Jewish Groups Urge Congress Committees to Pass Bill for Federal Fair Employment Agency

Support of legislation to create a permanent federal Fair Employment Practice Commission was voiced today in behalf of all leading Jewish organizations by David Sher, chairman of the National Community Relations Advisory Council. The council is composed of representatives of the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish congress, B’nai B’rith, Jewish Labor committee, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and eighteen local Jewish organizations in Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other cities.

In letters addressed to the Senate Committee on Education and Labor and to the House Committee on Labor, Mr. Sher pointed out that the Jewish groups affiliated with his organization are of the opinion that “the experience of the present Fair Employment Practice Committee in barring discrimination in war industries has proved to be an important factor in achieving non-discriminatory practices in employment.”

Stressing the need for immediate consideration by the Congress of the pending legislation, which provides for the establishment of a federal agency vested with sufficient power to bar racial bias from employment, Mr. She stated: “Daily the rate of war contract cancellations and production cutbacks increases. Decreases in the number of persons employed in war plants makes possible discrimination in discharges. Moreover, the curtailment in war production places many firms outside the jurisdiction of the present FEPC which is restricted to war industries. For these reasons legislation establishing a permanent and strong FEPC should be passed without delay.”