Opinion ID: 445598
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Statistics Regarding Career Ladder Promotions for Professional Employees

Text: 27 Both plaintiffs and the NLRB presented evidence regarding promotion waiting times. These statistics compared black and nonblack professional employees at various GS levels and observed the percentage promoted and the amount of time taken in obtaining a promotion to the next GS level. 28 Plaintiffs' expert, Dr. Bruce Levin, introduced a survival analysis. Dr. Levin's analysis aimed at comparing the promotion waiting times for blacks and nonblacks. He did this by taking employees at each of the GS levels for field examiners and field attorneys and observed how long employees remained at that GS level. 6 In doing so, Dr. Levin testified that he found a consistent pattern of black field examiners and field attorneys taking more time to promotion than their nonblack counterparts. The results were statistically significant in three levels (GS-5 and 11 for field examiners and GS-12 for field attorneys) of the eleven examined by Dr. Levin for the 1972-81 period. For promotions for the post-1976 period, results were statistically significant at GS-5 and 11 for field examiners and GS-9 for field attorneys. 7 29 The NLRB introduced statistical evidence to counter the plaintiffs' statistical showing. It introduced the testimony of Dr. James Beckett, II. Dr. Beckett performed two different types of analysis, the second of which is more relevant here. 8 In his second analysis, Dr. Beckett imitated Dr. Levin's methodology. Dr. Beckett's analysis, however, differed in that he removed persons from the data that were not members of the class. Specifically, he removed persons from the data who had entered the NLRB through training programs and student internships. 9 Dr. Beckett's repeated survival analysis yielded statistically significant disparities between blacks and nonblacks in waiting time for promotion in only the GS-11 level for field examiners (for both periods 1972-80 and 1975-80) and in the GS-12 level for field attorneys (for the 1975-80 period only). The formerly statistically-significant results in the GS-5 level for field examiners and GS-9 level for field attorneys faded. 10 Dr. Beckett testified that while approximately 85 percent of blacks and nonblacks progressed at the same rate, the differences between the promotion rates for blacks and nonblacks were due to a group of slow-promoters. A greater proportion of these slow promoters were black, rather than nonblack. Taking the two levels of GS-11 field examiner and GS-12 field attorney (the levels which showed statistical significance in Dr. Beckett's repeated analysis) for the 1975-80 period, Dr. Beckett removed the four slowest blacks in both of the two levels. The statistical significance again faded. For each of these eight employees (four black field examiners and four black field attorneys), the NLRB proffered legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for their delay in promotion. 30 The district court accepted this analysis, as well as the NLRB's explanations for the slow promoters, and concluded that this statistical evidence did not establish discrimination. See Findings of Facts Nos. 64, 66, 68, 69; Conclusions of Law Nos. B.11, B.12. From the contrasting evidence presented by plaintiffs' and the NLRB's experts, the district court specifically noted in Conclusions of Law Nos. B.11, B.12: 31 11. Plaintiff's statistics regarding waiting time for promotions show no difference between Blacks and Whites as to fast promoters (i.e., those especially competent individuals promoted as quickly as possible). A discrepancy did appear as to promotion time for a few slow promoters (i.e., those individuals not ready for promotion in the usual length of time). 32 12. To the extent the statistical evidence may have supported an inference of discriminatory treatment in promotions in a few cases, Defendant was able to articulate reasons for a handful of specific instances, and Plaintiff was not able to show that such reasons were pretextual. 33 It cannot be said that the district court clearly erred in doing so. The NLRB's effort was aimed at showing that while there were some disparities due to the slow promoters, legitimate reasons, other than nonlegitimate discriminatory ones, were behind those disparities. 11 34