GM acknowledges shockingly racist incidents at Toledo plant

[Judi Lynn]

Source: CBS News

By DEAN REYNOLDS CBS NEWS January 22, 2019, 6:40 PM

Chicago — General Motors said it is urgently working to identify which of its employees turned a Toledo plant into a cesspool of racism. African American workers allege they were routinely disparaged, not only with the n-word but with nooses, swastikas and "whites only" signs on bathroom doors.

GM's admission comes after months of sidestepping claims from 11 workers.

"I'm absolutely outraged by the fact that this kind of behavior is still able to show up in any one of our workplaces. We have zero tolerance for any kind of behavior like this," said Gerald Johnson, GM vice president for manufacturing.



Two federal lawsuits have been filed accusing GM of ignoring racial harassment. The suits claim that for at least two years, African Americans at the plant were called "boys" and "monkeys." They were also told to "go back to Africa where they belong."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/toledo-gm-plant-gm-acknowledges-shockingly-racist-incidents-at-toledo-plant-amid-lawsuits/

[underpants]

1. Where was the union in this?

GM management obviously was asleep at the wheel too but I do have to ask where the union was when this was going on.

[fascisthunter]

2. Good Catch... I'm A Union Member Where I Work

... and this would never fly in the part of this country that I am in.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. In many instances, unions are built on white supremacy. And because we live in a white supremacy,

the institutions within it have to work really hard to be truly free of racism. It's stories like these that put the lie to the theory that economic equality solves all ills, and highlight the important role of intersectionality in any progressive effort.

[jodymarie aimee]

3. and of course poor grammar

did none of them learn 3rd grade English...

[Initech]

4. Welcome to Trump's America.

[muntrv]

5. Close this plant and keep the other 3 open.

[Jedi Guy]

6. So the people not involved in this should suffer too?

Closing the plant punishes the guilty and innocent alike, along with the families of the innocent. It also punishes the downstream businesses that rely on the plant for some or all of their livelihood.

The answer to injustice is not more injustice. Collective punishment is the very definition of injustice. Root out the perpetrators (and those who allowed them to behave this way) and let the rest of the employees go about their jobs and lives.

[yardwork]

7. Isn't there a plant manager?

This is a bizarre statement from the company.

Fire the plant manager and the rest of the senior staff who were responsible for running the plant.