Black Workers File Charges Over Racial Discrimination At Siemens Plant
Welder Solomon Daniels had just grabbed his work clothes from his locker at the Siemens plant near Trenton when, he said, he saw the noose out of the corner of his eye, swinging from the shower curtain rod.
“I was more or less terrified,” said Daniels, 48, an African American man who lives in Burlington. Horrified by the noose, which evokes lynchings, Daniels looked twice to make sure, then called a coworker into the locker room to witness it. He took pictures.
That was Jan. 27. On Friday, Daniels and two other African American employees at Siemens Demag Delaval Turbomachinery Inc. talked to reporters about what they called a factory floor culture of racism and harassment in which African Americans couldn’t get promoted and complaints to the human resources department went nowhere.
Represented by lawyer Brian K. Wiley in North Wales, the men have filed complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights.
This is pathetic. Seimens hired these particular black folks no doubt as an affirmative action measure. Seimens gave them a job, and a chance to earn a promotion. They didn’t earn it. The three men simply weren’t qualified enough to promote, just as no doubt countless people of other races have never managed to get a promotion. These three guys whine and complain about not getting promoted , just like their white, asian and hispanic co-workers who likewise can’t get a promotion whine and complain. BUT, since these particular men happen to have black skin, they file a suit against the very company that already pays them well for what work they are capable of doing. That will teach Seimens to hire black people.
These sort of claims of racism are nothing short of extortion — “you better give me that promotion, or I’ll sue you for discrimination.” I’m thinking white guys ought to start pulling the same BS to get more positions on NBA teams. Yes, it really is the same thing. I don’t know the exact reason that disportionate few white men have the necessary talent to play in the NBA, but I can promise you that the team owners aren’t discriminating against white men because they happen to be white — they are discriminating against the white players because they aren’t as talented as the black men wjp are competing for the same position. Why can’t black folks imagine that it is possible that in other settings, white people (on average) happen to be be more talented and thus, deserve the promotions.
@me112233
…And you know because you were there??? Tuh! Save it for your kitchen table debates please.
Not only that, unfortunately blacks have extreme limited visibility in front office positions with professional leagues…Whites act as puppet masters because they naturally dont have the talent. Point blank.
Why cant whites realize that sometimes blacks do have the intelligence and capability of doing a job better than their white counterparts – and get the promotion.
Believe it or not, it’s all about money. It’s not about race. The NBA is 80% Black because Black’s beat out the whites in a fair competition for spots on the team.
Business is no less about competition than the NBA and money is how they keep score. They will hire and promote the best talent regardless of race to make more money.
Business doesn’t care what race you are. All they care about is making money just as all the NBA cares about is winning basketball games (which, of course, translates into money for their ‘business’.
@me112233 You should really know your facts before you start to speak on a subject you know nothing about. I know for a fact that one of the workers has been there for 46 years.
In that time you mean to tell me he has not learned a skill set so masterfully that it doesnt qualify him for promotion. I agree that sometimes there can be a thin line between racism and just plain idoitism but this isnt the case.
Your references to the NBA etc. have no baring on the case at hand, it is just ironic when it is blacks whom ask for justice that we are always looking for a handout or whining. No one says that of Jewish people who suffered the same fate as African Americans but have received reparations.
@met112233 and the noose hanging has nothing to do with discrimination right?!?!? I understand some of your thinking with the situation, but if u walked in to your place of employment and found a bunch of saltines(cracker) laying around ur work station or better yet something racial to your heritage, i can only guarantee you would feel the same exact way
There is a difference between harrassment and discrimination. The noose qualifies as harrassment; I’m guessing it wasn’t place there by management, or even tolerated by management once management knew of its existance. The saltine crackers as you mentioned would also qualify as harrassment. The sad truth is that nobody gets troough this life w/o encountering harrassment, and oftentimes that harrassment is race related.
Discrimination occurs when someone is not provided an position because of race, creed, color, s*x, or age; at least those are the categories protected by law. If someone is denied an position because a better qualified person is available for the same opportunity, then that’s not discrimination — even if an uninformed person might think discrimination is occurring, becuase people of a certain race seem to get more (or less) than “their share” of the available positions. That was the background for my the NBA analogy — if you knew nothing about basketball, you would for sure think the owners discriminate based on race (but we know it is based on skill). Granted, it is much harder to see inside a private company; still, a major corporation like Seimens wouild be thrilled to promote a black person, as it actually makes the company look better when it bids on government contracts (yes, state and federal governments actually establish quotas in order to get bid points).
Ad yes, I would feel upset if my work area was “enhanced” by either a noose or saltine crackers. If you were the boss, would you fire a black employee for putting saltince crackers on a white employees desk? Or, would you just send out a generic mass e-mail reminding everyone of the harrassment policy? What if the black employee put a noose at the white employee’s work station? Are you sure who put the noose or cracers there? Could the white employee have put his own crakers there, then complained about it just to get attention or file a suit? Same goes for a black employee, could one black employee have planted a noose in the locker room, then others complained about it? The problem with enforcing harrassment rules in the workplace is that is very difficult to prove.
