THE NEGRO IN THE SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

In September 1966, the Ford Foundation announced a major grant to the Industrial Research Unit of the Wharton School to fund studies of the Racial Policies of American Industry. The purpose of the research effort, now in its fourth year, is to determine why some industries are more hospitable to the employment of Negroes than are others, why some companies within the same industry have vastly different racial employment policies, and to propose appropriate policy. This study is the seventeenth in a series of reports dealing with specific industries. The shipbuilding industry provides an example of minority employment policies and practices in an industry that is both strongly influenced by government and almost entirely unionized. Factors affecting minority employment in shipbuilding include the historically fluctuating demands for labor, inaccessibility of many shipyards to inner city dwellers, patterns of discrimination built around past union restrictions, and the increasing size of the southern shipbuilding industry. Until recently, the level of capital expenditures in shipyards has been below investments undertaken in many other industries. This also has had an effect upon minority employment. Basic research, conducted from 1968 through the first six months of 1970, consisted of field interviews with shipyard management, data collection, a search of literature, and extensive interviews with government officials. As in most previous reports, the data cited as in the possession of the author have been carefully authenticated and are on file in the Industrial Research Unit Library at the University of Pennsylvania.

  • Corporate Authors:

    University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

    Wharton School of Finance and Commerce
    Philadelphia, PA  United States  19104-6315
  • Authors:
    • Rubin, L
  • Publication Date: 1970-11

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; Tables;
  • Pagination: 159 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00015514
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Maritime Administration
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 17
  • Contract Numbers: PI-MA70-499
  • Files: TRIS, USDOT
  • Created Date: May 13 1973 12:00AM