Pay Equity, Blacks, and The City of San Diego

These are some of the reasons that Blacks must be looked at separately and not lumped in with “people of color” or “diversity” where they get lost in the numbers.

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Dr. Warren Editorial

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher,  San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

Last week, the City of San Diego “2022 Pay Equity Study” was presented to the San Diego City Council and the public. The $250,000 Study revealed what many of us have known and continue to know about hiring opportunities in the City of San Diego. While women make up 32% of the City’s workforce, on average, their pay is 16% less than White employees; and while people of color make up 57% of the City’s workforce, on average, their pay was 19% less than White employees. Blacks reportedly make up 11% of the workforce compared to Whites making up 43%, but Blacks receive 26% less in terms of pay.

Blacks must be singled out here because the lumping of them with “people of color” hides the extent of the disparity in both pay and employment. While the Police Department, Fire Department, and Administrative positions in the City were cited as the main areas of employment, the reality is that recruitment has never been fully inclusive in terms of Black hires for any of the positions in the departments cited here. The very idea of recruitment is the often referred to use of “ Due Process”. Due Process is both Notice and Opportunity. According to the California Administrative Procedures Act, notice includes publication in newspapers of general circulation, adjudicated under the California Government Code. This principle is based on the idea that all public positions are paid or funded with public dollars.

While many are making the internet the instrument of choice in terms of giving notice for contracts and often jobs, the pandemic demonstrated that almost 50 percent of San Diego residents are not online. This was one of the reasons for the Access 4 All created to provide more wifi services to households in San Diego. Our local newspapers and media outlets do not get job vacancy or recruitment ads from any of the three Departments named here. As a matter of fact, the San Diego Fire Department has never advertised a job announcement during the last 40 years, no matter who led the department. The recruitment Method of Operation remains by word of mouth, or brief announcements at public gatherings. The Police Department spends thousands of dollars with Publication Relations firms, and transit signs, but no outreach through local media print or online.

And, of course, the City of San Diego between its Personnel Department and H.R. Departments give no notice other than occasional job fairs. Otherwise everything is online on the City’s Website, but not accessible to all residents.

Such practices are by design to maintain the “good old boy” system of getting jobs to family and friends. One should remember that the bureaucratic guarding the system and its practices are well entrenched and have outlasted elected administrations at City Hall. One should also remember that all the Departments of San Diego City government are under Eric Dargan, as Chief Operating Officer for the City. He reports directly to the Mayor. Let’s hold Mr. Dargan accountable for changes on his watch. If we have unfilled jobs as was reported, then where are the ads and invitations to apply, and who is monitoring the application process so that those who are really interested are either turned away or their application’s lost. These are some of the reasons that Blacks must be looked at separately and not lumped in with “people of color” or “diversity” where they get lost in the numbers.

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