City to pay $30 million, hire 111 black firefighters

[Geee]

Chicago Sun-Times:

Chicago will hire 111 bypassed black firefighters by March 2012 and pay at least $30 million in damages to some 6,000 others who will never get that chance, under a court order expected to be approved Wednesday by a federal judge.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed that African-American candidates did not wait too long before filing a lawsuit that accused the city of discriminating against them for the way it handled a 1995 firefighter’s entrance exam.

A federal appeals court affirmed that ruling in May and remanded the case back to the trial court to implement a hiring remedy the city had been stalling.

Now, both sides have agreed on that plan and how it should be implemented.

“We’re extremely pleased that, after all these years, this long-running legal fight is coming to an end,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Matt Piers.

Noting that Chicago taxpayers are liable for an additional $500,000 in back pay for every month the hiring is delayed, Piers said, “The attitude of the Emanuel administration has been to attempt to resolve this as quickly as possible.”

The court order, to be presented to U.S. District Judge Joan Gotschall on Wednesday, calls for the city begin by sending postcards to all 6,000 black bypassed black candidates.

Those who indicate they are still interested in becoming Chicago firefighters will be entered into a “jobs lottery” to identify 750 candidates who will take a physical abilities test in October and undergo background checks, drug tests and medical exams.

From that group, the city will select 111 candidates who will enter the fire academy for training by the end of March 2012.

[SrWoodchuck]

Thanks, Geee!

 

Chicago politics, "reparation's" & economics of doom, aside....I found these bits from the article, interesting:

 

Would-be firefighters who have moved on to other careers or choose to bypass the jobs lottery for other reasons will receive cash awards of at least $5,000 per person. Chicago taxpayers will also be on the hook for $10 million to $20 million in back pension contributions for those who get jobs. That means the total cost could approach $50 million.

 

and....

 

The Chicago Fire Department’s age limit for new hires is 38, but that will not apply to the 111 black firefighters because the discrimination occurred before the cut-off was established.

 

“I don’t think we’ll have a problem coming up with 111 who still want the job and are fully qualified to have it,” said Joshua Karsh, another attorney representing the plaintiffs.

 

“Some of these people are older than 38. But, better than half the department is older than 38.”

 

Just a little story here:

 

I once had, as a business partner, a young man that I had encouraged to learn hardwood floor finishing. I met him in the warehouse of the large flooring company, where I learned the trade. He was 19 at the time & a real physical specimen.....like a well muscled and tall Tom Cruise. He was a high school graduate & was living with an older woman, whose father was a Fire Captain for a fairly large community, close to where we lived. I honestly don't know how he graduated high school, as he was a very nice young man......but literally admitted that he'd only read one book during the whole time he was in high school & struggled to do that. He wasn't an idiot, but he thought that this was a mark of distinction. He attempted to become a fireman for almost ten years.....passing the physical aspect in the 99th percentile.......and miserably failing the written & oral exams.....every time! Well....at least 4 times that he told me, anyway. This young man was white, and very personable [he actually did fantastic in the hardwood biz] but I thanked God every day, that there were some standards for firemen. I would have had faith in his strength & his heart; but he was susceptible to some basic mistakes in logic.....and never strayed far into deep thought.

 

I think about if this were 111 white firemen, who couldn't pass a test......that were now 38 years or older....and I'm glad that there were basic tests for firemen that my friend couldn't pass.

 

That being said......get Mrs. O'Leary's cow out of Chicago, ASAP!