Erik Loomis
@erikloomis.bsky.social
Labor and environmental historian. Writer of books, teacher of American horrors, talker on labor movement. Beer, country music, and football are not just for the right wingers. Cats. The West. Music. Graves. Writes at https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/
Back tomorrow to discuss the horrors of United Fruit and resistance to that evil company in Colombia in a 1928 strike.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Back tomorrow to discuss the horrors of United Fruit and resistance to that evil company in Colombia in a 1928 strike.
In the end, CARD itself didn’t accomplish all that much. But it’s still important to note attempts to reorient the labor movement as a movement that also fought racism.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
In the end, CARD itself didn’t accomplish all that much. But it’s still important to note attempts to reorient the labor movement as a movement that also fought racism.
But such movements as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 would be supported by more civil rights oriented unions such as the UAW and forced the entire federation to greater commitment toward fighting racism on the job.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
But such movements as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 would be supported by more civil rights oriented unions such as the UAW and forced the entire federation to greater commitment toward fighting racism on the job.
It continued until 1955, when the CIO merged with the AFL. After this, the union movement once again reverted to a general indifference to civil rights.
November 11, 2025 at 1:26 PM
It continued until 1955, when the CIO merged with the AFL. After this, the union movement once again reverted to a general indifference to civil rights.
But at the same time, Black Americans were fighting for civil rights in a new and invigorated way, with both lawsuits and grassroots action forcing racists on the defensive. So this kept anti-racism in the labor movement alive. In 1952, CARD was renamed the Civil Rights Committee.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
But at the same time, Black Americans were fighting for civil rights in a new and invigorated way, with both lawsuits and grassroots action forcing racists on the defensive. So this kept anti-racism in the labor movement alive. In 1952, CARD was renamed the Civil Rights Committee.
After World War II, the communist-led unions, again the leaders for racial equality, were evicted from the CIO in the aftermath of the Taft-Hartley Act, as well as rank-and-file opposition to communists in many unions. This significantly reduced the push within the CIO for racial equality.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
After World War II, the communist-led unions, again the leaders for racial equality, were evicted from the CIO in the aftermath of the Taft-Hartley Act, as well as rank-and-file opposition to communists in many unions. This significantly reduced the push within the CIO for racial equality.
But that’s really if rank-and-file members want to listen. Often they do not and resent their unions attempting to address such issues.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
But that’s really if rank-and-file members want to listen. Often they do not and resent their unions attempting to address such issues.
Again, there wasn’t that much CARD could really do. The idea that the union movement can recreate the racial and political ideology of their members is overrated. It can help, that’s for sure.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Again, there wasn’t that much CARD could really do. The idea that the union movement can recreate the racial and political ideology of their members is overrated. It can help, that’s for sure.
It basically served as a movement within the CIO to educate workers about the need for racial equality. This itself was a hard enough row to hoe. Roosevelt created the Fair Employment Practices Committee and CARD did a lot of work to build support for this within the CIO membership.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
It basically served as a movement within the CIO to educate workers about the need for racial equality. This itself was a hard enough row to hoe. Roosevelt created the Fair Employment Practices Committee and CARD did a lot of work to build support for this within the CIO membership.
George L.P. Weaver, an officer in the United Transport Service Employees Union and a Black man, was the head of CARD. The committee itself was an interracial attempt to confront racism in the union movement. CARD itself did not have a massive impact, but it’s unfair to expect it to have.
November 11, 2025 at 1:25 PM
George L.P. Weaver, an officer in the United Transport Service Employees Union and a Black man, was the head of CARD. The committee itself was an interracial attempt to confront racism in the union movement. CARD itself did not have a massive impact, but it’s unfair to expect it to have.
The need for rank and file education for white workers on race was of prime importance during these years. It was a hard road. But the United Auto Workers supporting a crack down on its members who struck for an all-white workplace was an important precedent.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
The need for rank and file education for white workers on race was of prime importance during these years. It was a hard road. But the United Auto Workers supporting a crack down on its members who struck for an all-white workplace was an important precedent.
