by Jonathan D. Glater, The New York Times
Sept. 19, 2005
The Labor Department has temporarily suspended government requirements that its contractors have an affirmative action plan addressing the employment of women, minorities, Vietnam veterans and the disabled if the companies are first-time government contractors working on reconstruction in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
While employment lawyers said it was not clear how strong an impact the exemption will have, the move comes as President Bush has attempted to address the perception of unfairness in the government's response to the hurricane.
Under the rules that normally apply to companies hired by the government, firms with more than 50 employees working on contracts for more than $50,000 must develop an affirmative action plan. But according to a memorandum on the Labor Department's Web site, the goal of the exemption in the case of recovery work associated with Hurricane Katrina is to reduce the burden of paperwork on government contractors and so encourage more companies to jump into assisting with rebuilding from the damage caused by the hurricane.
The exemption is to last for three months, unless it is extended.
"It does not waive affirmative action requirements, it does not waive job posting requirements, it does not waive their obligation not to engage in discrimination," said Charles E. James, deputy assistant secretary at the Labor Department. "It's very, very limited."
The Labor Department affirmative action memorandum, which James signed, specifically states that laws against discrimination continue to apply to federal contractors, as do requirements that employers keep records and post notices stating that "equal opportunity is the law." The memorandum only affects the requirement that employers develop a written program, James said.
The memorandum, which has received little attention in the media frenzy over the aftermath of the storm and hearings on the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court, was posted on a Labor Department Web site on Sept. 9. Protests against it began circulating online late last week.
"It is not simply a paperwork exercise," said Shirley J. Wilcher, deputy assistant secretary for federal contract compliance in the Clinton administration who is interim executive director of the American Association for Affirmative Action. "It is the basis for companies to be mindful of their obligation not to discriminate."
In a statement released Thursday, Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and general counselor of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, strongly criticized the Labor Department's move as well.
"Instead of addressing the barriers and inequities that minority and underrepresented communities face, this decision could exacerbate those barriers and could limit access to the employment opportunities that are being given in the very communities in which these underrepresented people live," he said.
As originally published
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There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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Commentary:
As billions of dollars in construction contracts are negotiated and signed all across the ravaged South, the rules that prevent discrimination against minorities, women, veterans and the disabled are wiped away, gone with the wind.
In the wake of a catastrophe, the Bush-Cheney administration's ability to turn the calendar back a century is breathtaking. It's 1905 all over again. Black contractors, Latinos, women, others, you're all flat outta luck. It's OK to exclude y'all from this work, and instead go back to the slap-on-the-back system, assigning work to good ol' boys and maybe letting minorities and women sweep up afterwards. Or maybe not even that.
But don't worry, the system will be fair again, and minority and women contractors will be considered again for possible work ... in three months, maybe, after these billions in contracts have been signed ... unless the exemption is extended.
Will someone somewhere make a ruckus about this?
And if someone, somewhere does, would the media cover it?
And if it makes the news, would it matter? Would the White House give a damn?
After all, the discrimination only hurts minorities, women, veterans and the disabled ... . It doesn't hurt anyone the Bush-Cheney administration cares about.
=H&HH=
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Aug. 29, 2005:
As Katrina strikes, FEMA urges first-responders not to respond
Sept. 2, 2005:
Who is this incompetent doofus running FEMA?
