Issues in Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action: An Experiential Exercise

Abstract

The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the creation of the EEOC have had the effect of putting pressure on companies and unions to cease overt discrimination and open additional job opportunities in production-line and other “blue collar” jobs. In its first four years, the commission’s investigations of alleged illegal discrimination resulted in the filing of a mere handful--fewer than two dozen--federal suits to stop discrimination by employers or by unions. Most of the suits were against small companies or union locals. It was not until mid-1968 that a suit was brought against the nationwide operations of a large employer.