The Super-Exploitation of African-Americans Workers - 28:55

The Super-Exploitation of African-Americans Workers  -
What Needs to Be Done?
with
William Spriggs, chief economist of the AFL-CIO and Professor in, and former Chair of the Department of Economics at Howard University.  Bill was appointed by President Obama in 2009 to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy at the United States Dept. of Labor. He was vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Political Education and Leadership Institute; and, staff director for the independent, federal National Commission for Employment Policy. 

While there has been a great deal of desparately needed attention to

stagnant wages, demands for a decent minimum wage and stronger

unions in the so called economic recovery, one of the areas receiving little attention is the plight of the African- American workers whose unemployment rate has been twice that of the national rate for well over 50 years. Black workers are also disproportionally relegated to part time employment and frequently receive less pay than their white counterparts even when they have the same qualifications. Prof. Spriggs examines this persistance of employment discrimination years after the March on Washington and calls for stronger enforcement of the civil rights legislation which were won in the 1960's. And he is especially critical of the Federal Reserve Board's gearing up to increase interest rates to slow the economy which would perpertuate unemployment and underdemployment at unacceptable levels.  

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