letter, I will attempt to supply information in the order in which it is requested. (1) The EEI does not have discriminatory employment policies. Our application forms have no blanks on which the race of the applicant can be shown. In advertising for skilled and professional classifications in newspapers and trade magazines, we have made no reference to race, creed, or color. A typical ad order is attached, marked “Exhibit A.” Combustion Engineering Co. informs us that they do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race. They display in their Field Employment Office a poster "Equal economic opportunity published by the President's Committee on Government Contracts." They recognize labor unions as agents for the respective crafts, and usually call on them for the men desired. See exhibit B. (2) We employ no Negroes at this time, but we have not refused to employ them. A group of Negroes called on us in 1952 seeking employment as janitors. At that time we were not employing janitors, and they were so informed. They were also told that if they would make application later their applications would be given due consideration. During the construction period, all applicants, both colored and white, were referred to Mr. Frank Grammer, who gave to each of them an application for employment. The forms were filed in our employment office according to job classifications without any discrimination. Those for unskilled positions were kept only for a short period of time in our active file, and in not more than 60 days were placed in an inactive file. Whenever we had need for an employee of a certain job classification, the application forms were reviewed, selections were made from them, and the party selected was granted a personal interview. When these selections were made, we had no way of knowing whether the party selected was white or a Negro. Mr. Strickland wrote us July 2, 1951, requesting an application. He made no reference to his race. He received an application. We have no record of his having called, but we had no employment office established at that time. When he applied again in May 1955, his application was placed in the active file. On November 10, 1955, we received an undated letter from Mr. Strickland, complaining that he was not given a job. His application gave color of eyes gray, color of hair sandy. After receipt of this letter, we wrote him and suggested that he complete another application, because our forms had been revised. The new forms had a blank for arrests or police record. On the revised form his aswers showed a police record, which would automatically eliminate him as a desirable applicant under our employment practices. A copy of this application is attached. We have a very small employment turnover. Our labor turnover is approximately 1 percent. See exhibit C. (3) Combustion Engineering, Inc., informs us that Strickland inquired at the home of Mr. Wayman Lowry if Combustion Engineering Co. had any colored employees working, or if they had any policy against hiring them. The reply was that they did not have any colored employees on the job at that time, but had no policy against hiring them. Mr. Lowry further informed him that they had called for necessary employees through union representatives. See exhibit B. We think it improbable that the large number of Negroes qualified to hold jobs on powerplant operations could be found in Massac County, as stated by Mr. Strickland. The number of Negro families in Messac County is small and our information is that there are no skilled laborers among them. We do find the application of Ethelburt Hester, of Joppa. See exhibit D. Our employment people had no knowledge as to the race of this applicant. Our requirements are largely for skilled labor. In our experience, construction employees are frequently unsatisfactory in that they are not accustomed to permanent employment in one locality. Our selections have been made on the basis of what appears to us to be qualifications for the job, without considering race, creed, or color. Yours very truly, TURNER WHITE, Jr., President. EXHIBIT 5 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Discrimination complaint-Mrs. Charles J. Jackson. ELECTRIC ENERGY, INC., (Attention: Mr. Turner White, President.) GENTLEMEN: The President's Committee on Government Contracts has advised the Commission that, after a thorough review of the investigative report on the subject complaint, they have decided to transfer the complaint to an inactive status. We have been asked to furnish one more quarterly report on your employment which would be your March 31, 1958, report. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Paducah Area. EXHIBIT 6 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Discrimination complaint-EEI. Joppa, Ill. (Attention: Mr. Turner White, Jr., President.) GENTLEMEN: I am pleased to forward you a copy of a letter dated October 25, 1958, from the President's Committee on Government Contracts to the Atomic Energy Commission which formally closes the case of the discrimination complaint raised by Mr. Julian Strickland against your company. Very truly yours, Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. Complainant: Mr. Juliam Strickland (deceased), Metropolis, Ill. Date of Committee action: October 15, 1958. DEAR MR. TRAYNOR: The investigative report of the subject complaint was presented to the Committee at its recent meeting. Following a thorough review of the findings of the investigation as set forth in the report the Committee decided to close the case. We shall appreciate it very much if you will inform the contractor of the action the Committee has taken with regard to the complaint. Sincerely yours, JACOB SEIDENBERG, Executive Director. EXHIBIT 8 U. S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Discrimination complaint, Mrs. Chas. J. Jackson. ELECTRIC ENERGY, INC., (Attention of Mr. Turner White, Jr., President). GENTLEMEN: Enclosed is a copy of a letter written by Mrs. Chas J. Jackson in which it is alleged that you have engaged in discriminatory employment practices. Confirming discussions on November 8, 1957, between your Mr. John G. Koopman and Messrs. Stiller and Jones of the Atomic Energy Commission, it is requested that you furnish this office with a statement covering your position in this matter. In this connection, it is believed appropriate to summarize the extent of contact which Mrs. Jackson previously had with members of your company. We will appreciate receiving your reply by November 20. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Very truly yours, MR. MAXWELL RABB, K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Paducah Area. EXHIBIT 9 METROPOLIS, ILL., October 8, 1957. White House Aid on Minorities, DEAR MR. RABB: It is because of discrimination in employment at the Electric Energy Plant at Joppa, Ill., that I am writing you. The Electric Energy started operation 4 years ago and as you know supplies power for the atomic plant in Paducah, Ky. Up until this time it hasn't hired a single Negro though many have filed applications. None have ever been called for an interview. They nor their affiliate the Marine Terminal Coal Co. which supplies coal for them have hired a Negro for anything or any sort of job. We will greatly appreciate it if you will do what you can to correct this injustice. Yours truly, (Mrs.) CHAS. J. JACKSON. EXHIBIT 10 NOVEMBER 18, 1957. Re discrimination complaint, Mrs. Charles J. Jackson. Mr. K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Paducah Area, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Paducah, Ky. DEAR MR. BROOKS: We are in receipt of your letter of November 12, 1957, enclosing copy of a letter written by Mr. Charles J. Jackson alleging discriminatory employment practices. On December 7, 1956, Mrs. Charles Jackson called on me in my office at the Joppa Steam Electric Station and requested information from us to our employment practices. She stated to me at the time that we should have some Negro employees and that by some obscure means we were preventing their employment. I explained very carefully to Mrs. Jackson the procedure by which we employ personnel and that there was no means by which the superintendent could determine, prior to a personal interview, whether an applicant was colored or white. Mrs. Jackson stated that there were some five or six Negroes who had applications with us for work and nothing had been heard from us. An investigation revealed that none of these had applied within the last year and some had not applied for several years. As stated to you in previous correspondence, our policy is to hold applications in an active file for about 2 months and then place them in an inactive file or destroy them. This procedure is so stated on the application blank, and it has been adopted to prevent the costly time consuming effort of one or two employees endeavoring to locate someone who has found work elsewhere. In addition to the detailed explanation given Mrs. Jackson by myself, I arranged for her to interview our labor relations supervisor, Mr. Patrick. He was able to locate the applications of those people whom Mrs. Jackson had mentioned. The fact that they were colored was not known to Mr. Patrick nor was there any means by which he could have determined their race without calling them to the plant for an interview. We do not know at this time if there are any applications by Negroes in our file and will not know until such time as the qualifications expressed in the application appeal to our employment officer and he calls such an individual in for an interview. I should like to point out that we employ very few new people during the year and most of them come recommended to us by other employees who have known them and are prepared to vouch for their integrity. We are in no position to state when anyone might be employed in the future. Nor, of course, can we guarantee, as Mrs. Jackson requested of us, that we agree to employ some three or four Negroes. Most of our employees are highly skilled, and through the percentage of the Negro population to the white population in this area is very low, the ratio of skilled Negro workers to skilled white workers is much lower. We are not, nor have we ever been, an affiliate of the Marine Terminal Coal Co. nor do we have at this time, nor have we had in the past, any relationship with them contractually or otherwise. There has been an implication that our employment policy could provide for race discrimination. There is nothing known to me in our employment procedures that would support such a view nor do the facts support it. Yours very truly, TURNER WHITE, Jr., President. EXHIBIT 11 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Nondiscrimination posters. ELECTRIC ENERGY, INC., St. Louis, Mo. (Attention: Mr. J. W. McAfee.) GENTLEMEN: This will refer to paragraph 9 of your letter contract No. AT (40-1)-2167 dated November 14, 1955. Enclosed are two copies of a poster entitled "Equal Economic Opportunity.” This poster is a notice contemplated by paragraph 9 concerning the nondiscrimination clause in the contract and should be posted in all your employment offices and on principal bulletin boards or other places used for providing information to employees. If you will estimate the needs of your company and your subcontractors for this poster and notify this office, these notices will be sent to you in the quantity needed. Very truly yours, K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Paducah Area. EXHIBIT 12 Re A:SS. Subject: Nondiscrimination posters. Mr. K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Atomic Energy Commission, Paducah Area, Paducah, Ky. DEAR MR. BROOKS: This is in reference to your letter of December 2, addressed to Mr. J. W. McAfee, relative to nondiscrimination posters. For the present, six additional posters will be sufficient. Yours very truly, J. G. KOOPMAN, Vice President. EXHIBIT 13 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Manual-“Equal Job Opportunity Program." Joppa, Ill. (Attention: Mr. Turner White, Jr., President.) GENTLEMEN: Enclosed is a manual entitled, "Equal Job Opportunity Program," issued by the President's Committee on Government Contracts, Washington, D.C. The manual is being furnished for information and guidance in complying with the nondiscrimination agreement contained in section 7.13 of your contract No. AT (40-1)-1312. Very truly yours, B. U. STILLER, (For K. C. Brooks, Manager, Paducah Area). EXHIBIT 14 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, Subject: Poster-"Equal Economic Opportunity." GENTLEMEN: We are enclosing six copies of poster entitled "Equal Economic Opportunity" issued by the President's Committee on Government Contracts, Washington, D.C. These posters are being furnished for information and guidance in connection with the antidiscrimination provisions (sec. 7.13) of your contract. The posters should be placed in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment. In connection with the provisions of paragraph 2 of section 7.13, you are advised that the term "subcontract" as used in this paragraph has been deemed to include "purchase orders." Very truly yours, K. C. BROOKS, Manager, Paducah Area. 77736-62-pt. 2- -27 |