Newark Ironworker Accuses NJ Union Of Racial Discrimination

NEW JERSEY — A Newark ironworker is accusing a union with halls in Bloomfield and Perth Amboy of racial discrimination, authorities announced Tuesday.

Kesha Michelle Green, a Black woman, initially filed her complaint with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) in 2019 against Ironworkers Local 11, a chapter of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers Union, AFL-CIO.

Ironworkers Local 11 has denied her allegations, state officials said. Patch has reached out to the union for comment; we will update this article with any reply we receive.

According to Green, the union’s former business manager, Ray Woodall, violated state law by giving preferential job assignments to its white members. The jobs those ironworkers got were typically longer-term work assignments that provided steadier wages, Green alleged – and she and other Black union members often received shorter-term job referrals that lasted only a day or two.

The more desirable jobs included work at Newark Airport, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge and the American Dream mall, she alleged.

Here’s what the DCR said officials found when they took a look at Green’s job assignment history dating back to 1998, as well as referral list records for 2018 and 2019 and employee lists for the above projects:

“A review of the complainant’s full job history did not support [her] contention that she was consistently assigned one and two-day jobs as opposed to those of a longer duration. Specifically, the records indicate that complainant worked on several assignments for several months at a time, sometimes up to one or two years. However, the referral records from 2018 and 2019 do provide examples showing that complainant was referred to short-term jobs while it appears better, long-term jobs were available but were assigned to union members who signed the book after her.”

State officials continued:

“The complainant signed the out-of-work book on September 6, 2018, and was referred out to a job on September 7, 2018 that lasted less than two weeks. The same day that the complainant was referred out, [name redacted], who is white, was referred to work on the American Dream project, and [name redacted], who is also white, was referred to work on the Bayonne Bridge project. There is no indication in the respondent’s records provided to DCR that either or was specifically requested or called back for these projects, nor is there any indication that either had any specific skill or qualification that the complainant did not have. The records show that six members who signed the book after the complainant on September 7, 2018 were referred out. The complainant signed the out-of-work book again on September 17, 2018 when her prior job ended. She was referred out to a job on September 19, 2018 that lasted less than two weeks. Seven other union members were referred out for work on September 19, 2018 who signed the out of work book after the complainant, two of those members were referred to the Bayonne Bridge project. There is no indication that these individuals were recalled or specifically requested for this job, or possessed any specific skill or qualification that the complainant lacked.”

In addition, Green said she and other Black ironworkers were forced to endure a union hall climate in which racial slurs were tolerated, and that she was retaliated against when she objected to union officials.

As one example of the alleged behavior, Green provided state officials with video footage filmed outside Woodall’s office, where he was apparently heard reprimanding a white union member and saying racial slurs: “It was you and the [expletive] that didn’t show up. It was you and the f****** [expletive] that didn’t show up. Don’t act like a f***** [expletive].”

OTHER ACCUSATIONS: SMACKED ON BUTT, PINK HARDHAT

The DCR – which has issued a finding of probable cause against the union – said that other union members have accused leadership of creating a hostile work environment, including gender bias.

According to state officials:

“For example, another Black female ironworker who is no longer a Local 11 member told DCR that, during her time as a member, she was the target of racial slurs, was locked in a bathroom for hours at a time, was repeatedly smacked on the buttocks, and was given a pink hardhat to wear. The worker said she reported the harassment to union higher-ups on six or seven occasions, but that the union did nothing in response. A male former Local 11 member told DCR that Woodall commonly referred to women as ‘split tails,’ that the official often made intimidating comments threatening to ‘take care of’ anyone who pursued complaints about him to ‘the international,’ and that the business manager made prank phone calls to staff and constituents that were often either sexually explicit or contained derogatory impersonations of a stereotypical southern Black man.”

The DCR noted that a finding of probable cause means that the agency has concluded its preliminary investigation and determined there is sufficient evidence to warrant moving the complaint forward in the adjudicatory process. It does not represent the final ruling on a case.

The “entire leadership” of Iron Workers Union Local 11 – including Woodall – was relieved in July amid “allegations of malfeasance,” the New Jersey Globe previously reported.

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