It is not my intention to belabor the point, but states that deny other states reciprocity in Trades Journeyman status are perpetrating de facto racism.
The status quo (typically in states with strong Unions) has a vested interest in keeping supply of skilled trades low to keep upward pressure on wages.
Those states are typically in the northeast, the midwest and the extreme west. Historically, those states have been more skewed toward white-nonHispanic tradesmen.
States like Florida, Georgia and Texas have relatively lower wages and relatively higher proportions of Hispanic and Black in skilled trades compared to the northeast, midwest and left-coast. The non-reciprocity means that Blacks and Hispanics are disadvantaged in-aggregate and are thwarted in attempts to earn higher wages.
And while the intention of the non-reciprocity is not overt racism, it never-the-less injures historically disadvantaged minorities just as much as if it was.
Blacks are almost nowhere on the licensed trades (plumbers/electricians) radar in Texas.
ReplyDeleteSome Hispanics, mostly in plumbing, fewer are licensed electricians. Quite honestly, they have serious problems over the math heavy portions of the test. I've witnessed it personally. Strangely , most licensed journeymen Hispanic electricians seem to be concentrated amongst "linemen" for the power companies. Hmmm...
But I think our treacherous Republican dominated legislature tried (or did) get licensing reqs lowered (dropped?) to near nothing for plumbers a couple years ago in wake of "THE BIG FREEZE". There was a push to get any room temperature body into plumbing trades.
They should've just relaxed permits for out-of-state plumbers to operate for short term/narrow scope (ie residential/supply side, no sewer or new construction).
Too many white suburbanites had to wait too long to get their piping fixed & complained about no plumbers available. In reality, the plumbing companies just wanted a pool of cheap labor while still maintaining the fiction of "trained tradesmen" so they could take in big fees.
Union trades in most of Midwest seem to have higher black/Hispanic numbers. Northeast is almost lily white. Some real throat slitters up there, imo.....
Addendum: Criminal convictions are also a big big deal in blocking trade licensing in Texas. No one wants a thief, assaulter or other violent criminal going out on service calls....
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be true to a degree, I am soooo sick and tired of everything everywhere being reduced to a measure of your melanin content.
ReplyDeleteAlinsky's rules for radicals can be used against Progressives.
DeleteOne of those rules is "Make the other side adhere to their own rules."
The whole rob-Peter-to-pay-Paul has a great deal of potential to create internal conflict within the Progressive movement.
The Africans, Central Americans, et cetera, wouldn't face that racism if they were back home instead of here.
ReplyDelete