Opinion ID: 401038
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: deck and wharf jobs

Text: 50 Next, plaintiffs claim that the court below erred in refusing to find discrimination in the assignment to deck and wharf positions in integrated general cargo gangs. General cargo gangs are comprised of sixteen members, eight of whom work in the hold of the ship while the other eight work on the deck or wharf. Deck and wharf jobs are regarded by all as more desirable than hold positions because the work is less physically demanding and permits the longshoreman to be out in the fresh air rather than confined to the bowels of the ship. 51 Job assignments are made by gang foremen. During the relevant time period, gangs were either all black or integrated. Black gangs had either black or white foremen, while integrated gangs always had white foremen. Plaintiffs alleged discrimination by white foremen in the assignment of the preferred positions in integrated gangs. They offered statistical proof of this and argue that they met their prima facie burden of proof and that defendants' rebuttal evidence was insufficient. 52 Again, we are faced with a dispute over the proper statistical analysis. Plaintiffs contend that the only relevant statistics are those reflecting assignments within integrated gangs, all of which were overseen by white foremen. Defendants argue that such an analysis ignores 40-45% of all general cargo workers and in doing so penalizes those companies which have promoted blacks to foreman positions or have given all their general cargo work to black longshoremen. The district court agreed with defendants and examined the situation of all general cargo workers in making its findings. 53 We find plaintiffs' focus to be the proper one. Although it excluded over 40% of the general cargo workers, many of whom were black, it did so because those statistics were irrelevant to the issue. Plaintiffs alleged racially discriminatory assignments. Unless a gang was integrated, racial discrimination within the gang was impossible. Therefore, the proper analysis includes only integrated gangs. And, because integrated gangs always had white foremen, the analysis must exclude gangs with black foremen. 54 Plaintiffs produced statistics showing that in 1972 and 1973, whites in integrated gangs were twice as likely as blacks to be assigned to deck and wharf jobs. 15 In 1972, blacks made up 82% of the integrated general cargo gang population but held only 68% of the deck and wharf jobs producing a variance of 8.3 standard deviations. In 1973, blacks comprised 80% of the population but held only 63% of the preferred jobs, producing a variance of 8.9 standard deviations. 16 55 Plaintiffs' statistics revealed gross disparities giving rise to an inference of purposeful discrimination. Hazelwood, 433 U.S. at 307-08, 97 S.Ct. at 2741. The burden then fell to defendants to rebut this evidence.
56 Defendants contend that assignments to deck and wharf jobs were made on the basis of gang longevity and individual skill without regard to race. The district court accepted this contention and based its finding of nondiscrimination on those factors. Plaintiffs argue that the court erred in making this finding and that its conclusion was actually based upon its belief that there was a trend of a steady movement of black longshoremen into 'preferred' work.... Williams v. NOSA, 466 F.Supp. at 675-76. 57 We must disagree with plaintiffs on both assertions. First, we interpret the courts' language concerning the trend to mean that despite pre-Title VII discrimination, 17 defendants' assignment system permitted blacks to make great strides in general cargo gangs. The court ruled against plaintiffs because defendants' assignment system was a legitimate and reasonable explanation for the disparities as well as the catalyst for the upward movement apparent in the statistics, and not because the strides negated any existing discrimination. 58 Plaintiffs contest the district court's reliance on the seniority-based assignment system not because such a system violates Title VII or § 1981, 18 but because defendants allegedly failed to prove its existence. Again, we disagree. 59 At trial, both sides presented evidence concerning the assignment system. Several witnesses, including class representative Richard, testified that there was a custom or practice 19 of filling openings in the preferred deck and wharf jobs with the most senior member in the hold, provided he had the requisite skills. There was testimony by defense witnesses recounting various incidents where this custom was enforced, and contradictory testimony by some plaintiffs' witnesses concerning promotions without regard to gang tenure. 60 The district court was justified in concluding that there was a custom or practice of making assignments on the basis of seniority. In fact, plaintiffs' witness so testified. The fact that the system occasionally was disregarded does not render it invalid. Because plaintiffs alleged a pattern or practice of discriminatory assignments, they had to prove more than the mere occurrence of isolated or 'accidental' or sporadic discriminatory acts. Teamsters, 431 U.S. at 336, 97 S.Ct. at 1855. 61 Defendants rebutted plaintiffs' prima facie case with more than mere affirmations of good faith, Alexander v. Louisiana, 405 U.S. 625, 632, 92 S.Ct. 1221, 1226, 31 L.Ed.2d 536 (1972). They produced evidence, including evidence from one of plaintiffs' own witnesses, proving that assignments were made according to gang longevity and individual skill. 62 The record amply supports the district court's conclusion that job assignments within general cargo gangs were made on the basis of seniority and skill. Prior to Title VII's enactment, virtually no blacks were in the preferred positions. Since then, however, the figures indicate that blacks have been moving rapidly into deck and wharf jobs. Plaintiffs' exhibits showing that as of 1973, 63% of all deck and wharf jobs were performed by blacks illustrate the effectiveness of the system. If this trend continues, by the time this appeal is resolved, blacks may have overcome completely the final vestiges of pre-Title VII discrimination even though seniority is applicable. 63 Although we disagree with some of the court's statistical analysis, we affirm its finding on the ultimate issue of discriminatory assignments.