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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal Equal Opportunity Annual ReportCity of Miami EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ADVISORY BOARD 2006 ANNUAL REPORT presented to Pedro G. Hernandez, P.E. City Manager Sam Mason, Chairperson Officer Viona Browne, Vice -Chair Christina Alvarado Rebeca Alvarez -Mena Maria Bao Aurelus Dorvil Shad Fields Charles Flowers Louis S. Marshall, III Yvonne McDonald Laura Rodriguez Miriam Urra Staff Maria Ferrer-Miralles, Executive Secretary Angela E. George, Administrative Aide I Elsa Jaramillo-Velez, Assistant City Attorney January 2007 Equal Opportunity Advisory Board 2006 Annual Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction .1 Goals and Objectives 1-2 Purpose 2 Community Needs 2 Major Accomplishments ..2-3 Function 3 Membership ..3 Costs ..3 Conclusion 3 SUBMITTED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR SUBMITTED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR City of Miami ILTEPZ:i ON V-iD-o-r, Equal OPOanunul'Adrtrory 2006 Annual Report Introduction The Equal Opportunity Advisory Board is comprised of fourteen (14) members. The City Commission appoints ten. (10) volunteer members, while the remaining members are appointed, one each, by four (4) certified bargaining groups of City employees, upon confirmation by the City Commission. The staff liaison to the Board is the EEO Officer from the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division. Goals and Objectives The goals and objectives of the Board are: 1. To provide advice and recommendations to the City Manager, the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division, city departments, committees, and city groups, as deemed necessary and appropriate. 2. To review any plans relating to the City's Affirmative Action Program as prepared and submitted by the City's EEO Officer. 3. To conduct monthly meetings, open to the public, for discussion of the City's affirmative action program. Reviews specific complaints of alleged discrimination properly brought before the Board, and receipt of reports from the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division. 4. To review and recommend to the City Commission the adoption of amendments, and revisions, ordinances, resolutions and other proposals to the City's Affirmative Action Program, for meeting present and possible future requirements. 5. To review employment policies and practices of the City and make recommendations to City departments through the EEO officer. 6. In cooperation with the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division, to serve as an instrument for informing the City Commission, City departments, agencies and the public of the continuing Affirmative Action Program and equal employment opportunities in the City of Miami. 7. To offer commentary and recommendations, as necessary or as directed by the City Commission, concerning the City's Affirmative Action Plan and Programs. These comments and recommendations shall be presented directly to the City Commission. 8. To serve as a resource to the City of Miami and its employees on such issues as affirmative action, equal opportunity, Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other related matters. To work closely with departments, and reviews, on an annual basis, their compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan, the number and nature of complaints received by the Board or the " EEO Officer, cooperation with Board requestS, and implementation of Board recommendations when applicable. When such reviews are completed, report cards on departments citing achievements or deficiencies shall be issued regarding the same and forwarded to each department and the City Manager. 10. To review employment practices with each Department Directors on an annual basis. 11. To reach out to all departments by having sessions for employees to become aware of their rights and to know where they can go if they have a discrimination complaint. Purpose The Equal Opportunity Advisory Board is actively serving the purpose for which it was created by Ordinance No. 9139. The Board has addressed a number of issues related to equal opportunity and affirmative action for City employees. The recommendations have enhanced the delivery of City services within an environment, which recognizes and respects cultural, ethnic and gender differences. It has helped pave the way for providing a diverse workplace representative of the population of the City of Miami. Community Needs Regarding community needs, Board members either reside, work, maintain a business or own real property in the City of Miami. The City is advised of the concerns of City residents through its membership and in turn, informs its citizenry of efforts to improve diversity, equal employment opportunity, and other related issues. Major Accomplishments The following is a sampling of the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board's major accomplishments during 2006: rl. Received and reviewed monthly reports on new cases opened, cases closed, and the status of ,V ixLT xistingcases. 2eceived and reviewed monthly reports ofthe breakdown in all City departments/offices and f sworn personnel promotions in Police and Fire -Rescue throughout the year. OQ Z3eviewed 2005 EEO Cases. CD Board continued to meet with department Directors throughout the year to share and receive W information. V � W (j The Board continued to be involved with Fire Fighters recruitment and training for potential ' C.)applicants. M J CO CO Ci)a_H' 7. Provided recommendation to ER on proposed language amending LMP-3-92 Interview Process. . Presentation from Employee Relations (ER) on the City's Interview Policy used for making selections in the classified service. 8. Reviewed Hiring and Promotion Reports for all departments and met with the Director of Building to express concern with the hiring and promotion of predominantly. Hispanic males.. 