Employment Opportunity: Job Requirements and Discrimination

Low Wages, No Transfer.

The Dan River Steam Station, owned by the Duke Power Company, had ninety-five employees. Fourteen were black. Employees could work in one of five areas: labor, coal handling, operations, maintenance, and laboratories and testing. The highest wages in the labor section were lower than the lowest wages in any other area. It was generally not possible to transfer between areas. All the black employees were in labor, with no hope of moving up.

The Civil Rights Act and Employment Opportunity.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited racial discrimination in employment. Duke Power could no longer officially discriminate. In September 1965 Duke Power instituted two tests—the Wonderlic Personnel Test and the Bennett Mechanical Comprehensive Test. If an employee passed the tests, he could transfer between sections. Black employees seldom passed the tests and there-fore could not transfer to better...

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