Remembering my dad

Something about my dad I would like share with everyone.

I was talking to my big brother Bob this week and we got to reminiscing about when we were growing up.  During our conversation we got to talking about the old shop and Dad.  One of the events which stood out I feel should be passed on.

My dad, Jack Elton along with his dad Jack James (my grandfather changed his name from Elton to James, his first name was John but everyone called him Jack) owned Slauson Avenue Sheet Metal Works at 1863 W. Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles.  It was a union shop so to work there everyone had to belong to the International Sheet Metal Workers Union.

My dad was a kind man who had a strong sense of right and wrong.  He could, however, get very riled up if he felt something was wrong or his belief in fair play was challenged.  During the 1950’s in Los Angeles there was strong prejudice against blacks.  The unions were segregated and had many barriers in place to keep blacks out.  This was happening all over the country and Los Angeles was no exception.

Around about the mid 1950’s my father had hired a man named Lee Talbert who was black.  Lee worked hard, was very reliable, and dad wanted to maintain him.  So Lee applied for membership in the union.  He was promptly turned down.  This infuriated my dad.  Shop owners had say over who they hired so consequently they could influence who got into the union.  Most shop owners however, just followed the status quo and stayed away from hiring blacks.

Upon hearing that Lee had been denied membership in the union, dad got into his car and drove down to the union hall.  At 5’4” tall dad did not look real intimidating.  However, when he was angered you didn’t want that anger directed at you.  When he got into the hall dad demanded an explanation as to why Mr. Talbert’s application had been rejected.  Dad was told it was because Lee was unskilled and that only skilled journeymen could get in.  It was true that all union workers were skilled craftsmen.  However, by arbitrarily tagging all blacks as unskilled they effectually kept them out of the union.

When dad heard this he has incredulous.   He then asked, “Who do you think built all those beautiful old buildings in the South?  Who do you think built all those beautiful plantation homes?  Think about it…it wasn’t the old white plantation owners!  Blacks are every bit as skilled as the white guys, maybe more so.”  When dad left the union hall that day Lee Talbert was a member of the International Sheet Metal Workers Union, local 108.  And we believe Mr. Talbert was the first black member of the Los Angeles local, maybe the first, or one of the first, in the country.

Thanks for your example dad.