I. Town of Arlington, Massachusetts
STATEMENT OF POLICY
Equal Opportunity - Affirmative Action
Provision of Municipal Services
It is the policy of the Town of Arlington to provide municipal services, including access to all municipal
facilities, without regard to ethnic group, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability or veterans’ status.
Employment and Personnel Practices
It is the policy of the Town of Arlington to select
and employ qualified persons, without regard to ethnic group, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability or veterans’ status, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification, and to administer all personnel functions, including but not necessarily limited to recruitment, selection and placement, promotion and transfer, compensation and benefits, layoffs and terminations, training and education on a non-discriminatory basis.
Affirmative Action
The Town of Arlington's Affirmative Action Plan is the
mechanism through which the Town's commitment to equal
opportunity will be administered and monitored. The
Plan shall include positive and aggressive measures
to ensure equal employment opportunity, especially
steps to modernize personnel policies and practices.
Compliance With Laws
The Town of Arlington will adhere to the provisions of all federal and state laws governing equal opportunity in employment, affirmative action, and non- discrimination in municipal services. Such laws pre-
sently include, but are not limited to, Massachusetts
General Laws, Chapter 151B; Titles VI and VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Housing and
Community Development Act of 1974 as amended, Age
Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, The Americans With Disabilities Act and Federal Executive Order 11246, as amended. In implementing this policy, the Town intends to comply fully with the letter and the spirit
of the law.
II. Responsibility for Implementation
A. The Town Manager
The ultimate responsibility for achievement of equal
opportunity in the Town of Arlington, through this
Affirmative Action Plan, is assigned to the Town
Manager. All personnel activities, including those
related to employees not appointed by the Town Manager,
shall be covered by this Affirmative Action Plan.
B. The Affirmative Action Officer
The Town Manager shall appoint an Affirmative Action
Officer to be responsible for the day-to-day operations
and implementation of the plan. The Affirmative Action
Officer will report directly to the Town Manager.
His/her responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
1. Submission of an annual report and other reports as
necessary on the Affirmative Action program to the
Town Manager; including recommendations to the Town
Manager on employment goals, management objectives,
and changes in the personnel system.
2. Dissemination of the Affirmative Action Plan, both
internally and externally.
3. Development of programs, and guidelines for the
implementation of the Plan at all levels.
4. Periodic monitoring of all aspects of personnel
administration with reference to equal opportunity,
including recruitment, screening, job specifications
and qualification standards, career ladder and pro-
motional opportunities, training opportunities.
5. Periodic discussions with department heads, super-
visory personnel and others responsible for personnel
actions to ensure that policies are understood and
are being followed, and to develop jointly imple- mented programs.
6. Periodic review of qualifications of all women and
minorities to make certain that women and minority
employees are given full opportunities for transfers
and promotions.
7. Development of audit and reporting systems.
8. Periodic audits and evaluation of the Affirmative
Action program and reports to the Town Manager and
other agencies as necessary.
9. Liaison between the Town and the Massachusetts
Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) and other
governmental compliance agencies.
10. Liaison between the Town and appropriate organizations and community groups concerned with
employment opportunities for minorities and women.
11. Maintenance of records of all Affirmative Action
activities.
C. The Department Heads
Each department head shall have direct responsibility for
the implementation of effective Affirmative Action measures
in his/her department. Annual goals will be established
jointly by the department and/or division head, the
Affirmative Action Officer, and the Town Manager. Progress
will be reviewed on a periodic basis by the Affirmative
Action Officer. Specific responsibilities include, but are
not limited to the following:
1. Notify Personnel Department of all anticipated personnel
actions as early as possible, including vacancies, terminations, transfers, promotions, demotions, new
positions created, and requisitions for Civil Service
lists, in accordance with Town personnel policies and
procedures.
2. Develop job specifications and qualification standards;
and conduct interviews and testing in accordance with
Affirmative Action requirements.
3. Provide the Affirmative Action Officer the opportunity
and sufficient lead time to evaluate and make recommend- ations with respect to the recruitment, interview and
selection process; to review all resumes and applica-
tions; and to make referrals.
