Wyatt earp
Diamond Member
- Apr 21, 2012
- 69,975
- 16,396
I see the Unions are still racists.......
New York Cityâs construction unions can build impressive structuresâthe cityâs skyline is proof of that. But have these unions also built barriers to success for their ethnic minority members?
That was the conclusion of a 1993 report released by the cityâs Commission on Human Rights at the end of Mayor David Dinkinsâ term in office. Over two decades later, the construction unions argue that theyâve made progress. In a recent ad campaign, for instance, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) points out that 65 percent of its local apprentices are ethnic minorities.
Thatâs an impressive statistic in a city thatâs 45 percent White. But it also raises the question: if ethnic minorities are well-represented among lower-paid apprentice jobs, who getting the better-paying gigs?
In a recent Daily News advertisement, an organization I manage called the Center for Union Facts (CUF) noted that the BCTCâs executive board isâto use an expression popularized by former SEIU President Andy Sternââmale, pale, and stale.â That is, each of the boardâs 21 members appears to be an older White guy, rather than an ethnic minority.
The problem starts at the top, but it doesnât appear to be limited to the BCTCâs executive board. We reviewed over 10 years of Census Bureau records to determine the average hourly wage for unionized constructions workers in New York City. While White unionized construction workers make $29.44 an hour on average, their Black counterparts earn $23.70.
In other words, a Black worker makes $5.74 less per hour on average than a White unionized construction workerâthatâs 20 percent less in earnings. So much for the union wage premium.
NYC Construction Industry's Shame: Black Workers Earn $5.74 Less Hourly Than Whites | Black Star News
New York Cityâs construction unions can build impressive structuresâthe cityâs skyline is proof of that. But have these unions also built barriers to success for their ethnic minority members?
That was the conclusion of a 1993 report released by the cityâs Commission on Human Rights at the end of Mayor David Dinkinsâ term in office. Over two decades later, the construction unions argue that theyâve made progress. In a recent ad campaign, for instance, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) points out that 65 percent of its local apprentices are ethnic minorities.
Thatâs an impressive statistic in a city thatâs 45 percent White. But it also raises the question: if ethnic minorities are well-represented among lower-paid apprentice jobs, who getting the better-paying gigs?
In a recent Daily News advertisement, an organization I manage called the Center for Union Facts (CUF) noted that the BCTCâs executive board isâto use an expression popularized by former SEIU President Andy Sternââmale, pale, and stale.â That is, each of the boardâs 21 members appears to be an older White guy, rather than an ethnic minority.
The problem starts at the top, but it doesnât appear to be limited to the BCTCâs executive board. We reviewed over 10 years of Census Bureau records to determine the average hourly wage for unionized constructions workers in New York City. While White unionized construction workers make $29.44 an hour on average, their Black counterparts earn $23.70.
In other words, a Black worker makes $5.74 less per hour on average than a White unionized construction workerâthatâs 20 percent less in earnings. So much for the union wage premium.
NYC Construction Industry's Shame: Black Workers Earn $5.74 Less Hourly Than Whites | Black Star News
