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.
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.
Bullseye
I said “protected from what? learning to read?” I was being sarcastic :)
“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.
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 ?
So, now the list of things you cannot “discriminate” against in hiring is being illiterate? What’s next?
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.
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)
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.
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.
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