4. Assist the Personnel Department and Affirmative Action
Officer in preparing an annual report of workforce
composition for Affirmative Action purposes.
5. Consult with Affirmative Action Officer regarding
annual goals and timetables for department.
D. The Personnel Director
The Personnel Director shall be responsible for collecting and maintaining records of all personnel transactions in a
manner to facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of the
Affirmative Action program. He/she shall develop and main-
tain all personnel procedures in a manner consistent with
applicable laws and regulations and with this plan.
Specifically, he/she shall establish personnel procedures
that ensure Affirmative Action Officer is notified of all
personnel actions, as early as possible; and ensure that
Affirmative Action Officer approves all recruitment, inter-
view, and selection processes.
E. The Employees at All Levels
The actions of every person employed by the Town, at all
levels, are important in achieving the objectives of this
plan. Disciplinary action shall be taken against anyone found to be deliberately obstructing the implementation of
the plan. Performance evaluations, including consideration for promotions and salary/wage increases, shall consider the cooperation with this Affirmative Action program in addition
to other duties and responsibilities.
F. Advisory Committee
The Town Manager may appoint an Affirmative Action Advisory
Committee to advise the Town Manager on the development and
implementation of this Affirmative Action Plan. The Advisory
Committee may participate in the planning and design of programs to implement this Affirmative Action Plan, and may propose changes in the Plan. The Advisory Committee will be given the opportunity to review and comment upon proposed amendments to this Plan, employment goals and/or management objectives prior to their adoption.
III. Analysis and Audit of Personnel Practices
The Affirmative Action Officer will examine all classification, qualification, recruitment, hiring, promotional and other employment practices in order to identify all such practices which may have contributed to the underutilization of minorities and women. Any practices which have adverse impact on the employment of minorities or women and which are not proven to be related directly to job performance will be modified or eliminated.
Initially, and periodically as determined by the Affirmative Action Officer, the specific practices to be examined will include at least the following:
1. The procedures by which job descriptions and minimum experience and training requirements are established;
2. The recruitment system, including the procedures by which the hiring units assure affirmative action in recruitment;
3. All application forms and related applicant processing documents.
In conducting the review of these practices, the Affirmative Action Officer shall work in close
consultation with the Personnel Director and department heads. The results of the review, including any recommendations for changes in the employment practices of the Town will be stated in writing to the Town Manager, and upon his approval of the changes, shall be incorporated in any personnel policy or procedures documents and/or this Affirmative Action Plan as may be appropriate.
IV. Utilization and Workforce Analyses
The Affirmative Action Officer will conduct a utilization analysis, which will include an analysis of the Town's workforce, on an annual basis, at the end of the fiscal year. This utilization analysis, the deficiencies and problem areas identified by it, and the resulting recommendations, will be part of his/her Annual Report to the Town Manager and will be a key element in establishing employment goals for the succeeding year.
The purpose of the utilization analysis is to initially, and periodically, review the presence of women and minority persons employed by the Town, the positions held and the functions performed, and their distribution in all job classifications and at all wage and salary levels. If either group is present in fewer numbers in a particular job group than would reasonably be expected by their availability in the labor force, then that group is said to be underutilized. In determining whether minorities or women are underutilized in any job classification, at least the following should be considered:
a. The minority population or female populations as a percentage of the total population of the Town, and
the Boston Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area
(SMSA).
b. The unemployment rate for minorities and for women in the Town, and the Boston SMSA:
c. The presence of women and minorities in the Town's workforce, in the Arlington labor force, and in the Boston SMSA labor force.
d. The general availability of women and minorities having requisite skills in the area in which the Town can reasonably recruit;
e. The availability of promotable and transferrable women and minorities within the Town's workforce;
f. The existence of training institutions capable of training persons in the requisite skills, and
g. The degree of training which the Town may reasonably undertake as a means of making all job classifications available to protected groups.
After analyzing the above factors, the Affirmative Action Officer may recommend to the Town Manager changes in personnel policies and practices, programs and management
steps, and/or employment goals to address such underutilization that may exist.
