Rick Dean
Registered
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_...3006440,00.html
Black firefighters claim racism delays promotions
By Jacinthia Jones
Contact
July 2, 2004
Some black firefighters say delays of at least a year in making promotions within the Memphis Fire Department are racially motivated by the union that is supposed to represent them.
At a press conference Thursday, members of the Progressive Black Firefighters of Memphis called on the mayor, the City Council and the fire director to remove the Memphis Association of Firefighters Local 1784 as its union, o
to give their counter group equal bargaining rights.
The black firefighters charged that the union - the sole bargaining unit for about 1,500 firefighters - has refused to represent them and i
s blocking promotions of battalion chiefs, lieutenants and others.
n"These actions are straining the racial working conditions and relationships in the department," said Lt. Sandra Richards, president of the group, which claims about 100 members.
"For the first time, a fair test was given with no access from fire personnel or members of the Local 1784 and African-Americans scored better than ever before . . . "
On Monday, the union won a Chancery ourt injunction blocking the city from proceeding with promotions of a half-dozen lieutenants and battalion chiefs for at least two weeks. The action is the latest in a series of legal wrangling involving promotional tests over the years.
Union president Terry Oldham said the group sought the delay earlier this wee
k because some members, who felt they weren't scored properly, had not been allowed to review all portions of the tests they took last year. After viewing the tests, Oldham said firefighters might d
ecide they have grounds to challenge it.
"This is not about race, it's about what's right and whats wrong. Some of the people who have come to us are black themselves," Oldham said, adding that some firefighters have been seeking answers from the city since January.
City attorney Sara Hall said the city had proposed going ahead with the promotions and reserving some vacancies to account for the plaintiffs questioning the testing process. Instead, the court delayed the promotions and ordered the city to make available to firefighters scoring guidelines and score sheets as well as written and videotaped portions of the test.
Barring any other legal action after the tests are reviewed, Hall said, the city now anticipates making promotions on July 13.
In the me
antime, Fire Director Richard Arwood, named to the post in April, said the promotions, though overdue, are not affecting public safety. Those in line for the promotions now are rotating in and out o
f these positions out-of-rank.
"It's not that we're lacking supervision because people are being rotated in out-of-rank position,"
Arwood said. "And safety is not being compromised.
"But team-building and consistent supervision is suffering and at the same time we're not operating with efficiency."
- Jacinthia Jones: 529-2780
Black firefighters claim racism delays promotions
By Jacinthia Jones
Contact
July 2, 2004
Some black firefighters say delays of at least a year in making promotions within the Memphis Fire Department are racially motivated by the union that is supposed to represent them.
At a press conference Thursday, members of the Progressive Black Firefighters of Memphis called on the mayor, the City Council and the fire director to remove the Memphis Association of Firefighters Local 1784 as its union, o
to give their counter group equal bargaining rights.
The black firefighters charged that the union - the sole bargaining unit for about 1,500 firefighters - has refused to represent them and i
s blocking promotions of battalion chiefs, lieutenants and others.
n"These actions are straining the racial working conditions and relationships in the department," said Lt. Sandra Richards, president of the group, which claims about 100 members.
"For the first time, a fair test was given with no access from fire personnel or members of the Local 1784 and African-Americans scored better than ever before . . . "
On Monday, the union won a Chancery ourt injunction blocking the city from proceeding with promotions of a half-dozen lieutenants and battalion chiefs for at least two weeks. The action is the latest in a series of legal wrangling involving promotional tests over the years.
Union president Terry Oldham said the group sought the delay earlier this wee
k because some members, who felt they weren't scored properly, had not been allowed to review all portions of the tests they took last year. After viewing the tests, Oldham said firefighters might d
ecide they have grounds to challenge it.
"This is not about race, it's about what's right and whats wrong. Some of the people who have come to us are black themselves," Oldham said, adding that some firefighters have been seeking answers from the city since January.
City attorney Sara Hall said the city had proposed going ahead with the promotions and reserving some vacancies to account for the plaintiffs questioning the testing process. Instead, the court delayed the promotions and ordered the city to make available to firefighters scoring guidelines and score sheets as well as written and videotaped portions of the test.
Barring any other legal action after the tests are reviewed, Hall said, the city now anticipates making promotions on July 13.
In the me
antime, Fire Director Richard Arwood, named to the post in April, said the promotions, though overdue, are not affecting public safety. Those in line for the promotions now are rotating in and out o
f these positions out-of-rank.
"It's not that we're lacking supervision because people are being rotated in out-of-rank position,"
Arwood said. "And safety is not being compromised.
"But team-building and consistent supervision is suffering and at the same time we're not operating with efficiency."
- Jacinthia Jones: 529-2780