Nashville Negroes Use Rights Act in Fight Against Job Bias

    td 10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

NAACP 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund 
PRESS RELEASE 
Presiden ; 

Dr. ‘Allan Knight Chalmers OT REEe eo 

Director-Counset Thursday 

Jack Greenberg July 29, 1965 

NASHVILL NEGROES USE ‘RIGHTS 

ACT IN AGAINST JOB BIAS 

‘Rights Groups Begin to Move Under Title VII 

WASHINGTON--A series of complaints charging employment discrimination 

against Nashville Negroes by three firms and a labor union, were 

filed here today with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 

The Werthan Bag Company, Avco Electronic, Machinist's Local 

735 and Dupont were cited following investigations of NAACP flegal 

Defense Fund field worker Delbert Spurlock. 

Mr. Spurlock is headquartered in the offices of Attorney Ze 

Alexander Looby, Looby Building, Charlotte and Fourth. 

The complaints were filed in Washington by Herbert Hill, labor 

secretary of the NAACP, which, along with the NAACP Legal Defense 

Fund, is conducting a drive to implement Title VII of the Civil 

Rights Act. 

Both organizations will be filing additional complaints in the 

future. 

One Negro employee of Avco reported that Negroes remain as 

laborers in the machine shop and air-craft divisions because they 

are switched from department to department, “each time destroying 

the worker's seniority." 

The Negro worker added that "there are no white workers in the 

labor classification in maintenance. White workers, no matter 

what their qualifications, start out, at least, in the category oft 

general helper, and soon move on to even higher classifications." 

Negro workers at Avco may have higher seniority than a pew 

white general helper, do the same work, and yet, receive ees pay, 

the complaint ant assented. 

GURY ea oat (more) 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public Information—Night Number 212 Riverside 9-8487 So 



Nashville Negroes Use ‘Rights -2- July 29, 1965 
Act In Fight Against Job Bias 

Even more, the Negro worker may be switched to another 

department and be laid off while the new white worker remains on 

the job to learn a new trade and receive advancement, it was 

charged. 

One of the complaints against the We xthan Bag Company stated 

that a Negro learned to operate machines, "while still working as a 

janitor," and was subecquently asked to show new white workers 

how to operate them, 

The white trainees received higher salaries than their Negro 

teacher, 

His efforts to secure a raise met with evasive tactics, A 

year later, he was told that he would not make a good machinist. 

When he persisted, he was transferred to the paper mill where he 

secured a slight raise, but shorter hours. 

His salary dropped from $62.00 to $50.00 a week. 

Legal Defense Fund Worker Spurlock is attempting to show 

Tennessee Negro citizens their rights under Title VII of the Civil 

Rights Act----the fair employment section. 

He is one of a team of field workers now stationed across the 

south and working with NAACP chapters and other civil rights and 

civic groups. 

-30-