2008/10/01 by Benton Williams · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Labor Movements and Unions #Affirmative action #Decree #Equal employment opportunity #Commission #Private sector #Promotion (chess) #Consent decree #Political science #Action (physics) #Public administration #Business #Law #Labour economics #Economics #Politics
paper · doi:10.1353/jph.0.0027
openalex publication_date 2008/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
In January 1973, American Telephone & Telegraph, then the world's largest private-sector employer, entered into a Consent Decree with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In this decree, following a fourteen-month dispute before the Federal Communications Commission, at & t agreed to implement specific goals and timetables for hiring women in traditionally male jobs, men in traditionally female jobs, and minorities in jobs in which they had been traditionally underrepresented. at & t 's adoption of affirmative action immediately preceded the routine application of affirmative action hiring and promotion policies in large, private-sector U.S. firms regardless of federal contractor status. Nonetheless, the importance of at & t 's action remains misunderstood by critics and supporters of affirmative action alike.