Charles Zimmerman – AFL-CIO Rights Committee Chairman

Charles Zimmerman – AFL-CIO Rights Committee Chairman

The following are excerpts from the remarks at the Local 6 Better Race Relations award meeting made by Charles Zimmerman, chairman of the national AFL-CIO Civil Rights Committee.

I'm very happy to be here tonight and to congratulate Local 6 for the splendid idea of establishing this Award, and especially this year for giving it to the children who symbolize the struggle throughout the length and breadth of this country for integration in the public schools. The people here and in many communities throughout the country, African-Americans and whites, Jews and Gentiles, are all with them in this struggle.

Governor Faubus does not represent our country. I think that Governor Harriman in his struggle for civil rights represents this country more and represents truly the democratic traditions of our country.

As the chairman of the Civil Rights Committee of the AFL-CIO, I want to state that Local 6 is carrying through now the constitutional provisions of the merged labor movement for the struggle for civil rights against any sort of discrimination wherever it may appear outside or inside the labor movement. We'll fight against discrimination no matter in what form it expresses itself-whether it's in the public schools, whether it's on the job, whether it's in housing, whether it's in education or any other way.

The 16 million organized workers in this country are for integration. They're against any sort of discrimination. They want equal opportunity for all people, for all workers, regardless of race, color or creed. Friends, there is a mighty organized force in this community. We'll fight and demolish all the rocks that stand in our way, and, whether little rocks or big rocks, we'll demolish them all.