The U.S. Labor Department has filed an administrative complaint alleging racial discrimination against a Camp Washington-based airplane engine parts maker six years ago.
The complaint, filed in Washington on Nov. 18 against Meyer Tool Co., says that the company did not appropriately consider minority candidates in the early 2000s as part of the federal affirmative action program. Meyer Tool is considered a federal contractor by the department, and therefore is covered by the program’s regulations.
Why is the complaint only now being filed? Could it be that Meyer is not bowing to Team Obama? Could be. Or, could it be that disgruntled minority applicants are making hay about discrimination that does not exist? Could be.
This defendant has a contractual obligation to provide equal employment opportunity,” said Patricia A. Shiu, director of the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. “The company failed to meet that obligation. So we will enforce the law and hold Meyer Tool accountable to the fair and reasonable standard that it not discriminate against any group of workers.”
The complaint says that 14 black applicants were denied for entry level positions based solely on their race during 2004. It also says that the company failed to keep all job applications for the previous two years as required, and failed to implement an appropriate audit system.
Company president Arlyn Easton said Wednesday that Meyer did not discriminate in his hiring practices, and that the complaint is only due to a bookkeeping error.
“We really don’t believe we did anything wrong other than not keeping appropriate records as a small company,” Easton said.
Meyer’s lawyer, Colleen Lewis, also said that the complaint is being brought based on statistical analyses on potential hiring patterns by the Labor Department.
“We feel strongly that those analyses are very flawed,” Lewis said. “And we are going to continue defending the company.”
The two sides had been negotiating a possible settlement for at least three years leading up to the filing, Easton said. It now goes before an administrative law judge to determine a finding.
If the judge finds in favor of the Labor Department, a potential class of affected potential workers could be created and the company could be forced to pay back wages or other penalties. But individuals would also have to prove they were in that potential affected class before becoming eligible.
The company also could lose its eligibility for federal contracts, if the ruling goes against it.
So, in order to be down with the struggle, Team Obama uses a flawed analytic tool and determines that this business is in breach of discrimination standards. Maybe Obama wants to award this company's contracts to other companies. Whatever the reason, the notion in this day and age of racial discrimination in a post riot Cincinnati is ridiculous. Meyer would have to be stupid to engage in such practices. And, the notion of affirmative action in itself is inherently discriminatory and racist. Of course, under normal circumstances, one may not question the Labor Department. However, given the racist policies of the Obama Justice (JUSTUS) Department regarding voter fraud and the Black Panthers, I think this too can be held up to scrutiny.
So for the sake of 14 workers 6 years ago, Team Obama is willing to destroy and bankrupt a company that is hanging on in an industry that continually seems to be leaving our shores. So much for keeping American jobs in America, Barry.
