CWA 1180 - News

Antoinette Drago
Health and Hospitals Corporation:

Policies that prevent racism are more helpful than disciplinary action. For example, the union needs to take on the Human Resources Administration and stop supervisors and department heads at its facilities from “hiring in their own image” and engaging in nepotism and patronage.

Just look at the makeup of departments and the executives and you will see a pattern. It is wrong and it is illegal. And it has gotten worse since the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) tried to implement guidelines to stop racism—whether it’s between or among cultures.

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go to the new 1180 bulletin board to add your thoughts on this subject

Arthur McCarthy
Department of Homeless Services:

There must be a better understanding of each culture and the wall of difference must be bridged. Too many things that go on that seem to show that racism is alright. In the workplace most of the workers seem to be one race and most of the bosses another. City Hall has the same make up. If it looks this way then something needs to change. We need to go to the root of the problem: really addressing fairness, and not just giving it lip service, would go a long way. And truthfulness about the situation can’t hurt.

CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION!
go to the new 1180 bulletin board to add your thoughts on this subject

Gloria Middleton
Local 1180 Secretary/Treasurer:

Local 1180 has an active Committee on Equity, which I chair. The primary mission of the committee is to act as a resource for the local and its members on discrimination and conflict issues. To quote the CWA handbook on civil rights, the Equity Committee is here to “educate and sensitize the members to understand that racial and cultural differences must be respected.” These differences “actually add to our society and the workplace.”
No one should tolerate being called names that are offensive or receiving e-mail that is offensive. No one should allow management to discriminate against them because of their race, religion, or sexual orientation. There are federal, state, and local laws that protect workers from this kind of discrimination.

Workers may choose to go outside of their workplace to seek solutions.
For example, we have members who have successfully filed complaints with the EEOC. The union is also an important resource. The committee has conducted trainings at several membership meetings regarding workers’ rights on the job.

As workers, we tend to overlook offensive statements made by others because we don’t want to “make waves.” However, if we don’t exercise our rights, we will not change the behavior of those who think it is okay to say or do anything they please in the workplace. Instances of discrimination must be confronted when they arise.

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