by Rachel R., Unknown News
Sept. 2, 2005:
Emergency crews turned back by FEMA:
They lacked "the required paperwork"
Sept. 2, 2005:
FEMA won't allow airboats to rescue Katrina victims
Sept. 2, 2005:
Troops sent to New Orleans for "combat operation"
with comments by Rebecca and Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 3, 2005:
FEMA chief had to be 'asked to resign' from previous job with horse club
Sept. 3, 2005:
FEMA turned back 500-boat rescue flotilla
Sept. 3, 2005:
Bush declares "zero tolerance" for New Orleans
survivors seeking food and water
Sept. 3, 2005:
Thousands of New Orleans refugees held at gunpoint,
not allowed to leave growing hell of Superdome
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 3, 2005:
Homeland Security stops Red Cross from bringing food for New Orleans
with comments by Sir J and Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 3, 2005:
Police official says Nat'l Guardsmen 'played cards' amid New Orleans chaos
Sept. 4, 2005:
Red tape keeps hundreds of doctors from helping hurricane survivors
Sept. 4, 2005:
Homeland Security Chief says New Orleans disaster couldn't have been predicted
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 4, 2005:
College sophomores used fake press passes to circumvent FEMA's rescue roadblocks
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 4, 2005:
Navy hospital & water purification ship anchored on nearby coast, underused
Sept. 4, 2005:
FEMA turns down water, fuel for New Orleans, cuts area's emergency communication line
Sept. 5, 2005:
FEMA "dragging its feet" as businesses try to help hurricane, flood victims
Sept. 5, 2005:
Firefighters waited five days for FEMA's OK to enter New Orleans, then gave up, returned to Houston
Sept. 6, 2005:
Now is the time for pointing fingers
by John M., Unknown News
Sept. 6, 2005:
No food drops planned for New Orleans
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 6, 2005:
U.S. military smuggled white vacationers out of New Orleans Superdome squalor
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 6, 2005:
As New Orleans waits, FEMA sends firefighters to seminar, assigns them to hand out fliers
Sept. 6, 2005:
New Orleans during the disaster:
Police lied to survivors, blocked escape from city
by Larry Bradshaw and Lorrie Beth Slonsky, EMS NetworkFrom inside New Orleans as the crisis worsened, these survivors found that the authorities were never any help, and often an ugly enemy. =H&HH= | LINK
Sept. 6, 2005:
FEMA head specifically ordered lackadaisical response to "near catastrophic" Hurricane Katrina
Sept. 7, 2005:
International offers of help came immediately, but U.S. approval was delayed by days
Sept. 7, 2005:
FEMA's top-level management stacked with Bush's cronies
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 7, 2005:
Navy pilots reprimanded for rescuing huricane victims
Sept. 8, 2005:
FEMA contractors arrested for looting
with comments by Underground Panther in the Sky
Sept. 8, 2005:
Katrina survivors "evacuated" at the point of a gun
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 8, 2005:
Canadian search-and-rescue team first to reach New Orleans suburb
Sept. 9, 2005:
"Mission accomplished" in New Orleans
by Harry Highwater, Unknown News
Sept. 9, 2005:
Homeowners' guns confiscated in New Orleans, police threaten evacuation by force
with comments by Sir J and Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 10, 2005:
FEMA sent back German plane carrying fifteen tons of food for hurricane victims
Sept. 11, 2005:
"Area's power restoration was set back days"
In devastated Mississippi town, Cheney made restoring oil pipeline's pumping power "a presidential directive"
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 11, 2005:
New Orleans doctors had to kill their patients
Sept. 11, 2005:
Sheriff threatens to arrest FEMA officials
Countermands FEMA order that stores remain closed
Sept. 11, 2005:
Bush signs executive order lowering wages across Katrina-devastated areas
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 12, 2005:
Drug Enforcement Agency plays key role in door-to-door searches of New Orleans homes
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 12, 2005:
Racist police blocked bridge and forced evacuees back at gunpoint
with comments by Chris M. and Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 13, 2005:
Chertoff delayed federal response to Katrina disaster, memo shows
Sept. 13, 2005:
As bodies are recovered, reporters are threatened: 'No photos, no stories'
Sept. 14, 2005:
Feds delayed Nat'l Guard's hurricane response for days
Sept. 16, 2005:
Mayor of Gretna says “whole community” backs bridge-blocking racist police
with comments by Helen & Harry Highwater
Sept. 16, 2005:
Doctor says FEMA ordered him to stop treating hurricane victims
Sept. 20, 2005:
New Orleans homes searched by "task force" after residents have been evacuated
with comments by Bruce, Rebecca, and Helen & Harry Highwater
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