United States – Biden’s initiative of a diverse and equitable workplace apprenticeship program is putting Republican attorneys general in more than two dozen states in distress as they believe that the program creates race-based discrimination.
DOL’s Justification
The DOL maintains that its proposed modification of the rules of the National Apprenticeship System, which has not changed since 2008, will make on-the-job training programs more current and diverse. Furthermore, modernizing this system will help achieve these goals and ensure worker safety, as reported by The Associated Press.
However, the proposed rule change is the latest dispute on political divisions between seen and unseen advantages and level playing fields in educational establishments and workplaces. It is worth noting that while President Joe Biden and many Democrats in administrations blame voter suppression, Republican leaders seek to do the opposite and eliminate programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We should not let race-obsessed ideology interfere with an important and successful apprenticeship program,” argued Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, the spokesperson for 24 states that submitted comments before the deadline scheduled for Monday against the proposal.
The plan also met with other objections, namely from business groups, which stated that it would lead to increased costs, reduced flexibility, and could finally lead to lower participation. The proposal offers, for instance, not less than 2,000 hours of paid-on-the-job training, which excludes the opportunity to end the job earlier for workers who have demonstrated their competence.
“It’s going to discourage apprentices from enrolling in these programs,” asserts Ben Brubeck, the vice president of regulatory, labor, and state affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors. Their service providers run apprenticeship programs.
Labor Department statistics
More than 640,000 people are involved in registered apprenticeship programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or each state apprenticeship agency, according to Labor Department statistics. The programs offer a wide range of services like paid worksite learning in areas like construction, public administration, education and manufacturing.
According to the data reviewed by the Labor Department, about 85% of the participants are male, and around 60% are white.
The regulation would ask the sponsors of apprenticeship programs to have the strategies aimed at hiring, recruiting, and retaining the ‘underserved communities,’ which would include women, people with disabilities, military veterans, people of specific religions, and sexual minorities who identify as lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, gender nonconforming, etc.
Continuing Political Struggle
The Republican attorneys general submit that this might infringe on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last year to prohibit race as a decision factor in college admissions and liberalize affirmative action programs. In their argument, the Republican lawyers argue that the proposed new rules and data collection requirements of the Agency go beyond the powers granted to it by the Constitution.
Under the proposed Labor Department rule, each State apprenticeship agency would be mandated to provide a plan that focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as reported by The Associated Press.
Additionally, it could be in conflict with the rules in some of the red states. The most recent example is when Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill forbidding government agencies and universities of diversity, equity, and inclusion departments. This act states that types of policies that are “based on an individual’s personal identity characteristics” are a “prohibited discriminatory practice.”
Over 60 bills attacking multicultural initiatives and programs have been introduced in Republican-controlled state legislatures almost as many bills have been submitted to support these proposals in Republican-led legislatures as in Democratic-led ones.