V. Goals and Timetables
The Town of Arlington is committed to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons. A concerted effort will be made to assure that all persons, particularly with members of underutilized classes, have equal access to the municipal employment system.
A utilization analysis will be conducted annually using
the criteria outlined in Section IV of this plan. The
areas of underutilization identified in the utilization analysis will be used in setting employment goals for the succeeding year and for the succeeding five-year period.
Recommended employment goals will be developed annually
for each position in each department by the Affirmative
Action Officer in consultation with the department head. Overall hiring plans, expected turnover in covered positions, changes in workforce needs, as well as opportunities and obstacles in hiring will be considered in establishing goals. These recommended goals will be contained in the annual report to the Town Manager, who will approve the final goals for the Town.
The Office of Revenue Sharing has determined that the Boston Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) is the appropriate labor market area for the Town of Arlington, that is, the geographic area in which the Town may reasonably recruit persons for employment or reasonably expect to attract applicants. The Boston SMSA is composed of 92 contiguous communities, with Boston as its core city.
Arlington has accepted the percentages of the SMSA labor force as the goals for the composition of the Town's workforce. The proportions of women and minorities in the Boston SMSA labor force are:: minorities - 14.7% and women - 47.5 Source: "Labor Market Information for Affirmative Action Planning, 1990".
It is the Town's objective to achieve the 14.7-47.5 composition of the workforce as soon as is reasonably practicable. Each job classification and department will be considered individually, and reasonable goals and timetables established annually, based on the anticipated results of a vigorous recruitment effort.
VI. Monitoring Performance
Monitoring the Town's performance and progress in meeting its Affirmative Action goals is important, especially in assessing the effectiveness of various recruitment sources and techniques and of the personnel system as a whole.
The Affirmative Action Officer and the Personnel Director will develop the procedures necessary for the Personnel Department to maintain at least the following records in support of the Affirmative Action Plan:
1. Applicant flow, by ethnic group, gender, and source of applicants:
2. Hires by ethnic group, gender, and national origin:
3. Initial placement after hired, where assigned, and position, by ethnic group, gender, and national origin:
4. Transfers and promotions, by ethnic group, gender, , national origin, position and department from which transferred or promoted, and position and depart-
ment to which transferred or promoted; and
5. Voluntary and involuntary terminations, by ethnic group, gender, national origin, type of termination, and the reason therefore.
The Affirmative Action Officer will review the above records on a periodic basis to assure compliance with this Affirmative Action Plan, especially the employment goals contained in it.
The Affirmative Action Officer will prepare an Annual
Report to the Town Manager, and other periodic reports as may be appropriate, regarding compliance with the plan and progress toward objectives. These reports will contain recommendations for changes the Affirmative Action Officer believes are necessary to correct deficiencies or improve the performance of the program.
VII. Personnel Procedures
Uniform personnel policies and practices which are consistently administered are the surest way of assuring equal opportunity. Every effort will be made to review periodically, to revise if necessary, and to maintain standardized personnel procedures for all positions in all departments.
A. Civil Service Positions
Most of the employees of the Town of Arlington are civil service employees. The Town is required to employ, transfer, promote and terminate persons in civil service positions in accordance with Chapter 31 of Massachusetts General Law, as administered by the Massachusetts Division of Personnel Administration, (DPA, a state agency). When filling a vacancy, the Town is provided with a certified list of candidates by DPA from which the Town must appoint if it is to fill the position. In the past, women and minorities have been underrepresented on civil service lists at all levels. DPA is reviewing its procedures, and the Town will continue to work with DPA to improve the situation.
In situations where a civil service list for hiring is not available and a position must be filled, the Town may make a provisional appointment which will stand until a list is available. The Town will follow the procedures described below for non-civil service positions to affirmatively recruit qualified women and minorities for provisional appointments, and then to encourage them to take the appropriate civil service examinations.
The Town will request PAR.10 on civil service requisitions for positions in job categories where minorities or women are underutilized. This Affirmative Action rule permits consideration of three additional minorities or women candidates.
