Minutes 08/14/1979 - Laserfiche WebLink

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277 August 14, 1979 While visual observations alone will reveal that th~ City has increased the number of minori%ies and women within the workforce, an analysis of where minorities and women are con- centrated by level, occupation, and department reveals few gains and in some instances decreas or segments of the workforce that are still identificable by race and gender. From this analysis, it is obvious that over a period of five years, past efforts, practi and structures have not adequately addressed or resolved imbalances, underrepresentation or no representation within certain segments of the City work~e, For example, in one category, officials and administrators, there has been a decrease in the percentage of both black officials frcm 12.05 to 9.06 percent and women officials from 29.78 to 23.44 percent, yet the city has experienced an increase of 4 positions within that category. In 1973, it was recognized that both the Police and Fire Departments were seriously under represented in terms of the number of blacks within these departments and the ranks held by those blacks currently within each department. Today we note that the Police Department had made some progress both in terms of the numbers of black police officers and the ranks hel.d, While the Fire Department generally has made much less p~gress and still remains what can be characterized today as a segregated entity within the city. In all candor, the racial com- position of the Portsmouth Fire Department continues to be an affront to the black community. Other examples could be cited, but I'm sure that most of you are aware of similar proble~ areas. In the EEO arena, the bottom line for measuring progress is dl~-&tist~cal change which more closely reflects the local area of recruitment. We are familiar with manF::catch 22 phrases sr nor being qualified, being underqualified and overqualified, or just not quite having the right qualifications. We are disturbed that after 5 years, the City Personnel Department is still talking about "once we get our applicant pool developed". The City of Portsmouth can have thousands of in- dividuals in the candidate job pool, but if individuals are nor being selected by supervisors and manager when vacancies occur, you will nor accomplish your objectives, ~ou will create false hopes and frustration, and you w~ll perpetuate paper exercises'in futility. It's easy to identify additional catch 22 situations, such as limited budgets, overworked staffs, no present need lieves that there~is as much need today as in 1975. it's easy to provide explanations, or low priority. The NAACO be- Without specific action now as we move towards the '80s, the composition of the City's workforce will look the same as we enter the '90s. In order that the citizens of this community and the City workforce are assured that EEO and the goal of an integrated workforce ~s ~n fact a primary goal and that goal is consistent with the city's overall management philosophy and function, in general terms we urge that the City: ' 1. Establish: A systematic monitoring mechanism. 2. Expand: Formal support systems (in terms of resources 3. Offer: Direct management incentives 4. Strengthen: Organizational support. devoted to EEO). Consistent with these broad objectives, the Portsmouth Branch of the NfiJ~CP specifically recommends that: 1. EEO performance be included and utilized (with sufficient documentation) as one criteria and condition for all future management and supervisory prom6tion. 2. Employees who fail to carry out their EEO r~sponsibilities as a part of their normal duties be disciplined or dismissed. 3. The City establish upward mobility or redesigned positions in those occupations and departments with limited or no representation of minorities and women. 4. The City establish a structural cooperative education program (COOP) with Norfolk State University. 5. The City create a formal training program to hire and train the long term un- employed and those individuals currently locked into "dead ended" occupations for positions with meaningfuI d~ties that will reinforce personal dignity and a positive self concept, as opposed to "make work projects". 6. Following the criteria from the recent Weber decision, establish quotas in those organizational segments and occupational' areas that are currently underrepresented or have no representation of minorities and women. Establish a joint city administration-citizens monitoring group to monitor the city's progress, with a stipulation that those citizens selected be individuals with a background in at least one of the following areas: §ociology, personnel adminstration, equal employment opportunity, trainSng or management analysis. 8. Transfer the EEO Administration functions from the Personnel Department and hire a full time EEO Staff, to include at least three indiviuals 1 EEO Program Administrator; 1 EEO Specialist; 1 Clerk Typist. The EEO Program Administrator would have direct access to and report to the City Manager concerning all areas as it relates to EEO and problems surfaced thereto. In the past, the President of the N~ACP, Portsmouth Branch has requested statistical informaticn and to-date the Branch has not received this information. We, therefore, request that the City provide copies of the required annual written reports and statistics on efforts made towards integrating the City workforce. 9S ~S