Group probes Boeing

COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus won't push for unions at Boeing's planned 787 Dreamliner facility in North Charleston, but the state legislators will do all they can to make sure the state's minorities have a fair shot at the new jobs the aeronautics giant will create, Sen. Robert Ford said Monday.

Ford, on behalf of the caucus' 39 legislative members, wrote a letter to Boeing's president Jim McNerney on Oct. 30 to ask for information about the company's hiring practices and its race and gender breakdown.

The caucus also requested to meet with company executives and would like information about the positions available, salary ranges and qualifications needed for the new jobs. The letter also asked for Boeing's minority contractor policies and procedures.

Boeing did not respond to requests for comment.

The state agreed to a $450 million incentives package to lure Boeing to build a second production line for its long-delayed Dreamliner jet. In return, Boeing is expect to bring 3,800 direct jobs and invest $750 million within seven years.

"This is a whole lot of tax dollars, and a whole lot of black people pay a whole lot of tax dollars," Ford told The Post and Courier. "I am sure Boeing is a fair company, but we don't want to wait until the last minute to find out."

Ford is a Charleston Democrat who is chairman of the caucus' Civil Rights and Affirmative Action Committee. He also is running for governor.

Ford said the caucus is not advocating the creation of unions, but the legislators in the caucus will stay involved to ensure equal hiring standards for minorities.

South Carolina's low union presence is one of the factors that lured Boeing here, state lawmakers have said.

Blacks in South Carolina make up 28.3 percent of the population, according to the latest U.S. Census data. Hispanics account for 3.8 percent of the population.

Ford said the black population in his district, where the assembly line will be located, is about 55 percent.

Ensuring minority access to the Boeing jobs is especially important now as South Carolina faces one of the nation's worst employment rates, officially 11.6 percent, Ford said.

"The African-American community has borne the brunt of the job displacement and as a result has been disproportionately affected," Ford wrote to McNerney about the recession's toll in South Carolina.

Ford wrote similar letters to BE&K Building Group of Charlotte and Turner Construction of New York, the two companies that will serve as general contractors for the construction of the North Charleston facility.

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-926-7855 or at ywenger@postandcourier.com.