LDF Claims Bias by Electrical Workers

Press Release
November 2, 1967

LDF Claims Bias by Electrical Workers preview

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  • Press Releases, Volume 5. LDF Claims Bias by Electrical Workers, 1967. 9a055233-b892-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/474d9374-83be-4d06-9b25-4e887b16a412/ldf-claims-bias-by-electrical-workers. Accessed July 06, 2025.

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    Prefion. Francis E- Rivera 
PRESS RELEASE Director-Counsel 

egal refense und Jack Greenberg 
Director, Public Relations 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND, INC. Jesse DeVore, Jr. 

10 Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10019 * JUdson 6-8397 FOR RELEASE ee 

48 
Pa 

NIGHT NUMBER 212-749-8487 

THURSDAY 
November 2, 1967 

LDF CLAIMS BIAS BY 
ELECTRICAL WORKERS 

AFL-CIO Affiliate Is Cited 

BIRMINGHAM---A local Negro, who is a licensed electrician, today askea 

the U.S. District Court here to order his admittance to Local 136, 

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO. 

Plaintiff Arnett Banks is being represented by attorneys of the NAACP 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF). 

Mr. Banks, through the LDF, is asking for a preliminary and permanent 

injunction to stop Local 136 "from continuing to maintain its policy 

and practice of denying membership to persons because of race and 

color." 

The LDF complaint alleges "that there are no Negro persons who are 

members of Local 136." 

It further asserts that Local 196's "policy and practice is violative 

of rights secured by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." 

Mr. Banks, who is presently a self-employed electrician, has been 

licensed by Birmingham's Board of Electrical Examiners, as a journey- 

man electrician. 

He also qualified in other ways, the LDF maintains, "for membership 

in Local 136," which he attempted to join in April of 1965. 

His ten dollar application fee was accepted. However, he was told 

three months later that his application was rejected. 

Mr. Banks then filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employ- 

ment Opportunity Commission alleging violation of his rights under 

Title VII. 

EEOC subsequently found "reasonable cause to believe that the charge 

of discrimination against Local 136 is true," following failure of 

conciliation. 

LDF attorneys point out that "neither Alabama nor the city of Birming 

ham has a law prohibiting the unlawful employment practices alleged" 

by the complaint. 

Attorney Oscar Adams, 1630 Fourth Avenue North, Birmingham, is joined 

by LDF New York based lawyers Jack Greenberg, director-counsel, 

Robert Belton and Gabrielle A. Kirk in this action. 

=G0= 

NOTE: The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is a 

separate and distinct organization from the NAACP, serving as the 

legal arm of the entire civil rights movement and representing mem- 

bers of all groups as well as unaffiliated individuals.

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© NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

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