Plan Proposed to Improve Minority Hiring for City Government Jobs

Norman Parish | As of Thursday, October 22, 2015

Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas wants an ordinance to establish an office of diversity for the City of Chicago.
Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas wants an ordinance to establish an office of diversity for the City of Chicago. Photo by Norman Parish.

An office of diversity is being proposed as part of city government in Chicago by African American and Hispanic aldermen.

The proposal, expected to be introduced to the City Council Wednesday, comes in frustration after several minority aldermen who have continually questioned why the number of Blacks and Hispanic city employees, especially supervisors, isn’t reflective of the city’s population.

“We keep hearing the same song over and over,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward), in regards to when minority aldermen ask top city officials about the lack of Hispanic and black workers.

Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) and Villegas will be sponsors of the proposed ordinance.

"The City of Chicago’s workforce should better reflect the racial make-up of the taxpayers who are paying such salaries, benefits and pensions," Moore said.

Villegas expects at least 20 aldermen to sign the proposal.

The call for an office to help increase minorities in city government comes on the heels of the black aldermen criticizing Police Supt. Garry McCarthy of not doing enough to promote black officers.

Earlier this month, the city’s Council’s Black Caucus demanded the firing of McCarthy, also saying he hasn’t done enough to reduce crime.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, however, supports McCarthy.

Under a preliminary plan by Villegas, the city Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources would provide a comprehensive report on municipal hiring to the City Council by Feb. 1 of each year.

“The department of human resources must develop and implement a City of Chicago Minority Employment Plan to increase the number of Hispanics and African-Americans employed by the City of Chicago and the number of bilingual persons employed by the city at supervisory, technical, professional, and managerial levels,” according to a tentative plan.

“The report must provide information for each city department regarding the number of African-American, Hispanic and bilingual individuals in its workforce, both overall and in managerial positions; a breakdown of its hiring in the preceding year for both categories; and a description of the activities of the department to implement the City of Chicago Minority Employment Plan,” the proposal added.

African Americans make up about 20 percent of municipal workers and Hispanics 18 percent, Villegas said.

And the representation gets worst at the top levels of government, he said.

Out of the roughly 30 department heads, just four are Hispanic and eight are African American.

But Chicago’s black population is 32 percent, and its Hispanics population is 28 percent.

“I would like to see some parity – that’s all,” Villegas said. “This is a serious problem.”

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