New Haven, CT
gtinney@iabpf.org
Affirmative Action Committee Specific Challenges and Opportunities It is imperative that each Chapter establish an affirmative Action Committee. The size of this committee is a local chapter’s prerogative; however, “results” is the paramount goal to be achieved What should be the major efforts of this group? FIRST, to build the most comprehensive data base of information at each local level, something each Chapter should have on file now.
This complete data base file must also be at Regional Headquarters, to reduce severe duplications or efforts and information decimation.
• BASIC DATA ‘STRUCTURE:
• Any and all lawsuits filed against the Fire Department or other City/County departments of which the Chapter operates.
• Current and past copies of union contracts.
• Current and past copies of rules and regulations.
• Complete department personnel rosters.
• Current and past copies of the Fire Department organization charts.
• Complete current name and address (zip), telephone numbers of all elected officials and chief officers.
• Current C.O.I.N.S. breakdown of the Fire Department.
• A current data of promotional criteria, past and present.
To try to develop and define current Affirmative Action trends within a Fire Department without this “Basic Data Base,” would be not to offer the membership the level of service they are entitled.
A Chapter in no way could begin to establish the basic data needed that a good attorney would require to order to build a legal case.
The Chairperson of this Committee should be someone who has the tenacity to gather this core data, all of which can be obtained either at Fire Department Headquarters, Personnel Department or Record Division of City Hall (or County).
This would mean that each Chapter needs to establish a file system in order to be able to retrieve this data on a moments notice. We can no longer maintain a Chapter of this organization operating out of boxes. under some fool’s bed at home, we have long since passed that stage.
Each Affirmative Action Committee Chairperson in each Chapter would meet at least once per quarter with the Affirmative Action Committee Chairperson of all Chapters in their region. At this meeting they would exchange ideas/discuss problems/develop solutions to problems/develop action steps.
In each Region’s newsletter this committee’s actions, etc. would be publicized; this would eliminate communication breaks within a region as to the activities of this committee.
A Regional Affirmative Action Committee must be established with each Affirmative Action Chapter President as a member. This Regional Affirmative Committee Chairperson should appoint/elect a Regional secretary/vice president/communication director.
Each Regional Affirmative Action Chairperson would meet at least twice per year with the National Affirmative Action Committee which would be made up of all Regional Affirmative Action Chairpersons.
The meeting would be chaired by the “Vice President for the Affirmative Action Committee” which is an appointee of the National President.