It was more than necessary. Despite the talk about Black union rights, for many white workers, their top priority was keeping the workplace lily white. This is what led to such things as the Detroit Hate Strike in 1943, which was hardly the only example of this sort of thing during World War II.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
It was more than necessary. Despite the talk about Black union rights, for many white workers, their top priority was keeping the workplace lily white. This is what led to such things as the Detroit Hate Strike in 1943, which was hardly the only example of this sort of thing during World War II.
Now, let’s be clear. Some of this was the CIO responding to criticism from civil rights organizations that suggested that the union talked a big game about fighting racism but not doing anything real. This was the critique of the NAACP and Urban League, as well as rank and file Black unionists.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Now, let’s be clear. Some of this was the CIO responding to criticism from civil rights organizations that suggested that the union talked a big game about fighting racism but not doing anything real. This was the critique of the NAACP and Urban League, as well as rank and file Black unionists.
The next year, it created the Committee to Abolish Racial Discrimination. That intended to build on Randolph’s principles and fight against racism in job assignments, promotions, and advancement.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
The next year, it created the Committee to Abolish Racial Discrimination. That intended to build on Randolph’s principles and fight against racism in job assignments, promotions, and advancement.
But when A. Philip Randolph, always an AFL guy with his Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, threatened his March on Washington that forced FDR to desegregate employers with defense contracts, it gave an increasingly powerful CIO more incentive to do something real.
November 11, 2025 at 1:24 PM
But when A. Philip Randolph, always an AFL guy with his Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, threatened his March on Washington that forced FDR to desegregate employers with defense contracts, it gave an increasingly powerful CIO more incentive to do something real.
As early as 1936, the CIO had pledged to organize workers regardless of race or color. That was a nice pledge, though maybe was more an aspirational statement than a meaningful one at the time given the CIO’s limited power.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
As early as 1936, the CIO had pledged to organize workers regardless of race or color. That was a nice pledge, though maybe was more an aspirational statement than a meaningful one at the time given the CIO’s limited power.
Some of the unions though with a strong commitment to racial equality were much larger, such as the United Packinghouse Workers of America, which finally organized the Jungle in Chicago.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Some of the unions though with a strong commitment to racial equality were much larger, such as the United Packinghouse Workers of America, which finally organized the Jungle in Chicago.
That doesn’t mean all rank and file members felt comfortable with that. Quite the opposite. But official policy matters. A lot.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
That doesn’t mean all rank and file members felt comfortable with that. Quite the opposite. But official policy matters. A lot.
Unquestionably, the white-led organization that did the most to fight racism in the U.S. in these years was the Communist Party. So unions, many of them small, in the CIO had quite egalitarian racial politics.
November 11, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Unquestionably, the white-led organization that did the most to fight racism in the U.S. in these years was the Communist Party. So unions, many of them small, in the CIO had quite egalitarian racial politics.
So the CIO formed in 1935 and then became its own labor federation in 1937. Some of its unions immediately embraced a real racial democracy. Many of those were communist led.
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
So the CIO formed in 1935 and then became its own labor federation in 1937. Some of its unions immediately embraced a real racial democracy. Many of those were communist led.
The AFL’s reticence to organize on an industrial basis was partly a discomfort with the reality of what the industrial workforce looked like–polyglot, Black, Mexican, women.
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The AFL’s reticence to organize on an industrial basis was partly a discomfort with the reality of what the industrial workforce looked like–polyglot, Black, Mexican, women.
Black workers had long been suspicious of organized labor because central to so many unions was keeping an all-white workplace. In fact, this racism was part of the reason the CIO needed to break from the AFL in 1937.
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Black workers had long been suspicious of organized labor because central to so many unions was keeping an all-white workplace. In fact, this racism was part of the reason the CIO needed to break from the AFL in 1937.
This had gone long to define the labor movement in the United States, with its very long hostility to immigration, especially from Asia, for well over a half-century by the time the CIO formed the CARD. Relationships with Black workers were not much better.
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
This had gone long to define the labor movement in the United States, with its very long hostility to immigration, especially from Asia, for well over a half-century by the time the CIO formed the CARD. Relationships with Black workers were not much better.
Like every white-led organization in the United States during these years, racism was a serious problem within the CIO. Simply put, white supremacy was central to American ideology.
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Like every white-led organization in the United States during these years, racism was a serious problem within the CIO. Simply put, white supremacy was central to American ideology.