The Town will also encourage minorities to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility available at the Employment Resources office for placement on a special list of disadvantaged persons for entry-level civil service
jobs, as provided in Section 47A Chapter 682 of the Acts of 1983, or to participate in an approved work-training program leading to placement on such list. Selective Certification will also be utilized wherever appropriate.
B. Non-Civil Service Positions
Certain Town positions are exempted from civil service coverage by state law. Under Massachusetts Law (Chapter 31 of General Laws) which is further defined by the Arlington Town Manager Act, there are five appointing authorities for the Town of Arlington (not including the School Committee): Board of Selectmen, Town Manager, Town Treasurer/Tax Collector, Town Clerk,and Board of Assessors. Nearly all appointments are made by the Town Manager, with the remaining positions coming under the various elected officials. In the past, responsibility for hiring procedures covering non-civil service positions has been the separate responsibility of each appointing authority.
In order to insure that all area citizens are given equal opportunity in employment, the Town has developed and implemented uniform hiring procedures for positions not under the jurisdiction of civil service or for positions for which a civil service list is not available including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Review job descriptions and qualifications to assure they are unbiased and not overly restrictive.
2. When a vacancy occurs, assess the presence of women and minorities in the Town's workforce in the affected job classification and the availability of qualified women and minorities for the position.
3. Develop an appropriate search strategy for qualified women and minorities for the particular position covering all facets of the employment process, including scope of search, time and cost commitment.
4. Advertise positions in the local newspaper, regional newspapers, periodicals serving minority communities, professional or special interest journals as needed or dictated by the search strategy. All advertisements will indicate that the Town is an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action/ADA Employer.
5. Post notices of all employment opportunities in Town Hall, the Personnel Office and other locations in municipal facilities. Send notices and/or contact personally appropriate employment resources and groups
and organizations which assist or whose membership includes members of protected groups. The posting period will be of sufficient duration to allow time for interested persons to apply.
6. Maintain personnel and employment records in a manner to facilitate analysis of the workforce and to document the efforts of the affirmative action program (e.g. applicant flow, recruitment contacts, advertising).
7. Develop standardized personnel forms, including application forms, which are consistent with the Town's equal opportunity policy.
C. Promotions
Before approving filling a vacancy by promotion, the Affirmative Action Officer, in accordance with the procedures described in Chapter VII, shall determine if minorities or women are being underutilized in the job category and position in which the vacancy exists. If underutilization is found to be the case, the Affirmative Action Officer shall review the availability of qualified or potentially qualified persons from underutilized groups in all departments within the Town, and shall include that information with other factors in making his/her comments and recommendations.
As a general policy, the Affirmative Action Officer/
Personnel Director shall seek to develop career ladders which cross departmental lines in order to afford more people more opportunities for advancement. Promotion from within is a desired management and personnel process when coordinated with manpower needs and training programs.
In cases where use of strict internal promotional requirements will increase the underutilization of minorities and/or women, the department requesting authorization to fill the vacancy, the Personnel Director and Affirmative Action Officer may develop specific plans for recruitment outside of the current Town workforce.
VIII. Training Programs
The availability of training opportunities is essential to an affirmative action program concerned with up- grading of employment for women and minorities.
Information on training programs and educational opportunities will be available from the Personnel Director and Affirmative Action Officer.
Department heads are responsible for encouraging all employees, especially women and minorities, to take advantage of training programs to the extent their interest and aptitude will allow. Career development counseling and referral will be available through the Affirmative Action Office.
Release time for individuals taking short job-related seminars sponsored by a professional organization or educational institution will be given consideration on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the department head. If funds are available, tuition assistance will also be considered. Information on such opportunities will be made available at the Personnel Office, including university extension courses and programs for employees lacking a high school diploma. Completion of such courses will be noted in personnel records.
Civil Service information and assistance for employees and the general public wishing to enter or advance within the system is provided by the Personnel Office.
Short-term, on-clock workshops will be conducted whenever feasible, such as preparing employees for job related Civil Service tests.
Joint programs with neighboring cities sponsoring training programs by the University of Massachusetts Institute for Governmental Service will be offered when feasible.
Special efforts will be made to recruit minorities and
women from the Employment Resources, Inc. program when filling vacancies for permanent positions.