9. Ms. Mark, Director of ER has met with the Board numerous times and identified three. departments who will continue to be reviewed on a one to one basis. 10. Met with the new City Manager and discussed the concerns and recommendations of the Board. Function There is no other City Board, neither public nor private, which serves the same function as the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board. The City's Board was reestablished by City Ordinance #9139 in 1980 and has functioned since then. Membership In 1994, the Board was analyzed by the "Committee of Boards and the Committees Review Committee" which reviewed all City Boards and recommended that the Board remain structured by City Ordinance. Requirements for Board membership were also addressed. It is not recommended that the number of members be modified. Costs As it pertains to costs associated with maintaining the Board, the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division serves as the City Manager's liaison. An Administrative Aide I is responsible for all administrative duties associated with the eleven (11) annual meetings. This includes composing and typing correspondence; research; scheduling; recording and transcribing minutes and package distribution for meetings. In addition, Maria Ferrer-Miralles, EEO Officer attends all meetings to facilitate the same. This individual provides regular services to the Board; serves as liaison to the City Manager and other City Departments; provides technical research; and other duties deemed necessary to run Board meetings effectively. Further, the City Attorney or an Assistant City Attorney, appointed by the City Attorney, serves as the Board's liaison from the Law Department; and provides legal advice and suggestions when necessary. Any costs incurred through staff's time, mail outs and lunch for the Board will be incurred as part of the general budget of the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division. The Board's estimated cost is minimal. CONCLUSION The Equal Opportunity Advisory Board was created to serve as an effective direct link and conduit between the City of Miami and its citizenry in a highly culturally diverse atmosphere. The Board continues to strive to improve City services by reviewing and recommending changes when needed. As a result, its volunteer members should be applauded and supported for all their efforts on behalf of the City. The City of Miami and the City Manager fully support these significant contributions by the Equal Opportunity Advisory Board to improve the Ci INOTHE SUBMITTED PUBLIC RECORD FOR ITEMxON - l2. -off Attachments: Board Bylaws Membership Roster 3 SUBMITTED INTO THE Miami �JBLIC RECORD FOR Equal OpportunityCityof Advisory B April 12, 2007 ITEMS-- ON a-ta-01, The Equal Opportunity Advisory Board was previously knowii as'Che—Affiriiiative Action Advisory Board. This board was originally created in 1976 through Ordinance 8519. Presently the Board is comprised of 14 members, 10 appointed by the commissioners and four appointees from the employee bargaining unions. Each commissioner appoints two members and each certified bargaining representatives of employees recommends one employee who has to be confirmed by the City Commission. This Board was created shortly before the signing of the Consent Decree in conjunction with the Federal government and was instrumental in overseeing the changes that have occurred in the City of Miami workforce. At that time, Blacks, Hispanics and women of all races were severely underrepresented in the overall workforce of the city as well as in particular jobs. Today, the City's workforce is predominately made up of Blacks, Hispanics and women. These groups make up approximately 88.5% of the overall workforce (Black males/17.1%, Hispanic males/40.4.5%, women/31%). There is now ethnic and gender representation in jobs that were previously held by mostly white men, though there are still goals that we must strive to achieve. This board and the staff of the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division must continue to oversee the hiring and promotional processes so that the gains of the past 30 years are not lost. In this new era, without the oversight of the court and the U. S. Department of Justice, we must be even more vigilant in the hiring and promoting of employees. This function is part of the work of our support staff, the Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs Division. This Board has continued to meet with Department Directors in an effort to discuss concerns with diversity at all levels of the departments. The Board and the Office Equal Opportunity/Diversity Programs continue to work closely with the Police and Fire -Rescue departments in recruitment efforts and in support of training efforts for candidates. This training assists candidates for sworn positions who want to be hired or promoted, in an attempt to prepare them for taking the examinations. It is the belief of this board that recruiting applicants who cannot perform well on the test does nothing to increase representation. Also, if you have minorities and women at the entry position but they do not perform well enough to be promoted, this hinders the efforts for representation. On a monthly basis, the board receives an EEO report on the ethnic/gender make up of the City's workforce, by departments and a report on discrimination cases for review. The board may hear grievances and discrimination complaints when referred by the City's EEO Officer. This board will continue to monitor the makeup of the City's workforce and discrimination complaints by employees and applicants. Furthermore, we will continue to support training efforts that help candidates to succeed and to have the EEO Officer provide EEO training and information to our employees and managers. QQ���� We look forward to continuing our work with this co BMITEPs TO THE PUBLIC RECORD FOR lTEMr.1._ONq-- o-7