United Steelworkers V Weber Case Study

FACTS
In 1972, racial tension was on the rise in Jackson, Mississippi. The local schools were affected, and the board of Education had to consider a plan to layoff teachers. This would mean cutting teaching positions, which had to be discussed with the Jackson Education Association (Union). There would have to be a meeting between the Jackson Board of Education and the Jackson Education Association (Union). To protect employees who were members of certain minority groups against layoffs, a clause would have to be added to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) (FindLaw.com).
An agreement was made; however, some points in the agreement were met with contention. According to the terms of the agreement, teachers with the most seniority would not be affected by the layoff. The agreement also had a clause that stipulated not to lay off a certain percentage of women and African Americans employed

APPLICATION SECTION
In a similar case, United Steelworkers v. Weber, an affirmative-action plan which had been negotiated between an employer and a steelworkers' union was challenged by a white member of the bargaining unit. Based on the affirmative action plan, the employer accepted the most senior black trainee into a craft-training program who had less seniority over a white employee who had also applied for admission into the same program but was rejected (Rutherglen, 2010).
In the instant case, the use of racial preferences will come under scrutiny if used as a reason to increase or improve diversity in certain programs utilizing an affirmative action