Recently, the Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference and stated they wanted more attention given to the dismal unemployment rates in our communities. This was a noble and very responsible move on their part. There is something else they can
Recently, the Congressional Black Caucus held a press conference and stated they wanted more attention given to the dismal unemployment rates in our communities. This was a noble and very responsible move on their part. There is something else they can do that will directly address the problem. It is right before our eyes and the time to act is now. Years before the Civil Rights Act was passed President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11246. This set minority and women employment standards for all businesses directly or indirectly doing work for the federal government. This just about covers all major corporations. Unions fiercely opposed it and ordered traditional civil rights groups to ignore it. However, in 1969 with the encouragement of President Richard M. Nixon and Secretary of Labor George Schultz, the great Arthur A. Fletcher began to enforce Executive Order 11246 with a vengeance. Major corporations were already starting to open their doors to minorities and women but the unions were fiercely resistant. Dr. Fletcher forced their hand with the Philadelphia Plan in 1969. From Philadelphia he went to Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City and everywhere else forcing the trades and crafts to hire minorities or lose their contracts. The results were phenomenal and Blacks, Hispanics, Asians started being employed in traditional workplaces like never before. It economically changed our neighborhoods. Dr. Fletcher was so strong and courageous but he had to have Secret Service bodyguards around him during these treacherous days. George Meany of the AFL-CIO was livid and made it clear that he hated Dr. Fletcher and George Schultz for doing this. Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen claimed that when he “gets out of this hospital the first thing I am going to do is get Art Fletcher fired”. God stepped in and Senator Dirksen never left that hospital alive. Despite negative antics from the traditional civil rights groups (at the behest of the unions), Dr. Fletcher was successful. The NAACP never approved what would later be called Affirmative Action until 1990. Even today, the current NAACP president claims that “unions have been good to us and they are our friends”. Of course, this happened before he was born but he needs to research the matter. The US Department of Labor is responsible for enforcement of Executive Order 11246. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, OFCCP, is the direct enforcer. These guys have been battle tested by the unions also. I have been in some field offices where they have multiple dead bolt locks on their doors engaged during working hours. The death threats and confrontations are immense. They are true warriors and dedicated federal workers. When you see utility companies, banks, construction companies, trucking companies, etc. scrambling to hire minorities they don’t necessarily do it out of the goodness of their hearts but because OFCCP is on the case. The national standard or goal for minority hiring is set at 12.6 percent nationally. This is a minimum and it may fluctuate based on local demographics such as major metropolitan areas. However, this standard is based off of the census reports of 1970. Yes, 1970 when minorities accounted for a little over 12 percent of the total population. Times have certainly changed over the last 40 years and it is time to adjust the standard significantly upward. The minority population has surged within America and a standard more like 30 percent (250 percent increase) is now due. In essence, we are now dummying down the relevance of the program. If we bring the standard into the real world employment for minorities, particularly Blacks and Hispanics would skyrocket and the disparities would be greatly reduced. That’s where the Congressional Black Caucus can make a difference. All they need to do is order the Secretary of Labor to modernize the standards or goals set in Executive Order 11246 to the current census figures. They can do this now by using the current estimates and then refine them once the 2010 Census is certified. Congress can push this and the only one who could block it is the President. I don’t think he will go there even though he too has an addiction to unions. This is just a logical process and it preserves the reality of Executive Order 11246. Set the standards or goals to the demographics to prevent disparate impact. So, CBC there you go. There are many indicators of employment growth such as small business development. However, making the affirmative action laws that have been successful more relevant to today’s demographics can certainly help out also. You have the power so let’s use it. When the unions push their civil rights groups to try and slow you down please push them out of the way. Black America is depending on you. Harry Alford is the co-founder and president/CEO of the National Black Chamber
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