August to October, 1961, 1961

Mitchell's letters to Patrick Gorman (Aug 16, 23; Sept 2; Oct 31) and to AMC Executive Vice-President Harry Poole (Oct 2, 17, 26) again provide a running account of the rice mill organizing campaign. The NSF Board of Directors decided to approve Mitchell's request for a survey of sugar cane workers; see the letter from NSF Executive Secretary Fay Bennett announcing the Board's action (Aug. 1), and the correspondence from Frank Lapeyrolerie, a former NAWU organizer assigned to carry out the project. There is a long memorandum by Mitchell on his meeting with Tom S. Bavin, General Secretary of the International Federation of Plantation, Agricultural and Allied Workers on a suggested dues structure and program for organizing agricultural workers (Sept 14). The papers also include a report by Mitchell to the AFL-CIO Southern Civil Rights Advisory Committee on his work in this area during the previous year (Sept 29), and a lengthy press release from the Senate Sub-Committee on Migratory Labor on its activities (Sept 26)