Reverse racism :headshake

"Diversity training" at the last three companies I've worked for has not focused on race. The thrust is towards understanding disabilities, educational backgrounds, and "life issues".

"Life issues" = "Work-life balance" = "I have to leave early to take care of my kids/mother/dog"

That's about it. Talking about race is passe.

Most of the diversity training I've been on has been about disabilities and gender awareness (more in terms of LBGT than anything). There's been some stuff about race, and religion, but these are very sticky areas in the UK, so I think it can be appropriate. Even that has been quite interesting and useful and has included myth busting' as part of its focus; which can be really useful in cases where the employer/management aren't aware of certain issues and are being taken advantage of: people claiming something is their religion when it really isn't, often connected with disputes over uniforms and holidays.

In my experience diversity training has been very much a two way street.

This shit goes way beyond black & white.

Being with a company that has a global market, and in a division that has a global military market, the goal seems to emulate Noah's ark. Gather two (or more), from as many countries as possible. They may be bright and educated, but have no idea how to do their job, indeed, many don't seem to know what their job is.

So we all get mandatory diversity training about these many cultures these people sprouted from. It's something the company can brag about to the government and especially all these foreign customers, but it sure as hell doesn't get the product out the door.

While everyone is singing Kumbaya, I'm grinding my teeth trying to get the support I need to do my job. They could at least leave a bowl of milk out, if they expect it to be done in the morning.
Oh, wait, milk might offend some cultures. :rolleyes:

They probably get some tax benefits too

Is it like that list of countries involved in the A380? Everybody has to do their bit so everybody gets a jobs program?

# Wings - Broughton, Wales
# Fuselage parts - Hamburg, Germany
# Tailfin - Stade, Germany
# Rudder - Puerto Real, Spain
# Nose - Saint Nazaire, France
# Fuselage and cockpit sub-assemblies - Méaulte, France
# Horizontal tailplane - Getafe, Spain
# Final assembly - Toulouse, France
# Cabin installation and painting - Hamburg, Germany

Wow.

Private pool that costs $740 for a family of 4, brings in 65 kids from the ghetto, and the membership gets surprised... priceless.

What is wrong with people?

We belong to a pool. It was a big decision to join, because it's damn expensive. If our pool allowed a day camp to come in with 65 kids at a time, I'd be pissed. Regardless of their skin color. 65 kids will take a moderately crowded pool and turn it into a sardines in a can type of situation. Too damn crowded. Then, on top of that, you can assume the day campers don't know the pool rules and etiquette, so they would probably be causing a bit of a disruption.

If they are going to make the pool available to the camp, they should close it to the members during those hours. Just like a swim meet or water aerobics classes do.

Hopefully, the powers that be at your pool would have enough sense to blame it on crowding, rather than changing the "complexion" or "atmosphere" of your club.

Now excuse me while I drink a cup of tea with my pinky out...oh BIFF, tennis later?

;)

See! That's just it. You can't eat or drink on the pool deck. You have to be up by the sticky picnic tables and trash cans for that tea. Watch out for the yellow jackets. And no, that's not a racial slur. ;)

:)

I think about the municipal pool when I was younger...it was probably kind of gross, in retrospect. I could ride my bike to it, though. Mostly, it was about what boys were there.

Oh, and the yellow jackets and the hot potato sticks covered in ketchup and the high dive and the catch games (when the deep-end lifeguard would let us) and all that stuff.

Our pool isn't that expensive, but members (of all ethnic origins) would still be pretty mad if a day camp were allowed in during regular swim hours, no matter how much money it made the pool. The whole thing about private pools is that they are quiet and -especially with small pools- members all know one another and are far more respectful of one another than patrons at a public pool. This means that pools can adopt more relaxed rules and etiquette because there is less requirement for guards and pool staff to reiterate and enforce rules. Also, when there are just families, there is a much higher adult/kid ratio so parents help youngsters stay in line and learn the etiquette. When you add busloads of kids with a few couselors, pool staff become babysitters and blanket bans on everything are much easier to explain and enforce when you have a whole load of people who don't know each other too well, but are much less condusive to a nice day at the pool.

clearly, here the management made a stupid greed-based decision and handles the backlash poorly. No doubt there was some racism/elitism in the reactions from some of the members, but the blame for this lies firmly with the pool management.

Word.