Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 10, 1979, edition 1 / Page 17
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ROOT/ ~ r \ # ^ OF ALACK ^ cWinstori- Salem . ^ \ # . -' . - . = v" ' - <m ?, l? ? i i HMkTBUjBKv^i. v ^ai. H ??. - m /.' V i_s Long-Remerr ; On May 1, 1947 members of the 1 t ^ > _r ii n i T- i a ? locai zz 01 ine rooa, looacco, Agriculture and Allied Workers Union of | America went on strike against R. J. . 1 Reynolds Tobacco Company. When the strike was called, a majority of the black workers, walked off the job. | The main Issue that was^ther focal 1 point of the dispute between the union and Reynolds was wages. The union wanted an increase of 15 cents an hour and the company was only willing to go ? as high as 5 Vi cents an hoyr. The strike, which lasted for 38 days, helped to reduce the production of the world's third largest tobacco industry I ?? by 80 per cent. The strike cost | Reynolds a million dollars a week with over a half of its labor force on strike. The union won a National Labor Relations board election in 1943. It was certified in 1944 as the sole bargaining agent for all production and maintenance employees of the company. The membership of the union was 80 per cent black. Blacks also comprised 50 per cent of the company's labor force. When the union called for the | strike, a majority of the black workers walked out. | According to a newspaper account of the strike, out of Reynolds 10,000 employees, only 150 white employees were not at work. The plants still ran and were operated by workers who remained on the job. Blacks and j whites who remained on the job became targets of heavy pressure to cooperate Vith the strikers or the company. In aHHitir?n tn an inrrpa?p in u/aop? (Ill UViU lliv/n v v/ Mil iiiv? ' ' ' i strikers also wanted an adequate alth and group insurance plan, paid by the company, 10 cent differentiinstead of 5-cent for night workers* 1 union security, automatic prosssion to the top of the wage scale, anges in some job ratings to correct jquities and time and a half pay for Battle Shi forld War II ended in impeded racia >, and America's blacks some areas. \ an another sort of battle ended, so did i :he home frontf that of Tot segfegatfti: ning equal rights in In 1946 Pre r own country. ??^ - -SL Truman "Ll'lisCfl luniL to take place - in the The group pi ted forces, for example port entitled the nature of the war These Rights i > ~~ t? - ?? ?* J 1945-50: B \ "A ' After World War II, blacks began mak . 4 re-entry into politics, different jobsjtnd intc of organized labor, which set the way for ma present day bLacks to enter into the mainsti The time period from 1945 to 1950, althoi in number, was long on accomplishments of the city. During this time period a black was s the Board of Aldermen, the first black to be a public office in the South since Reconstru Dr. Kenneth R. Williams, chancellor en Winston-Salem State University and the f alderman to be elected, told the Chronic experience and of the conflicts as well as ac ments during his time in office. Dr. Williams also discusses the role he pla sirifc**. L.,Bfiynnlris.Triharrn Cnm] irrTooklng attne strife Dy, tne Local i Tobacco Workers Union, we see black worke MftM V '-* time* k ? U. 'k. j if *7 JL !-^^Hr * 05'w^K/C'j V V^Bf *jt *E kSHMEmI^*' n _ JvflflB UBJK hL&K^SS' fifip I t ' ' . K- MitC3nB |^H i-I^Ty, B^%"' ' |h^ , I, , i ,,n|| m '*^?^**3BR5|MB _>__| ^ m | ' a ' . ^ Retiree Recalls Strike J Retired Reynolds employee William Hayes remem- ? I bers the tobacco, strike well but he admits to being || I fuzzy on some of the dates. Mr. Hayes describes his 1 I. "We had a shop steward who we would tell all our 1 | grievances to. Each department had a steward who | : wouiu repon your grievances oac* 10 ine union. ^ | People in the union would go around and elecit gj | employee names and ask them to join the union." "R. J. Reynolds told the union that they charge the S | union 25 per cent of the $1.00 to collect union dues, jf I The union didn't accept that so we would have to go to j| I?the office and pay dues. It was 25 cents a week." "The union would also bargain for better condi- j | tions. We wanted the same