Ten O'Clock News; Thomas Saltonstall at the opening of the EEOC office [Tape 1 of 2]

Contrary to what some of you may have thought and in spite of the recent success in other areas of endeavor this is not the announcement of anamnesis by EEOC although what it really is is perhaps some dop in a title of a musical LET was popular some years back and I guess is still making the rounds in the country. Prowl is alive and well and living in Paris and this is really an announcement that Ido see is alive and well and living in Boston and we're very happy that they are. It Off Saul is. An indication and this is kind of an inside reference but I'll make it anyway. As you may know the General Services Administration. Is the agency that administers the housekeeping and logistic duties for the federal government and they have been trying to convince most federal managers that we can live in 135 square feet per person.

Most managers including myself have been protesting and through the efforts of Tom Sawyer stall and the regional administrator of GSA. If you take a walk downstairs to the fourth floor you'll find out that it in fact can be done and can be done very effectively and the new offices of EEOC are an example of the prime use of prime space by the federal government and its very well designed very well planned and I commend Tom and the General Services Administration for doing that. They proved the rest of us to be wrong. I'd like to make a just couple of other comments in terms of welcome from the federal establishment. Actually what we're about here is very radical because 200 years ago Thomas Jefferson said that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they

are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And it's awfully strange that 200 years later some of us have not really accepted that mandate yet we talk about it constantly because that is the essence of our democracy. And what Ido see is all about is precisely what's in that statement. And I would urge that all of us both in the private sector in the academic community in the federal government and all the levels of government. Making a renewed commitment to assure that the people of this country and particularly the people in the Boston area are treated equally particularly in the area of employment. In my other role I am with the U.S. Department of Labor and I am particularly concerned about the working person of this world and

particularly the minorities the women those people who are most discriminated against are receiving and will continue to receive the support of this nation and being able to exhibit and use their talents the same way the rest of us are. This week we have had an example of why the subject we're talking about today is particularly important. There have been some significant things happening in the area of civil rights. And I think it's important that we address ourselves to civil rights determine what we feel about it and particularly listen to some of the comments that Mr. Saltonstall is about to make this morning. I had an opportunity to go over with him the other day some of the statistics that he will be showing you. And quite frankly they are appalling

that at this day in age 200 years after Thomas Jefferson wrote that in the Declaration of Independence that we here in Boston. Have statistics such as what Mr. Saltonstall will be showing you. It is appalling and I would urge that all of us as a community make a commitment today to overcome those statistics so that a year from now or two years or ten years from now we can look back at this day and recognize that we started something positive and that we overcame those areas of discrimination that are so shabby in the city of Boston. I welcome you on the behalf of the federal establishment and I hope you have a very productive and meaningful morning. And please take a look at the space downstairs because I think it's very well done. Thank you very much. Thank you Bill both for your leadership of the federal establishment in Boston and for your

support of civil rights. And good morning to all of you. At the outset we thank all of you leaders in the private sector in government and community and religious organizations for contributing your valuable time to join us this morning which marks the formal opening of a new Boston to celebrate. With me is Robert Williams the regional attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission throughout New England New York and the Virgin Islands and last but not least Puerto Rico considerable national attention has been focused in recent years and months on Boston's racial problems as career officials of the lead federal civil rights enforcement agency. We can conceive of nothing more fundamental. The resolution of Boston's racial divisions then redressing serious employment opportunity gaps which exist for minorities particularly in positions of meaningful responsibility and that critical problem will be our chief topic today. At the same time I am quick to add that serious problems of employment

discrimination exist in Boston and throughout New England for women for all their workers and for other minorities as well. Our principal focus this morning on Boston's racial problems and discrimination in employment based on race does not detract from our firm commitment and statutory responsibility to seek to ensure equality of employment opportunity for all classes of individuals protected by the federal laws which we administer in a few moments I'll be sharing with you some analyses of statistics provided to EEOC pursuant to Title 7 by private employers themselves which demonstrate just how severe the problem of under employment of minorities in Greater Boston is. Subsequently we will be announcing various initiatives which this commission is undertaking to enforce federal anti discrimination laws more effectively. And those are first a voluntary assistance program to promote voluntary compliance with the statutes. Second an

expanded presence program to make our services more accessible to the public. Third changes to our compliance process to shift emphasis away from settlement of individual compliance toward eliminating broader patterns and practices of employment discrimination. And fourth new national and local litigation plans designed to improve the quality quantity and impact of lawsuits brought by EEOC on behalf of discriminative. We will also share with you within the constraints of statutory confidentiality provisions some highlights of our recent enforcement activities. Our purpose is not to embarrass anyone much less to preach any more than any of us Bob or I would choose knowing this audience to preach to the choir. Our purpose is straightforward to secure our compliance with federal law. As I mentioned earlier employment opportunity gaps exist for women as well as for MT for minorities as indicated on our first chart.

