Statement by the President on the Signing of Equal Opportunity Agreements by Major Government Contractors

THIS MORNING'S signing--by officials of the eight largest government contractors-of the Plans for Progress marks an historic step forward in the effort to secure equal employment opportunity for every American of every race, color and belief.

More than 800,000 jobs are covered by these agreements--agreements for continuous, systematic and vigorous action to open new job opportunities to members of minority groups. They have been the result of completely voluntary and cooperative action between the United States Government and its largest contractors. Yet they hold greater promise of tangible measurable progress than all our previous efforts to secure equal employment opportunity for Americans.

With the addition of these eight companies to the one which has already signed such an agreement a significant portion of American business is now covered by voluntary equal opportunity agreements. During the next several months we hope to secure the adherence of many more of the Nation's largest employers to similar agreements. In this way we can move toward the day when American business, in cooperation with American government, will have abolished all artificial barriers to a man's effort to secure a decent life for himself and his family.