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* Tribune…
An organization representing African-American firefighters and paramedics on Thursday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to expand its probe of the Chicago Police Department to include the Fire Department, saying hiring and disciplinary practices there are unfair.
The African-American Firefighters & Paramedics League of Chicago also demanded that Mayor Rahm Emanuel dismiss Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago, alleging that Santiago has failed to investigate claims that minority firefighters are disciplined and demoted unjustly.
* The city is apparently violating a court consent decree…
They say under that decree, the fire department should be 30 percent African-American – equivalent to the black population of Chicago.
But that’s not the case – the group says of the total 4,800 firefighters and medics on the force, 783 are black – a total of just under 17 percent.
They say that’s down from the 1,000 black members back in 1980.
* Their union contract codifies the consent decree…
In December 2005, the percentage of uniformed African-Americans on the Chicago Fire Department totaled 19.2 percent. At the end of 2015 it stood at 16.9 percent. […]
“The contract says that in all ranks we should have fourty-five percent of minorities. Thirty percent should be black, 15 percent should be Hispanic,” Boggs said. […]
The fault in not meeting the 45 percent threshold these firefighters say lies not just with the City but also the union that represents Chicago firefighters. […]
“They agreed to this contract,” said Boggs, “and they have never held the city accountable for the 45 percent.”
In a statement Union President Tom Ryan said, “Local 2 has no control over the City’s hiring process.”
According to city figures, 92.3 percent of Chicago firefighters are male and 7.7 percent female.
The police and firefighter unions are playing right into Gov. Rauner’s hands.
Sheesh.
* And the mayor, of course, stood by his fire commissioner…
“Since 1980 the DOJ has been working with the fire department on their promotion policy and we’ve been cooperating and working with them and we will continue to do that,” he said.
Emanuel has pushed an innovative program to give city hiring preference to public high school graduates, which was, of course, opposed by the union.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:27 am
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Uh oh. Did the Mayor say he had his fire chief’s back?
Comment by walker Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:35 am
===The police and firefighter unions are playing right into Gov. Rauner’s hands.===
… which is why Rauner doesn’t fear labor, and he’s right not to fear Labor.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:37 am
Chicago advertising for police officers throughout the city with a special emphasis on minority communities. If people do not apply for the jobs or fail to qualify, how is that racist activity on the part of the city?
Comment by Be realistic Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:37 am
== …which is why Rauner doesn’t fear Labor, and he’s right not to fear Labor. ==
Until/unless Labor gets its collective head out of its collective backside and tries to get out of its own way, this is very much correct.
Comment by thunderspirit Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:53 am
–And the mayor, of course, stood by his fire commissioner…–
That’s like the dreaded “vote of confidence” for a baseball manager. It’s only a matter of time after that.
See McCarthy, Gerry. Less than 48 hours from vote of confidence to firing, if I recall.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 10:57 am
Of course the Union hated the idea of public school preference. Their members’ kids go to Catholic schools.
Comment by City Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:00 am
If the union contract codifies the consent decree, I’m not sure they can be blamed as a primary obstacle on this. The union doesn’t run the hiring process, the city does. The union complained about Rahm’s public school hiring preference, but it still went into effect.
Comment by What? Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:24 am
==Emanuel has pushed an innovative program to give city hiring preference to public high school graduates, which was, of course, opposed by the union.==
A sentence packed with frustration.
Comment by Touré's Latte Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:51 am
- Touré’s Latte - Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:51 am:
==Emanuel has pushed an innovative program to give city hiring preference to public high school graduates, which was, of course, opposed by the union.==
A sentence packed with frustration.
Yep, absolutely pathetic. The union then can’t steer jobs to its cronies.
Comment by Tone Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 11:59 am
If my house is on fire I want the person trying to save it there based on how qualified they are. that’s it.
Comment by Shore Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:11 pm
What does this have to do with the problem of CPD shooting black citizens? Bc *that* is what the DOJ investigation is about, not about hiring practices.
Is CFD alleging that they are letting the homes of black citizens burn? That would be a serious scandal, too.
Comment by Chris Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 12:22 pm
A broad Consent Decree mandating an employment percentage is tricky business that an employer can’t really control. What if you can’t even get enough qualified candidates to apply for the positions to meet the court orders? It’s easy for courts, or legislatures or anybody else to pass ideas without an ability to implement.
That being said, has the fire dept made any good faith efforts at recruitment & training to ensure qualified minority candidates apply?
Comment by Ahoy! Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:05 pm
When it rains, it pours in Chicago Rahm…
Comment by Loop Lady Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:09 pm
Rahm should start caring more about CPS students while they’re CPS students and not wait until they’re CFD applicants.
Comment by LizPhairTax Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:19 pm
Rahm’s preference for CPS graduates is meant to favor minorities. The Union is opposed because most of the children (sons) of white firefighters attend Catholic schools and are put at a disadvantage.
Comment by anon. Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:23 pm
A large number of the fireman’s children go to Taft High School which is a public high school. Its in the Norwood Edison Park area. That is also where an extremely large number of firemen live. Taft High School has a special curriculum setup to prepare students to test to be on the Chicago Fire Department. So just hiring from public schools is not going to change anything.
Comment by Chungas revenge Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:33 pm
anon.@1:23
True. But it’s interesting to me that no one points out that Rahm’s public school preference actually hurts thousands of African-American kids who attend Leo, Hales, Mount Carmel and other Catholic schools on the South Side.
Comment by RT Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 1:57 pm
If there is a cavalry coming to rescue Rahm, I don’t see it on the horizon. The regrets on this one are likely many for him.
Comment by Lincoln Lad Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 2:57 pm
To use the police and fire unions in chicago as a baroneter for statewide labor is very shortsighted to say the least.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 4:51 pm
Some of you must have missed the illegal, unconstitutional rejection of African Americans from testing to and being hired by CFD–a case in which the city borrowed $80 million in order to cover the economic damage it caused.
Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Jan 8, 16 @ 5:14 pm