicago in matters of employment and general welfare. On the other side of the table were men speaking for the packers who employ at the stockyards upwards of 15,000 colored men and women, interests that are to-day and are expected to be in the future the largest employers of colored labor.

Four points to constitute a guiding policy in employment were offered by the colored representatives, with a statement that the principles embodied the general sense of the leaders of social, industrial, welfare and religious groups of the colored race in Chicago. After discussion the representatives of the packers agreed to accept the four points, and they are regarded by the colored people as in force and effective until further notice.

The four points as phrased in the conference at the Saddle and Sirloin club, are;

1. That whenever we are attempting to introduce' negro workers into trades in which white workers are unionized, we must urge the negroes to join the unions.

2. That when we are introducing negro labor into industries in which the white workers are not unionized,

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