In closing, most of the discrimination that I’ve seen in the workplace is by small employers. The big companies have long ago “fixed” their policies to prevent discrimination. For example, the state university I teach at part time literally requires a 2-page report be filed when the department picks a white male (from the applicant pool) to hire, explaining in detail why one of the female or minority applicants wasn’t chosen instead. I’ve even seen cases where the hiring committee was told “Hire a qualified minority or don’t hire anyone.” That’s right, many employers actually make it harder for a white male to get a job than any other demographic — they bend over backwards to make sure discrimination against women and minorities does not occur. That’s why I’m very suspicious of these Seimens employees claim of discrimination, and instead think that it is merely a coincidence that they happen to have black skin, and they are not getting the promotions for valid reasons. But I’m not there, and yes, I could be wrong.
@met112233 hanging a noose isnt just a form of harrassment it is blantant racism. The undertone speaking to slavery when blacks were hung and also during the civil right era.
It is unfortunate that we can look at a situation and dicpher what we want to be true minus actual facts. Why would a person who has been a job and shown loyalty for over 46 years, today claim that they are being discriminated against.
As we can clearly see this company has changed management many times, and this could be the problem. There is absolutely no divide amongst women and/or African Americans or Hispanics when it comes to hiring. The laws put into place are just barely making it fair.
Women can do the same job as a man and still make less money, it is fact not fiction. That is one of the biggest forms of discrimination. So discrimination isnt just about hiring and promotion. It is about equality. If you do not afford someone the same accomodations as other races, sexes, s****l orientation you are discriminating against them! Often times peoplle who havent experienced any form of discrimination are desentized to it when they see it.
I just feel that the case may be exactly what it said discrimination, harrassment, and defintely racist! In the end we will see who the victor is and that will be the final say. Right, wrong, indifferent!
I know these individuals on a professional level and the reason Solomon was questioned about the placement of the noose is because of the same kind of incident happening to him at one of his last jobs. I know this to be a fact because he mentioned this to certain Co workers. Coincidence. I don’t believe so. Nothing racist happens at SIEMENS inTrenton.Ifthat were the case every black employee would be involved in this matter and there not. Simply because nothing unethical happens their. It is a spectacular place of employment. Great medical, vacation time sick time not to mention the perc’s of being a union member. That also brings to mind the money everyone is capable of making. These guys in particular make top rate wich is roughly $32.00. With that there is overtime. And DOUBLE TIME Monday all the way to Sundy.That’s 40hrs straight time 32hrs ot and 12hrs Doubletime. That comes out to be over $3,000.00 a week before taxes. You will not find better opportunity anywhere unlessyou are a doctor. Siemens is very sensitilve to people’s relion, s*x, and especially color.This is only a ploy to threaten the SIEMENS corporation image of clean buisness into a quick and easy settlement. Wich they will not win and hopefully costs them their job. This whole scam is disgusting on their behalf. All workers are stressed out! Praying the company doesn’t shut down due to the slander. No one at Siemens set out to hurt any of these individuals in any way shape or form. It is wrong of them to set out for money and jeopardize everyone’sjob.Iftheyeverfeltthreatenedinanywaythe companywould have taken very good care of them.That’s whySolomon is the one accused of putting the noose their himself!!!
I know these individuals on a professional level and the reason Solomon was questioned about the placement of the noose is because of the same kind of incident happening to him at one of his last jobs. I know this to be a fact because he mentioned this to certain Co workers. Coincidence. I don’t believe so. Nothing racist happens at SIEMENS inTrenton.Ifthat were the case every black employee would be involved in this matter and there not. Simply because nothing unethical happens their. It is a spectacular place of employment. Great medical, vacation time sick time not to mention the perc’s of being a union member. That also brings to mind the money everyone is capable of making. These guys in particular make top rate wich is roughly $32.00. With that there is overtime. And DOUBLE TIME Monday all the way to Sundy.That’s 40hrs straight time 32hrs ot and 12hrs Doubletime. That comes out to be over $3,000.00 a week before taxes. You will not find better opportunity anywhere unlessyou are a doctor. Siemens is very sensitilve to people’s relion, s*x, and especially color.This is only a ploy to threaten the SIEMENS corporation image of clean buisness into a quick and easy settlement. Wich they will not win and hopefully costs them their job. This whole scam is disgusting on their behalf. All workers are stressed out! Praying the company doesn’t shut down due to the slander. No one at Siemens set out to hurt any of these individuals in any way shape or form. It is wrong of them to set out for money and jeopardize everyone’sjob.Iftheyeverfeltthreatenedinanywaythe companywould have taken very good care of them.That’s whySolomon is the one accused of putting the noose their himself!!! They should be ashamed of thier selves!!!
Good luck filing a lawsuit with a disbarred lawyer