Posted on Feb 11, 2023
Investigation into Kansas City Fire Department says unions block needed reform on racism
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After a news report revealed persistent issues with racist and sexist harassment at the Kansas City Fire Department, the city ordered an investigation into department conditions. It found problems persist, enabled in part by unions slowing efforts at reform.
A new report on the culture within the Kansas City Fire Department finds that its two unions wield too much power, making it difficult for the department to work with the city.
The report analyzed workplace culture within the department, namely “the struggle to achieve a balance between moral courage and social capital in KCFD.” According to the report, those qualities have been imbalanced for decades.
The report says the two International Association of Fire Fighters unions run the KCFD.
A new report on the culture within the Kansas City Fire Department finds that its two unions wield too much power, making it difficult for the department to work with the city.
The report analyzed workplace culture within the department, namely “the struggle to achieve a balance between moral courage and social capital in KCFD.” According to the report, those qualities have been imbalanced for decades.
The report says the two International Association of Fire Fighters unions run the KCFD.
Investigation into Kansas City Fire Department says unions block needed reform on racism
Posted from kcur.org
Racism
Diversity
Firefighting
Kansas City
Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."KCFD employees said the union and its structures prevent supervisors from holding people accountable and can end up protecting bad employees. They also said inappropriate jokes and slurs about race, gender and sexual orientation are commonplace in fire stations.
The report also says that employees pointed out unequal treatment of Kansas City residents, with homes in lower-income neighborhoods not treated with the same care as homes in higher-income neighborhoods.
The report recommends that KCFD develop a code of ethics, and that the unions should be involved in changing the culture of the department. Other recommendations to improve the KCFD include creating a separate KCFD recruitment department, hiring more single role EMS personnel to increase gender diversity and doing more active recruiting in school districts.
Kansas City’s Chief Equity Officer LaDonna McCullough reviewed the KCFD report. McCullough said City leadership will look further into the discrimination claims included in the report.
“The City seeks to be intentional in its exercise of due diligence and takes all claims of discrimination, harassment, and workplace violence seriously,” McCullough said in a statement."
..."KCFD employees said the union and its structures prevent supervisors from holding people accountable and can end up protecting bad employees. They also said inappropriate jokes and slurs about race, gender and sexual orientation are commonplace in fire stations.
The report also says that employees pointed out unequal treatment of Kansas City residents, with homes in lower-income neighborhoods not treated with the same care as homes in higher-income neighborhoods.
The report recommends that KCFD develop a code of ethics, and that the unions should be involved in changing the culture of the department. Other recommendations to improve the KCFD include creating a separate KCFD recruitment department, hiring more single role EMS personnel to increase gender diversity and doing more active recruiting in school districts.
Kansas City’s Chief Equity Officer LaDonna McCullough reviewed the KCFD report. McCullough said City leadership will look further into the discrimination claims included in the report.
“The City seeks to be intentional in its exercise of due diligence and takes all claims of discrimination, harassment, and workplace violence seriously,” McCullough said in a statement."
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