bathrooms, water ^ I fountains and same doors. Before the strike we had 1 AS | colored doors and white doors, meaning if you were | | black you could only come or go through that door." g "We wanted a union, and the strike was to convince |ii 1 Reynolds that we wanted a union. We wanted better jg | conditions, higher wages, better relationships be- 1 I tween the company; and employee and group j | | insurance." "When they called the strike the workers already at | work left and the ones coming on for the next shift | didn't go. We took turns picketing. We would each I | picket about two hours a day. We sang songs, carried | signs and marched. Two thirds of the employees went | | on strike." j "I was crazy about the union. It made Reynolds a j | better place to work." |r^r---r- rTT'ii'i'Tif Tll'i'il i I mil iimni'iUli iiiiiiiiiiiiinff all work over 40 hours a week. R. J. Reynolds was founded in 1875 by Richard Joshua Reynolds. In 1890 the company had a capital of $350,000. After making Camel cigarettes? in 1S1J, sales and assets ot the company began expanding. Between 1939 and 1947, the worth had increased to $232 million. In spite of unionization in 1944, the average hour earnings for workers were &5 cents. I his was 11 cents less than the fts From Abroad 1 il progress in blacks' rights to equal op- fighting in Koi Vhen the war portunity and calling for an Matthew ridj many excuses end to segregation. At the grated blacks rr same time the armed forces his EtfSt comn ;sident Harry abolished racial quotas and 1951 nearly on appointed a opened all jobs to all per- combat troops ^^^j^udy sonnel re ft a rd 1 es liBfisfiecT aTre^"* Hie new integration po- 1e\s ^progress! "To Secure Hey of the United States military. Bj " supporting was solidified by the states had for! * Ut lacks Ente ing their Reynolds Tobacco Company ) the area wages and inferior working c iny of our stand to bring about changes, earn. The Chronicle found that t jgh small Reynolds is still a very delicat blacks in 32 years later. One leader o elected to discuss the issue for reasons i elected to However one gentleman, ction. employee, William Hayes, \ leritus of recollections of the strike, irst black participant. \c of his One man who is presen complish- Reynolds ^aid frankly that he the strike because he feared f yed in the "That's still a touchy subje rwnyi. my th &Wl ^ago^'' uie man saicf rsofR. J. In the area of economics, * s' . i v.*it.v-** - rr "-Vr *" :|?S I =V me. Predecessor Of id 38 Days average hourly wage of the tobacco manufacturing industry. According to newspaper accouffts, at the time* of the strike blacks occupied the lowest jobs and mechanized production was confined to whites.^Fhe local 22 helped to achieve some-gains for workers at Reynolds. In 1946 the union helped to establish the eight-hour day and the 40-hour week. They helped to contract $300 per year to each worker's pay and an average increase of 12 cents per hour. It is estimated that more than 8,000 workers went on strike. They received support both locally and nationally. However R. J. Reynolds countered the strike by giving special privileges to .L ? t A 1 4l *" ine workers wno stayed on tne jod. Reynolds gave bonuses to those who would work during the strike. Thousands of strikers received eviction notices from their homes because they couldn't pay their rent. The unemployment checks of seasonal workers were delayed. Strikers were unable to withdraw funds from their savings at Wachovia Bank because R. J. Reynolds had a large interest. It was also made difficult for strikers to get loans on their insurance policies. Also several white leaders of Local 22 were identified as avowed communists when the union officers refused to sign the non-communist affidavits required of union leaders by the Taft-Hartley Act. Because of this, R. J. Reynolds refused to bargain and the 38 day strike was settled on company terms. Blacks returning to work found many of their jobs being done by machines, so many blacks were laid off in part to mechanization. In 1950 the union lost its certification an/1 D*un Viae uwil aiiu i\V J IIV/IU J IIOJ UVTVI UVVU organized smce. "o Home ea. General ?nination in public