Affirmative Action
INTRODUCTION Considering the subject of affirmative action the following questions frequently are raised: Is there a clear understanding of affirmative action roles/goals? What are the pros/cons of these programs? What are the "loop holes" in the system? Does seniority play a role in affirmative action? Addressing these key questions may help us all in our daily routine, as administrators and/or potential administrator in the public/private sector. Affirmative action programs throughout the United States have long been a controversial issue particularly concerning employment practices (public/private) and university student and/or staff recruitment. Most public agencies have some type of instituted affirmative action program. According to Cheryl Perry-League, Director of Equal Opportunity of the Port of Oakland, every business operating on Port of Oakland owned land must have a standing affirmative action program on record and businesses bidding to do work for the Port of Oakl!and must have an acceptably diverse workforce. BACKGROUND To understand the role and/or goals of affirmative actions programs we should define what the broad definition of what affirmative action is and what caused its development. The phase "affirmative a
In 1998, The ban on use of affirmative action in admissions at the University of California went into effect. Seniority gives employees for the personnel problems and private preferences of an employer. The reality is that strict adherence to this principle would result in few African Americans getting jobs, admissio!ns, and contracts" (1998). " The National Assessment of Educational Progress, a series of national standardize tests, evaluates students on their proficiency in reading, writing and science. However, a contingency plan has been established. A Company cannot by law, use quotas unless it has been ordered to do so by a court to remedy a past action" (Hall & Albrecht, 1979, p. Workplace should reflect the diversity of the community it serves, seniority is a fair system of labor management relations. However, seniority is a widely used exception to strict merit system only if the workplace is democratic and applied with affirmative action the workplace can become more inclusive. GOALS AND QUOTAS The term goal "refers to specific outcomes which, when achieved, will result in equal employment opportunity and equitable representation" (Hall & Albrecht, 1979, p. Furthermore, human resource departments in the public sector will have to become more skilled in implementing positive affirmative action programs if we are to reap the full benefits from them. The larger question to ask is why are there not enough decent paying, challenging and safe jobs for everyone? Why are there not enough seats in the universities for everyone who wants an education? Expanding opportunity for people of color means expanding not only their access to existing jobs & education, but also removing the obstacles that cause these resources to be limited. Chaos or Community?: Seeking Solutions, Not Scapegoats for Bad Economics. Prior to 1995, Kellogg's chances of getting into this program, officially known as the 8(a) Business Development program, would have been slim to none. Many affirmative action programs were born from Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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