Opportunity gap is defined as the difference between a protected group's availability in the civilian labor force within the Boston metropolitan area at a particular job level and the actual as compared with the actual participation rate of that group at that job level. Let's look at the first chart as an example. The Bureau of the census has reported that in one thousand eighty women made up twenty eight point nine percent of the available civilian labor force in the officials and managers job category in metropolitan Boston. Employers in all industries in the area reported to EEOC and one thousand eighty however that the participation rate of women in the officials and managers category was twenty point six percent Or stated another way that twenty point six percent of officials and managers were women. Thus in Boston's metropolitan area in 1080 at the officials and managers

level women had achieved only seventy one point three percent for the professional level of their expected utilization and 82 percent at the managerial level. In the packets which are being handed to you now you will also find a table for the second page into the chart entitled occupational distribution of white males and white females in official and managerial positions. Here we compare the occupational distributions in the Greater Boston of white males and white females with those of the six other metropolitan areas selected by the Boston Globe recently for its comparative series on race relations. Perhaps another series is warranted. We found that Boston along with Houston ranks the lowest of all the cities. We have not prepared graphics for tables comparing underutilization of minorities in Greater Boston with other metropolitan areas because such comparisons would be misleading with

respect to the severity of the problem in the city of Boston. The next chart illustrates why While minorities make up 29 percent in 1080 of the civilian labor force in the city they made up only 8 percent of the labor force in the metropolitan area. In no other major metropolitan area was this disparity so great. I suspect in part due to segregated suburbs and the concomitant geographic density of minorities within the city and in part due to the fact that the criteria for establishing standard metropolitan statistical areas have been different in New England than in other parts of the country the population of our city is therefore a small percentage of the population of its metropolitan area as compared with other major urban centers. This is critically significant because civilian labor force data for metropolitan areas have traditionally been used as equal opportunity benchmarks for what an organization's

employment profile should look like. Thus depending upon the particular industry and the particular job category for an employer located within the city of Boston to use the Metropolitan labor force benchmarks may severely disadvantage minorities within the city itself. Nevertheless in preparing the rest of the charts we will show you this morning. We have used the Metropolitan civilian labor force data as benchmarks in determining opportunity gaps for minorities. Please keep in mind that these benchmarks are in many instances conservative standards to use when considering the under employment of minority persons within the city itself. Several other points should be made prior to proceeding. But I'll attempt to keep the hook from getting too long before I get to the news first. By minorities we mean blacks Hispanics Asians and Pacific Islanders American Indians and Alaskan natives. Second

the data has been aggregated from reports submitted by private employers with 100 or more employees or with 50 or more employees and a federal contractor our first year sub contract worth $50000 or more. Third the industries represented were generally selected at random. The exception to this rule was that we will not release our data analyses where such disclosure would hinder targeting and other enforcement efforts by revealing deliberative materials central to our enforcement strategy. What follows then is a sampling of data at the same time the sampling of which right here was. Excuse me what follows then is a sampling of data at the same time the sample is a significant one. The number of employees reported in

1982 by the industries we will discuss today represent some 20 percent of the number of employees within Greater Bostons civilian labor force. Let's look at the first chart which focuses on security commodity brokers and services. The opportunity gap between availability and participation rate was greater in 1982 in Greater Boston than it was in 1970 while the metropolitan area benchmark again were used. You will note that most of the employers reporting were located within the city of Boston. Please also keep in mind once again that the data is aggregated. Some employers have employment profiles which look better than the aggregates. Other employers have employment profiles which are far worse. For example in another industry which we will not discuss this morning

and which I will not identify at this time Ido see has targeted for enforcement action a private organization within this city which employs between 500 and 1000 employees all of whom are white and only three of whom are women. And let me repeat that because I'm not talking about Baton Rouge Louisiana and 1864 were Birmingham in 1964. I'm talking Boston in 1984 and we have a major employer which is totally segregated on the basis of race and virtually totally segregated on the basis of sex. We turn now to the printing and publishing industry. In addition to the severe under-representation of minorities which is generally evident look in particular police at the under representation of minorities at the office and clerical worker category and also as sales workers. One of the responses to the Globe series last spring was that a

private employers indicated they had trouble finding qualified minorities when you're talking sales positions office clerical positions low paying positions like that. I don't believe those arguments wash. It's a pattern that we will see in many other industries and will discuss later. Thank you. We turn now to the communications industry. Again the opportunity gap for minorities widened in total employment between 1970 and 1982. Minorities were under represented in all office clerical all white collar job categories except office piratical one hundred twenty four out of thirty five hundred and thirty five officials and managers. Twenty four out of five hundred sixty six sales workers and we found serious problems of failures to report to EEOC of by major companies in the communications industry. And let me make clear to private employers it is a statutory requirement that they report to us each year if they want to get

reports in late. That's fine but if we have to wait until a time when we are in the process of investigating an employer to get that report we will not be quite as well about it as we go through the enforcement process. Thank you John. Food stores again the opportunity gap for minorities widened between 1970 and 1980 to we have been falling behind in this city at the level of total employment. Who are these officials and managers and professionals. Again the area of positions of meaningful responsibility. In addition minorities were severely under represented in all white collar and blue collar job categories except sales workers and laborers. And the numbers are quite appalling. Paulding and other investment companies here the opportunity gap for minorities widen very substantially between 1970 and 1982 at the officials

and managers level while the number of employees tripled that were reported to us between 1970 and 1982. Here there was clearly an opportunity to redress under employment of minorities hiring was clearly taking place and it didn't happen. Minorities are severely under represented in all of the white collar job categories except the office of clerical category. And here we find a labor workforce which is totally segregated of the employees reported two hundred forty one were in the labors category. The companies reported that all of the more white and 100 percent of the facilities reporting in this industry were within the city of Boston within the city of off duty. General marchandise two hours and I thought I really my own feeling is that the retail industry has an especial responsibility in this regard given where they get a significant portion of their income.

The opportunity gap between 1970 and 1980 to widen for all employees and again at the in the areas of positions of meaningful responsibility officials managers and professionals in addition in this industry the actual minority participation rate dropped from 1970 to 1982 and a very significant problem in the city. Minorities were severely under represented in all of the white white collar job categories except sales. And again the numbers speak for themselves. Thank you. As we began to see the patterns of segregation in the office clerical and sales categories in the industries that just discussed we made a quick comparison with what data we had reveling on ham of Boston with other metropolitan areas. Please refer to the table entitled concentration of minorities in lower paying jobs.