hgpsin^, geway inte- and lending institutions throughout were told to grant loans for land, and by homes for minorities, but e third of the blacks who attempted to was black. move into white neighborhoods were confronted >y jBnnnffiiwiwhat Individual states ~sgere rve- than the *k**er ~th*n -4he -federal / 1950 nine government in recognizing bidden discri- the rights of blacfs. * ? ' The Chroc r Into Mail concerned about low first black credit conditions. They took a Nesbv, the founc deceased but we he strike against R. J. , wife Clara Nesby. e subject today, almost Mrs. Nesby sc f the strike refused to numerous scrap not revealed. husband's accomp a retired Reynolds Credit Union, villingly discussed his Mrs. Nesby first and his part as a the credit union wl ? Chicago. She kept tly working for R.J. the h^PPenin?s w a a * * < * turned out to be i didn t want to discuss .... records to be foun or his job. TU. . This week we ais ct and I'm not going to ~1948 performed a Malloy's successfi Winston-Salem saw its jecognition in the _ I TT'm 1 . j? ?^ ? . "1 -v ^m^myrnrn Hiy^ Hooper's E *1 1 i Dr. Kenneth R Williams Shat In 1947 Dr. Kenneth R. Williams was elected to Winston-Salem Board of Aldermen, making him the first Pl black to be elected to a political office * in the South since Reconstruction. Dr. Williams spent two two-year terms in to< office. a8 pa Williams said. "I did not plan to develop a career in politics." an Dr. Williams said that he was asked w< ec to run for Alderman by local citizens. ar He said he was not affiliated with the local 22 Food and Tobacco union. "The union did endorse me but that was after I had decided to run," ?* iif *h ? *' wiiiiams said. ** His primary reason for running, was ^ to get involved and be a representative ^ for the black community. Dr. Williams _ran on a platform for better housing, increased employment, better streets ^ and for the assumption of greater responsibility by the city for its black citizens. While in office Williams said that he was able to accomplish some of his goals t( but not as much as he would jt have liked. h ^'During my terms in office, blacks a ent^rprl the fire department and police p departments." Willian^. said.^ "WC . tnauC uvtiniiC ? m p T G V C m Cflf ul rrCTTl J? * ^ I im%, ?oonMruuuui m ~mr w^, Kimberly Park Terrace while I was in n k % . " v i; : 4 itele, Saturday March 10, 1979- Page 17 istream union organized in 1946. W. M. ier of Victory Credit Union, is received enormous help from his * :rounged around and found the books she had kept about her ilishments and his work at Victory started keeping a scrap book about len her spouse won a scholarship in the books to keep him informed of hile he was away. Her scrapbooks he most accesible and informative d at this time. >o featured Dr. H. R.^Malloy who in rare and delicate ofteration on a * ? V i.^BTT \ H ^ >U%H g_g I'j[W p.yy * i f he kv ro * . Williams ters Barrier rice." . Dr. Williams said that other units in iblic housing were started and that e streets were improved. A couple of weeks after Dr. Williams office the Local 22 called a strike ainst R. J, Reynolds Tobacco Comny, ... _ "With most of the-blacks on strike id with the whites continuing to Drk, the strike became not so much a onomic, but a racial issue," Willins said. Dr. VWkMfiams said that the Food and :>bacco Union had made little or no fort to organize the white employees Reynolds. He said that the union as taking advantage of the fact that tere were more black employees at iat timp "After a few weeks, with little or no mlernent, the union was paying no eed to the people on strike," Dr. /illiams said. "The union exploited ie blacks and many of their jobs were liminated by machines." "I'm not saying that r echanization as a deliberate attempt by Reynolds ) get rid of the blacks, but to increase s efficicncy, but at the same time jobs eld by blacks decreased considerably fter the strike." Drr Williams exlained. - , * the unions n<r?5rerinai ~ Jin Ait puTifnj iity. See Page 20
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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March 10, 1979, edition 1
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