United States v. Ironworkers Local 86

On October 31, 1969, the Attorney General of the United States brought an action in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington against five building construction unions located in Seattle, Washington, and three joint apprenticeship and training committees associated with them. The complaint alleged that the named unions and joint apprenticeship and training committees had denied employment opportunities to blacks on account of their race and that certain policies, practices and conduct, described therein, constituted a “pattern or practice” of resistance to full employment of blacks in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. The district court, William J. Lindberg, Chief Judge, found that all the named unions and joint apprenticeship and training committees had pursued a pattern or practice of conduct which denied blacks, on account of their race, equal employment opportunities in the construction industry; two judgments and decrees followed. All but one of the defendants have joined in the instant appeal. We affirm.

Many of the basic facts were largely undisputed and were stipulated by the parties. Appellant…