Study addresses African-Americans, other minorities, and women in the transit industry
As part of his doctoral dissertation in 1970 on the role of African-Americans in transit, Dr. Philip W. Jeffress of Louisiana State University predicted that “labor demand, industrial (and population) location, and managerial, union, and government policy would all converge to create . . . a black-operated industry serving a predominant black clientele, except where it brings suburban commuters back and forth to the center city.”
Have these predictions come to fruition? What significant changes have taken place in transit employment since this forecast? CUTR recently completed a study of African-Americans, other minorities, and women in the transit industry to answer these and other questions about transit employment. The research included analysis of Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a survey of transit systems in the United States, and a survey of minorities in the transit industry.
Data analysis
A significant finding in Jeffress’ 1970 study of the transit industry was that, between 1945 and 1960, the number of African-American employees increased while transit employment declined. According to a review of recent Census and BLS data, since 1970, total employment in this industry has increased, with increases shown for both minorities and women. The data show that, between 1970 and 1980, the percentage of white employees in transit actually declined, from approximately 81 to 70 percent, while the percentage of minority employees increased, from 18 to 29 percent, and the percentage of women employees increased, from 24 to 26 percent.
In 1990, 72 percent of transit employees were white, 28 percent were minorities, and 31 percent were women. These data imply that, while significant gains have been made in the past 20 years by these groups, especially women, the gains made by African-Americans and other minorities during the previous decades have plateaued.
A sampling of some of the largest transit agencies in the U.S. showed that, for 1989 through 1993, the years with the largest samples, both minorities and women are making progress into management, while the share of white employees in these positions has declined. In 1993, the most recent year for data in the sample of transit agencies, minorities represented approximately 41 percent of management positions (up from 32 percent in 1984), and women represented 18 percent (up from 15 percent in 1990).
Survey results
A survey of minorities in the transit industry was conducted in early 1996. Results indicate that more than half the respondents were aware of the increase of minorities and women in senior or management positions at their agencies and in the transit industry in general during the past 10 years. However, many said that their agencies do not provide any formalized career guidance or a mentoring program and that they do not receive guidance or mentoring from a supervisor or senior-level person. From this sample of respondents, 26 percent believe this was due to their race or ethnicity.
A significant share of respondents said that their agencies provide mechanisms to facilitate communications and offer training or professional development. Approximately 53 percent said they believe they were not fully included in the flow of information in their agencies, and 26 percent said they do not have an opportunity for training and development in their agencies. In this case, it was believed that this was due to reasons other than race, ethnicity, or gender.
A majority of the respondents (67 percent) said their agencies do not have a written career path or promotion guidelines, and nearly half the respondents believe that they have been unfairly denied a salary increase or promotion in their agencies. Of these respondents, 64 percent believe this is primarily due to their race or ethnicity. Additionally, a significant share of respondents said salary disparities exist at their agencies, and 53 percent believe this is due to race and ethnicity.
Finally, a vast majority of respondents (92 percent) believe that affirmative action policies are important in advancing the interests of minorities and women in transportation.
Implications for the future
In addition to socioeconomic and land-use policy changes, several public policy initiatives have affected the transit industry and contributed to the increased representation of women and minorities since Jeffress completed his study. Legislation such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in the work place, has also provided greater opportunities for minorities and women in transit. The FTA’s Policy on Private Participation, the Clean Air Act Amendments, and the Americans With Disabilities Act also have helped to increase and maintain the role of minorities and women in the industry by expanding the use of transit.
Perhaps the legislation that has provided the most significant contribution to transit employment is the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991. Referred to as a “planner’s full employment act,” this legislation has provided operating and capital funding to support an expansion of transit employment through flex-funding and programs aimed at reducing the use of automobiles. It is anticipated that technology will continue this expansion and provide opportunities to increase transit’s productivity.
However, in the future, transit will be faced with several challenges. Clearly, the changing political and fiscal environment at both the federal and state levels will have a dramatic impact on continued funding for transit. Already, operating funds for transit are being cut from current levels, and capital projects will need to demonstrate the need for ISTEA II funds. Additionally, the review and modification of affirmative action programs will play a major role in the hiring and retention of minorities and women in transit.
Conclusions
While the transit industry has not become dominated by African-Americans as predicted by Jeffress, the research clearly indicates that African-Americans, other minorities, and women have a larger role in the industry at a variety of levels. However, many representatives of these groups believe that disparate treatment and uneven opportunities exist, especially in the areas of compensation, mentoring, and promotional opportunities.
Unfortunately, given the current political climate, legislative mandates such as affirmative action, which have been successful in advancing the role of minorities and women in transit and other industries during the past decades, may become less successful in the future.
Political and industry leaders should continue their efforts to increase the representation of minorities and women in the transit industry. As Dr. Jeffress commented, “In the current climate, affirmative action may be perceived as a barrier, or individuals may feel that there are other solutions.” He believes there is a sentiment that “we’ve done all we can do” or that other solutions should be attempted to achieve balance, such as new legislation or modifications of existing affirmative action policies and programs.
Whatever the outcome of the current debate, attempts to eradicate disparate treatment based on race or gender should be an industry-wide objective, or the industry stands to lose ground on its efforts to maintain a diverse managerial and labor force.
For further information on this project, contact CUTR Research Associates Eric Hill at, ehill@cutr.usf.edu, or Beverly Ward at, ward@cutr.usf.edu, (813) 974-3120.
Please direct all comments and/or questions regarding this page to webmaster@cutr.usf.edu.
Return to the CUTR Home Page