Employment Law: Affirmative Action

Central Castings, Inc. and the union that represents its employees included an affirmative action program in their collective bargaining agreement. The program stated that 50% of the openings in the joint union-management training program would be reserved for persons of color until persons of color constituted 30% of the skilled employees in the company. Prior to the affirmative action program, admission to the training program was governed by seniority. Bill, a white employee, sued the company and the union because several persons of color with less seniority than he had were admitted to the program. Discuss the legal issues involved in this case (5)

Claudia Wilder, the mayor of the City of Baldwin believes that the percentage of African Americans on the Police force is too low, as compared to the ethnic make-up of the City itself. To remedy this situation, she decides to lay off five Caucasians and immediately hire five persons of color. Discuss the legal issues involved in this situation (5).