ABSTRACT
Black Americans have an unemployment rate twice as high as whites, while the construction industry claims there are severe shortages of skilled manpower. This chapter describes how and why the manpower system in the construction industry operates. Trade unions in the construction industry form a distinct training and employment pattern, unlike management-labor relationships in United States industry in general. Black protest, a growing phenomenon, along with other public and private efforts, is directed toward trying to remedy trade union discrimination. The power of the union to issue certification of union journeyman status and do job referrals gives the leadership great power and autonomy from local groups or individuals outside the union who seek training, certification, and employment. Operation Dig, located in Pittsburgh, was an accelerated program outside the union and industry training structure, which trained a small number of the black hard core to become heavy-equipment operators and carpenters.
