HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 04-08 Maplewood council approves new affimative action program DISPATCH Maplewood council approves
new affirmative actionr
p ogram
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The Maplewoodt
ty commission, is to en- action requirements. a c t i o n policy, Mrs.
Council Thursday ap- courage persons in pro- Councilman Donald K a m p f noted, could
proved an affirmative ac- tected classes to, apply Wiegert argued that the mean the loss of some
tion program that will for jobs and to compete enforcement provisions grants and federal aids.
encourage women and for promotion. should be mandatory if If the city is sued for
minority persons to seek .The policy also re- the city is to have an af- discrimination, Wiegert
employment and promo- quires the city to review firmative a c t i o n pro- noted, the result could
tion with the city. its job requirements to gram. be that "an affirmative
eliminate "artificial bar- If there is a substantial action program is laid
PERSONNEL Director riers" not related to the difference between the upon us by a judge, in-
JoAnn Christensen will
be the city's affirmative l°b' lowest and second low- eluding quotas."
action officer, City Man- IT DOES not, Miller est bids,he said,partitu- —
ager Michael Miller said. said, mean that the city lady iit the case of large
UNDER the new pro- can discriminate against contracts, the city will be
gram, the city also will white males by hiring a tempted to accept the f
require all bidders for less qualified member of lowest bid even if the
city contracts to submit a protected class, nor bidder does not comply
does it mean "turning with affirmative action
statements affirming
compliance with anti- the whole government requirements.
over to protected class-
discrimination s t a n- es." "WHAT I'M saying is
dards. HRC CHAIRMAN Ja- that we're for sale at a
The policy, prepared net Kampf also pointed price,"he said.
by the Maplewood Hu- out that women and mi- The council this year
man Relations Commis- norities would not nec- w i 1 l determine how
sion (HRC), provides for essarily b e promoted many bidders submit the
the city manager to es ahead of a male employe required form and will
tablish goals for employ- who had "tried and then decide whether the
ment of women and mi- w o r k e d faithfully all requirement should be
norities. these years," as Council- mandatory.
MAPLEWOOD n o w man Norman Anderson Miller said copies of
has no minority em- feared. the program will be dis-
.ployes. Of 84 full-time "That's not in this tributed to present city
employes, 69 are male, document, nor is it the employes, and a meeting
and 11 of the 15 women intent,"she said. will be held to explain
are employed in office The council decided to it. _
and clercial positions. defer enforcement provi-
Included in the "pro- sions for bidders for one Goals for employment
tected class" for which year to determine wheth- of women and minorities
employment goals will er enforcement should will be set for each city
be set are blacks, Orien- be mandatory or at the department and proba- i
tats, native Americans, council's discretion.. bly will be based on the
Spanish-surname Ameri- The HRC recommend- average percentage of
cans, women of all races ed that the council have v a r i o u s population
and "persons subject to the discretion to accept groups in the metropoli-
special obstacles in em- the second lowest bid if tan area,he said. i
ployment, such as the tl,e lowest bidder does
physically disabled, per- not comply with affirn}a- The new policy re- ,
sons dependent of wel- tive action requirements. q u i r e s recruitment of i
fare and the employable A 1 s o recommended persons for job vacancies
mentally retarded." was a provision for ter- through the news media
The emphasis of the mination of a contract if and various. organiza-
program, said members a contractor does not tions and agencies.
of the human relations comply with affirmative - Lack of an affirmative