Cleveland Convention Center labor dispute of 1963 facts for kids

The Cleveland Convention Center labor dispute of 1963 was a disagreement between a civil rights group called the United Freedom Movement (UFM) and four local labor unions. The problem was that these unions were not allowing African Americans to join or get jobs, which was a form of racial discrimination. This dispute happened while the Cleveland Convention Center was being built in Cleveland, Ohio.

The conflict started on June 25, 1963, when the UFM, which was a group of African American community organizations and their supporters, said they would start picketing (protesting) at the construction site. After some temporary agreements, a main agreement was reached on July 20. In this agreement, the unions promised to let Black workers become members. However, this agreement quickly fell apart. A new, more detailed agreement was made on August 4, after the United States Department of Labor stepped in to help. It was still difficult to make this agreement work, but the threat of protests finally ended on September 15. The August 4 agreement was seen as a big step forward for civil rights and for race relations in the American labor movement.

Building the Convention Center

After four years of planning, the Cleveland City Council approved building a new convention center on June 6, 1960. It was going to cost $10 million and be very large, about 226,000 square feet. This new center would be built underground beneath parts of Cleveland Mall. Voters in Cleveland approved the money for the project on November 9, 1960.

Construction started on July 17, 1961. By May 1963, the project was going well. Officials thought the convention center, which now cost about $14 million, would be finished by August 1964.

The Conflict Begins

On June 24, 1963, the United Freedom Movement (UFM) announced they would start protesting at the convention center construction site. The main problem was racism. Some labor unions, which controlled all the jobs at the site, would not allow African Americans to become members. This meant Black workers couldn't get jobs there.

The UFM and the NAACP pointed out that only 27 out of 300 workers at the site were African American. Cleveland city leaders, including Mayor Ralph S. Locher, met with the UFM to try and stop the protests.

The UFM demanded that four specific unions, which had no African American members, immediately hire minority workers. These unions were Electricians' Local 38, Plumbers Local 55, Sheet Metal Workers Local 65, and Structural Iron Workers Local 17. The unions said they weren't discriminating. They claimed they just couldn't find Black workers who could pass their required tests. The talks failed, and it was unclear if the UFM would start protesting.

On July 2, a plumbing company agreed to hire two Black plumbers. Plumbers Local 55 agreed to meet later to test applicants. This was seen as a "major breakthrough." The UFM and unions kept meeting, but the unions mostly only promised to test applicants, not to hire them right away. Mayor Locher admitted this wasn't enough progress. The UFM planned a large protest for July 15.

The UFM agreed to delay their protest but demanded outside help. Mayor Locher asked for help from national labor leaders and government officials. The UFM also demanded that the plumbers and electrical workers unions admit and hire a certain number of experienced Black workers. As they waited for help, the plumbers and sheet metal workers unions agreed to admit African Americans. The UFM praised these steps but said the next meeting on July 19 had to lead to a final agreement. If not, they would try to stop construction completely.

However, at its meeting on July 19, Plumbers Local 55 voted to stop processing applications from African Americans. They also refused to test those whose applications had been accepted.

Unions Agree to Admit Black Workers

No final agreement was reached on July 19, but the electrical workers union agreed to accept two African American apprentices (workers learning a trade). The iron workers and sheet metal workers also agreed to similar actions. The talks were good enough that everyone agreed to meet again on July 20.

During a long meeting, the plumbers union agreed to process 15 or 16 applications from experienced African American workers. The plumbing company also agreed to hire at least two Black plumbers.

On July 22, the company hired two African American men, William R. Baker and Theodius Hilliard, Jr. But Plumbers Local 55 refused to let them join the union, even though they had agreed to it. The union claimed they had only agreed to "further process" applications, not to accept members. On July 23, 55 plumbers went on strike to protest the hiring of these two non-union workers. After more meetings, the local union leaders finally agreed to admit the two African Americans as members.

Agreement Falls Apart

On July 24, the striking plumbers went back to work. But the agreement from July 20 started to break down. The Electricians' Local 38 went back on its promise to hire two Black apprentices. The Sheet Metal Workers Local 65 had accepted one African American member, but the company wouldn't hire him due to union rules about seniority.

At a meeting on July 25, Electricians' Local 38 agreed again to process two African American applications for apprenticeships. They also agreed to hire at least two Black apprentices at job sites in the city.

However, on July 26, the agreement broke down further when Plumbers Local 55 refused to admit any African Americans as experienced workers. Union officials said that applicants needed at least five years of experience as an apprentice. Also, the committee that processed applications only met every three months. Even if accepted, applicants had to pass difficult tests, which were only given when there were enough people to test. The UFM argued that the union's past racist practices meant it would take years for Black workers to become full craftsmen, even if they were already qualified.

Meetings continued, but no agreement was reached. Local 55 officers then declared a "holiday," meaning no union members had to report to work. This strike affected plumbers across the region and stopped work on many important projects. The national plumbers union threatened to bring in plumbers from other areas and fine the local leaders. The "holiday" ended on July 29, and Local 55 ordered its members back to work. However, plumbers did not return to the convention center site.

On July 31, the plumbing company, Smith & Oby, agreed to fire Baker and Hilliard. The company and Local 55 then asked Baker and Hilliard to apply as apprentices instead. The UFM was very angry and threatened to start picketing again. Mayor Locher called the company's decision "wrong." The dispute now threatened the entire convention center project.

The situation got worse on August 1. The UFM announced they would have 150 to 200 protesters at the construction site on August 5, blocking trucks. They worked with many other civil rights groups to gather protesters. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters union said they would not honor the picket lines, which raised fears of clashes between white union workers and Black civil rights protesters. Mayor Locher said he would take action if the local union didn't back down.

On August 2, a high-ranking official from the U.S. Department of Labor, John F. Henning, came to Cleveland to help. He suggested a compromise, and a meeting was set for August 4.

The August 4 Agreement

Henning's meeting on August 4 lasted nine hours. All sides reached a new agreement. It said that African American-owned plumbing companies would be allowed to join Local 55. This would let their experienced Black workers be tested and admitted as full journeymen, skipping the long apprenticeship process. Less experienced workers could apply as apprentices if they passed the exam. Local 55 also agreed to stop discriminating against Black apprenticeship applicants. If applicants felt they were treated unfairly, they could appeal to a special review committee.

For its part, Smith & Oby agreed to hire Black-owned plumbing companies for some of its work. This would allow Baker and Hilliard to be hired again right away. The agreement was signed by many important people, and the UFM immediately called off its planned protests.

The August 4 agreement was highly praised. Civil rights leaders called it "the most significant breakthrough we have had so far anywhere in the country." The U.S. Department of Labor also praised the agreement. They noted it could bring many African American workers into skilled building jobs quickly. It also helped Black-owned businesses compete for larger jobs and ensured fair wages for workers.

At first, the agreement seemed to work well. An African American apprentice electrician started work on August 5, and another on August 6. Four Black youths applied for plumbers' apprenticeships without problems on August 8. By August 16, Plumbers Local 55 had accepted four African American men as journeymen and two as apprentices.

Convention Center Opens in 1964

The Cleveland Convention Center officially opened on May 11, 1964. Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes and Mayor Locher attended the opening ceremony. The first event held in the new center was the 1964 American Mining Congress Coal Show.

The Cleveland Convention Center was formally dedicated on August 28, 1964. More than 5,000 people attended the opening event.