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Georgia Pacific Test Ruled Discriminatory
forbes.com ^ | 08/09/07 | AP

Posted on 08/10/2007 5:27:29 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3

PORT HUDSON, La. -

A literacy test used to screen Georgia-Pacific Corp. applicants discriminated against blacks because blacks were far more likely than whites to fail the test, the federal Labor Department said.

Utility workers at a paper mill don't need to read well, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Georgia Pacific disagrees, but has stopped using the nationally standardized Test of Adult Basic Education's literacy exam and will pay $749,076 in back pay and interest to 399 black people who applied over the past two years, spokeswoman Patty Prats-Swanson said Wednesday.

"We may not agree but we have decided to work with the Department of Labor and we have changed our policy," she said. She was out of the office Thursday; another spokeswoman did not immediately return a call.

Diana Peterson, a spokeswoman in the department's Dallas office, did not know what percentages of black and white applicants failed the test, which is part of a set created by The Mcgraw-Hill Companies of Chicago. It uses bus schedules, product labels and other "real-life stimuli" to test reading.

She also did not know whether non-black applicants who failed the test will be compensated.

Federal contractors "must ensure that a test is valid for the particular job if it disproportionately screens out applicants from a protected group," Fred Azua Jr., regional director for the department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

Prats-Swanson said literacy matters because Georgia-Pacific, which is based in Atlanta, often promotes rather than hiring upper-level workers from outside - and literacy is important for higher level jobs.

Nobody complained about the test. The compliance office made its conclusions from a routine audit for 2002 and 2003, conducted because of a federal contract. The company provides tissue products to the Defense Commissary Agency.

Georgia-Pacific will hire 24 of the 399 applicants and begin a self-monitoring program for two years to ensure all hiring practices comply with the law.

The Port Hudson mill employs 910 people. It makes toilet paper and paper towels sold under the Brawny, Quilted Northern and Angel Soft names, as well as office paper.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: black; deptoflabor; discriminatory; dol; georgiapacific; literacy; race; workplace
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
The "clean house" approach to paper/pulp mill operations is rather traditional. It cleans out the deadwood ~ and boy do those places pile up deadwood. At the same time it eliminates everyone who knows how to run the plants to the requirements of the paper standards they're supposed to manufacture.

The consequence is bad paper, and bad paper results in bad mail, and bad mail results in mailers having to pay higher postage rates because the USPS is well equipped to detect those deviations from standard.

So, yeah, the investment firm earns more than 30% on its investment while screwing their customers.

Even the Russians can make stuff to those standards.

I'd sell my GA Pac stock now if I had any.

81 posted on 08/10/2007 11:31:15 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah
Too late. Koch owns it all.
I was at a big mill south of here, calling on the power plant manager and was waiting to get through the security gate. There was a guy in safety glasses, hard hat and ear plugs, holding a garden hose, washing down the sidewalk.
Ten feet away, another guy, hardhat, safety glasses, etc., was watching the guy with the hose. He was the supervisor.
82 posted on 08/10/2007 11:50:32 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: doodad

Bullseye


83 posted on 08/10/2007 11:53:53 AM PDT by Teacher317
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To: freespirited

I said “protected from what? learning to read?” I was being sarcastic :)


84 posted on 08/10/2007 4:00:53 PM PDT by visualops (artlife.us)
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To: TornadoAlley3

“often promotes rather than hiring upper-level workers from outside - and literacy is important for higher level jobs.”

I have to admit that’s pretty weak tea. Just don’t make poor readers vice presidents.


85 posted on 08/10/2007 5:49:31 PM PDT by gcruse (Let's strike Iran while it's hot.)
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To: TornadoAlley3

To win the suit they had to claim blacks are illiterate.

So then is it ok to repeat that claim or will one get reeducated if one does ?


86 posted on 08/10/2007 5:59:01 PM PDT by festus (I'm a fRedneck and proud of it.)
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To: muawiyah

So, now the list of things you cannot “discriminate” against in hiring is being illiterate? What’s next?


87 posted on 08/10/2007 9:16:51 PM PDT by TheBattman (I've got TWO QUESTIONS for you....)
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To: TornadoAlley3

A Paper Mill seems like it could be dangerous. Especially if your illiterate or can’t comprehend what your reading. I guess Motorola will be next. OSHA should have some say in this to the DOL.


88 posted on 08/10/2007 9:24:11 PM PDT by eyedigress
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To: muawiyah

At GP, utility workers have varied job requirements,many of which involve using caustic chemicals. After a specified time in that position, employees are eligible to apply for any other position in the mill. The paper making process is one that employs a lot of technology and a lot of potentially deadly chemicals. Functional literacy is vital. Training can’t cover every possible exposure, despite what OSHA and the government try to regulate. GP also promotes from within from hourly to salary. I am employed at a GP mill that makes similar products to Port Hudson. Over 50% of our salary force was promoted from the hourly work force. Our current owner, Koch, strives for compliance with all regulatory issues. That may be why Port Hudson didn’t pursue the lawsuit. Just my educated $0.02.

(Snoitan5’s wife)


89 posted on 08/11/2007 5:31:12 AM PDT by Snoitan5 ((When it rains, it pours.....))
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To: Snoitan5
Probably why ~ at the same time all mills are not the same. Just guessing they don't make humidity sensitive product there.

I'd just bet that none of the utility workers at that paper/pulp mill in LA are going to end up as President of Koch/GP.

90 posted on 08/11/2007 5:47:32 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: JustaDumbBlonde
Regarding your question of "when we turned over to government", blah, blah, blah ~ that happened when Koch/GP made a contract with the federal government.

Just like Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot and other major buyers of goods and services, the government has its standards. If you want the contract you meet the standards.

Remember, the reason for the audit was because of the contract with the company ~ this didn't just come out of the blue.

91 posted on 08/11/2007 6:38:25 AM PDT by muawiyah
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