Wards Cove Packing Co. V. Atonio

Abstract

The hiring practices at the cannery were discriminating in nature. These practices labeled the people who applied for the skilled and non skilled jobs. The rehire practices of the cannery should be fair and equal for all jobs. New policies should be put in place to resolve current issues with hiring practices.

Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio

In this situation at the cannery I feel that the hiring practices are discriminating. By using an agency to hire the skilled positions that is out of state, the cannery is excluding the local population from the skilled positions. There is nothing wrong with using an agency to find employees to fill positions, but the opportunity must be allowed to the local population on an equal playing field. Combining the out of state agency with a local hiring practice allows for a diverse work force in the skilled noncannery positions. As for the cannery positions, these hiring practices are also discriminating for applicants. By working exclusively with a Filipino Union and the local community, the cannery is excluding other races from the hiring process. This short fall could be easily fixed with tools that are all ready in place. Allow the hiring agency in the Seattle area to not only list job listings for skilled positions, but also open up listings for the non skilled positions. A more diverse workforce means a more competitive and productive cannery.

I do believe there is a correlation between the hiring practices of the skilled and non skilled workers in the cannery. It seems that the company has labeled the positions and people it wants to fill the positions by race and by location. (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004, p. 393) By hiring only the local population and Filipino Union members for the non skilled positions only, the company has labeled these groups as unable to perform the skilled positions. Along with that, by the company only hiring from the predominately white area of Seattle, they label the whites as the best fit for the skilled positions. (Beauchamp & Bowie, 2004, p. 393) It is my opinion that the hiring practices for both positions should be the same. This opens the hiring base up to more people and a broader base of experience. The narrower your search is for an employee, the more likely you are to have lower quality employees.

The rehire practices of the company should be the same for all positions within the company. Weather they are white or nonwhite, this should not be a factor in the process. Cannery workers and noncannery workers who have worked there previously should be looked at in the same pool with the new hires. This ensures