One of the first assignments McGrew gave Todd was to appear before the War Labor Board (WLB) opposite a vicious anti-union, anti-black attorney. Todd did not like having this difficult assignment so early in his career as a business agent, but looks back on it as a great learning experience. Todd serviced all the shops he organized, and McGrew assigned Todd to all the small shops and to any shops with Jewish employers. When McGrew was gone from the office, he put Todd in charge of financial matters. Because Todd was black, there were certain places he could not go - for instance, the Kenosha local's Christmas party. Yet, McGrew thought Todd should succeed him as Joint Board manager; Kurshenbaum had more seniority, but Todd was more competent. McGrew knew it would be difficult for Todd to succeed him, so he suggested several times that, if he should die, Todd and Kurshenbaum should act as co-managers for six months and then hire someone as manager. McGrew perpetually talked up Todd amongst the employers and the members.
