One of Washington's quiet scandals is that few Negro construction craftsmen can get jobs in the nation's capital. Reason: most building contractors hire only union workers (a union shop is required on Government jobs), and many Washington building-trades locals have successfully barred Negroes. While the Hod Carriers and the Bricklayers have let down color bars, the two Carpenters' locals (5,000 members) have only half a dozen Negroes. The Rodmen's local (membership: 250) has six. The Painters (membership: 700) and the Plumbers (700) are proudly lily white. But by far the hardest nosed of all is the big (about 2,500...
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