Waters v. Wisconsin Steel Works Supreme Court Case on "Last Hired, First Fired" Practices

    £33 

NEW YORK, N.Y., Feb. of -- The NAACP Legal Defense & 

Me 
Educational Fund pedey asked the U.S.Supreme Court to revj 

Roce sere \ Jot faneffe or-rd necalve hese cacke— ut Bt 

a case which affects the whole issue of ¢ Job layoffs based on Fees 
7 

the widely prevalent "last hired, first fired" principle, “it fr 

was~announ' 

tedium 
Nie Jack Greenberg, the fund*s director-coun . TiS, 

Jaters veWisconsin Steel Works,concerns The case, 

x an Appellate Court decision in Chicago which last held Africig 

© Qo wit hoe Vou is crcdim A Ports 

that district courts capnot deal with dayotes which stem from 

ff ity systems, even tegen such syste 
vee € RK 

perpetuate past discrimination against placks and give prefer- 

theatre treatment 
ential seaymeis to whitese 

The Seventh Circuit's ruling overturned a disfrict court 

if decision, foe charges brought by two black bricklayers 

against the Wiscogasin Steel Works of International Harvester Co 

adi the United Order of American Bricklayers Stone Masons, Local 21. 

In that ruling, the court upheld the plaintiffs" allegations 

that, _prior—toApril 34964,—the company hired—oniy white orieklayers, and 

ReeturrsgGimer that after 1964, it gave preferential treatment to 

those hired during the *whitte only" periods The court concluded 

alt nical Wnt, 

that Bape’ preferential treatment, had a continuing discriminatory 

impact. 

Since the record revealed that the seniortty system and 

hiring policies were discriminatory, the district court ruled that 

va Cpl 

tee company and union,practices violated the law -~-/that the 

defendants’ seniority system was not a "bona fide" system under 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

Commenting on the Legal Defense Fund's petition to the | 

high court, m the fund's director counsel, Jack i 

case arises ae es has—lons—abstructed—economic | 

gic the practice of hiring blacks last when employment 

is rising and firing blacks first yh nm the work force is reducede™ 7+ 
to ag farrtlen whic Men Long & obelrun Le Gn 6 Cage ATaciplaty eon hit ay slag ond tHe 

D ‘_farmof discrimination—is’ on 

reason for the chronically higher level of unemployment amo: 

non-whites," he-added, 

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NEW YORK, N.Y-, Feb. wn -- The NAACP Legal Defense & + 

Educational Fund teaey asked the U.S.Supreme Court to rev} 2 

Reece restr \ Qt Layee ord necalbe harak Fae 2 Ses 

a case which affects the whole issue of job layoffs bas®e< er 
ae 

the widely prevalent “last hired, first fired" principles it fms 

todieny 
ose 

was-announce by Jack Greenberg, the fund's ~director-counse’s AS 

The case, ters Ve) consin Steel Works,concerns Tee t 

v an Appellate Court decision in Chicago which last held Aprrccaiy 

( Bo mat have Yer hia cudin or porwve 

that district courts cagnes deal with layoffs which stem from 

ee - c spierity systems, even ohh such systems 
Mus A 

perpetuate past discrimination against blacks and give prefer- 

ential SS eeae to whitese 

The Seventh Circuit's ruling over tuned a dis$rict court 

wh decision witen Meta onerees prought by two black bricklayers 

against the Wiscogsasin Steel Works of International Harvester Co 

adn the United Order of American Bricklayers Stone Masons, Local 21. 

qa theatoruling. she Aan t chet +h VageetPeoe AV Aeetians 

Gamaeeting on the LegalsDefense Fund's petition to the 

ee ee rare meonsnecl / 
high court} ir. Gree erg noted | thatthe casearises froma 

Seniorit NS RKO 

problen—smat—whieh—has—t -obstructed BE omic TT eh Brant 

to production work 1 
oo esa kere = Sees eaes ye determines HobeO RRR aa TS MRA TeBRONgat Sed 

qavancanent Gnd the Oni ge a ARG Rhe MARE ete aT anLES She 
work forces" re, 

“The bhas hired, first fired' form of discrimination / Vise me 

germane e1yih 4, oo thy Om Upto as A | 

S is—one—reasen rae the chronically hicher level of unemployment | 

among non-whites," he added. 

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