Affirmative
Action and Equal Opportunity;
What's in it for White Workers?
- Affirmative action policies often require
companies to keep careful hiring records to prove that they
don't use favoritism and nepotism in hiring. That means
your son or daughter would have equal job opportunities
on the railroads anywhere, even in Tuscon, Arizona where
they don't have relatives or friends.
- Equal opportunity in promotion helps the
union represent members' interests more effectively. Women
and minority males promoted to supervisor through affirmative
action often treat everyone the same. If the company requires
these supervisors to kick the workers they will tend to
kick every one equally hard.
The union then is in a position to defend all its members
fully regardless of gender or race.
- Wives, sisters, mothers and daughters
of white male workers are helped by affirmative action,
raising the standard of living for many white families.
Once inequality is eliminated in the treatment of minorities
and women, class discrimination against all workers can
be more easily overcome.
- The "good ol' boy" system of
hiring and promotion weakens the union. This system of favoritism
is standard procedure in most big companies if there is
no affirmative action. It's who you know and how much of
a brownie you are that determines hiring and promotion.
This system weakens unions because workers must compete
for the bosses attention by doing favors for him.
- Most importantly, when some workers, such
as African-Americans and women are treated unfairly all
workers are hurt. When white workers defend the rights of
women and minorities as union brothers and sisters, the
union becomes stronger and all workers gain.
An injury to one is an injury to all! Believe
it!
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