Statement by the President on Equal Employment Opportunity in Federal Apprenticeship and Construction Programs.

DENIAL of the right to work is unfair, regardless of its victim. It is doubly unfair to throw its burden most heavily on someone because of his race or color. I am today directing the Secretary of Labor, in the conduct of his duties under the Federal Apprenticeship Act and Executive Order No. 10925, to require that the admission of young workers to apprenticeship programs be on a completely nondiscriminatory basis. In addition, I am asking that all Federal construction programs be reviewed to prevent any racial discrimination in hiring practices, either directly in the rejection of presently available qualified Negro workers or indirectly by the exclusion of Negro applicants for apprenticeship training. Finally, although many construction programs undertaken by States, local governments, and private agencies participating in Federal grant-in-aid programs contain nondiscrimination requirements, practices and enforcement have not been uniform. Accordingly, I shall shortly issue an Executive order extending the authority of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity to include construction of buildings and other facilities undertaken wholly or in part as a result of Federal grant-in-aid programs.

Unemployment among American Negroes-and the resulting economic distress and unrest--pose serious problems in every part of the country. These problems can be met in part by the measures I have recommended to advance the growth of the economy to provide more jobs for all--and in part by the above and other measures to end job discrimination in this country.