With gay marriage decided, what will be the next big left-led social change?

[Songbird]

But they were prejudiced, YF. We can tap dance around those eggshells and pretend all's moving forward. No white guilt, either!

 

[MisterCreosote]

If we're at the point where we're going to say the Civil Rights Act was just a bunch of programs and partnerships "that are working to provide African-Americans with the skills to land good paying union jobs, in unions that discriminate," I think we're done here.

 

[Big Circus]

So, let's take another look at this. African-Americans facing Jim Crow laws in the South, head North, looking for jobs and opportunity.

In the face of this Great Migration, northern whites, fearful for their jobs, their neighborhoods, and more -- and no doubt clinging to their guns and religion -- enact a variety of measures to keep the Negro in his place.

Among them is the Davis-Baron Act, sponsored by a racist, who was previously a steel worker.

Davis-Baron denies African-American, who are shut out of the labor unions from competing on price for jobs. The law, along with many similar state laws, remains in effect affect place today.

In the mean time, five and six generations of white families have secured good paying union jobs.

But, because we've had a couple of lawsuits -- including one that took 44 years -- work their way through the system, and expose the racism of a couple of these unions, we should declare the situation all good, and move on.

Yeah, I'm sure the guys that discriminated against blacks for 100 years have gotten the message. Young Paddy is going to have to go to college and get a job in a bank. The unions have changed their ways.

We shouldn't put any focus on this, practical issue. This real world form of racism, that robs African-Americans of "economic opportunity".

Hey, there are probably some military bases named after Southern generals that need to be changed.

That kind of symbolic change does nothing to help actual people. it just makes liberal white people feel good about themselves. They'll probably change their Facebook avatar the day Ft. Hood changes its name.

"You keep my name out of your mouth, YankeeFan."

 

[YankeeFan]

If we're at the point where we're going to say the Civil Rights Act was just a bunch of programs and partnerships "that are working to provide African-Americans with the skills to land good paying union jobs, in unions that discriminate," I think we're done here.

I know you'd like to leave the conversation without admitting defeat, but what I said was:

By this point I assumed you were referring to the "programs" and "partnerships" Baron mentioned...

I didn't realize you were talking about the Civil Rights Act.

 

[YankeeFan]

"You keep my name out of your mouth, YankeeFan."

LOL. At least I didn't flat out call it the Baron Davis Act.

 

[cranberry]

I've worked that corner many a time vis-a-vis the minimum wage. Cranberry et al. have assured me that was entirely on the up-and-up. "Democratic processes" dontcha know ...

YF, Davis had zero to do with the labor movement and was in fact an enemy of the labor movement. So, it is odd that you and Quant keep trying to throw a lifelong Republican (who was labor secretary for three GOP presidents), racist and scumbag in the face of organized labor.

Baron (who owned your ass last night) also was right when he told you the intention of prevailing wage laws was and is to protect local laborers from being undercut on wages by non-local workers. Neither Davis nor Bacon invented prevailing wage laws. In fact, these laws predate the Davis-Bacon Act by about half a century. Believe it or not, people in local communities organized (and voted) to keep their wages from being hired out to outside cheaper workers.

While I find it entirely plausible that, in 1931, Bacon and Davis were motivated by racist instincts, let me again remind you that they are your party's racists. But you're right that there were plenty of racists in 1931, especially when you apply modern sensibilities to them.

To the extent you feel like there are discriminatory membership policies at any union here in 2015 (and isn't this a little like me finding a company -- any company! -- that isn't as diverse as I'd like it to be?), please provide some examples of the lawsuits, the complaints or even the specific policies that demonstrate discrimination. There must be examples of people who want to get into these unions and being treated unfairly, no??

If you're suggesting that diversification is a bigger issue within labor unions than in corporate America, you're obviously kidding yourselves.

 

[MisterCreosote]

If companies were acting racist, you wouldn't say, well yeah, but unions have political power, so who cares.

That is not what I said.

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

YF, Davis had zero to do with the labor movement and was in fact an enemy of the labor movement. So, it is odd that you and Quant keep trying to throw a lifelong Republican (who was labor secretary for three GOP presidents), racist and scumbag in the face of organized labor.

Baron (who owned your ass last night) also was right when he told you the intention of prevailing wage laws was and is to protect local laborers from being undercut on wages by non-local workers. Neither Davis nor Bacon invented prevailing wage laws. In fact, these laws predate the Davis-Bacon Act by about half a century. Believe it or not, people in local communities organized (and voted) to keep their wages from being hired out to outside cheaper workers.

While I find it entirely plausible that, in 1931, Bacon and Davis were motivated by racist instincts, let me again remind you that they are your party's racists. But you're right that there were plenty of racists in 1931, especially when you apply modern sensibilities to them.

To the extent you feel like there are discriminatory membership policies at any union here in 2015 (and isn't this a little like me finding a company -- any company! -- that isn't as diverse as I'd like it to be?), please provide some examples of the lawsuits, the complaints or even the specific policies that demonstrate discrimination. There must be examples of people who want to get into these unions and being treated unfairly, no??

If you're suggesting that diversification is a bigger issue within labor unions than in corporate America, you're obviously kidding yourselves.

#dispatchesfromWhiteville

 

[MisterCreosote]

I know you'd like to leave the conversation without admitting defeat, but what I said was:

By this point I assumed you were referring to the "programs" and "partnerships" Baron mentioned...

I didn't realize you were talking about the Civil Rights Act.

I referred to the 17 national laws contained in a link I posted earlier. I'm not responsible for your assumption.

So, since the Civil Rights Act didn't explicitly target building trade unions, it is a failure?

 

[cranberry]

#dispatchesfromWhiteville

#classwarfare

Please don't resent successful people. It's unbecoming for a young Republican like yourself.

 

[YankeeFan]

So, it is odd that you and Quant keep trying to throw a lifelong Republican (who was labor secretary for three GOP presidents), racist and scumbag in the face of organized labor.
...
While I find it entirely plausible that, in 1931, Bacon and Davis were motivated by racist instincts, let me again remind you that they are your party's racists.

Cran, you're forgetting the whole switchy-changy thing. Cats became dogs. Dogs became cats. What were Southern Dems back then would now be Republicans today. And, what were Northeast Republicans would be Dems today.

It's forking hilarious that Republicans are supposed to own the racist Southern Democrats of the past, but you don't want to claim the Northeast Republicans as yours.

That's a nice trick.

 

[cranberry]

Uh, no. Republicans have forever fought organized labor.