Local Educational Resources:
1. Boston Regional Training Center, U.S. Office of
Personnel Management 3 to 4-day seminars offered throughout the year to upgrade job skills of public employees.
2. Government Center Institute (open to all govern-
ment employees). Evening college-level courses leading to degree, co-sponsored by Federal Executive Board, Mass. Bay Community College.
IX. Dissemination of Plan
Every effort shall be made to communicate the commitment expressed in this Affirmative Action Plan to present and prospective Town employees, the public, and in particular, resources, including the media, which reach underutilized classes, notably women and minorities.
Internal
1. All employees will be advised of the adoption of the Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Policy and the Affirmative Action Plan, and their cooperation and support requested.
2. All department and division heads will receive copies of the Plan. Meetings will be held with these management personnel at the initiation of the program to answer questions, and at other times, as needed, to deal with problems or questions which may arise.
3. Copies of the Plan will be available in the Personnel Office/Affirmative Action Office and Main Library for any employee or citizen to read.
4. Municipal employee unions will receive copies of the Plan. Special meetings with union officials will be held, as needed or as requested, to discuss the affirmative action program and to solicit their cooperation.
5. The Affirmative Action Officer will be responsible for the posting of information regarding equal employment opportunity, and of non-discrimination laws in places where policy and related materials are available to all employees and prospective employees.
6. All employees will be advised of the procedures for handling complaints of discrimination.
7. All prospective employees coming to the Personnel Department will be advised that the Town is an equal opportunity employer.
External
1. All printed advertisements, job announcements, posters, brochures, personnel forms and similar material will indicate that the Town of Arlington is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/ADA Employer.
2. Employment application forms will contain the Town's policy statement regarding non-discrimination, and the procedures to follow for filing complaints.
3. A notification letter will be sent to various employment sources and to organizations serving protected groups informing them of the affirmative action policy. These groups will be advised of job openings and encouraged to refer candidates for available positions.
4. The Affirmative Action Officer will maintain a liaison with employment sources and organizations servicing protected groups.
5. Information regarding the equal opportunity- affirmative action policy and plan shall be included in Town publications, whenever appropriate, including the Town Employees' Handbook and any personnel manuals which may be developed or revised.
X. Staff Orientation in Equal Employment Opportunity
Responsible supervisory personnel will be given orientation sessions regarding the provisions of the plan and equal employment opportunity law in general, in addition to receiving copies of this plan. Update sessions will be held periodically, with responsibility for EEO orientation and training sessions assigned to the Affirmative Action Officer.
All employees who have any direct responsibilities in the selection process will receive the equivalent of at least one full day of orientation regarding this affirmative action plan as well as general training with regard to the provisions of equal employment law. Included among the topics will be the special obligations of personnel staff members in assuring the success of the Town's affirmative action plan.
Special meetings or orientation sessions will be organized under procedures developed by the Affirmative Action Officer to inform non-supervisory personnel of their rights and obligations under the affirmative action plan.
New employees will be advised of the Town's equal
opportunity policies and affirmative action program during orientation sessions.
XI. Complaint Procedures
These complaint procedures have been developed with the intent of providing an informal mechanism for the resolution of grievances relating to discrimination forbidden by the Town's equal opportunity-affirmative action policy, a mechanism which may be faster and more responsive to an employee's or applicant's needs than a formal process. The use of the complaint procedure is not intended to preclude an employee or job applicant from utilizing those other remedies to which he/she is entitled, including those set forth in any relevant collective bargaining agreement or those available under state and federal law.
Present Employees
1. Coverage -- This procedure applies to all grievances which may arise in matters of general personnel administration in which it is alleged that deferential treatment was afforded on the basis of ethnic group, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, veterans’ status or disability. It is supplemental to any procedures established through collective bargaining agreements or by law, e.g., civil service hearings.
2. Eligibility -- Any employee or applicant believing that he or she has been discriminated against through the action of another employee, or supervisor, or other person acting for the Town may bring an informal grievance under these procedures.
3. Interpretation of Coverage -- Where a dispute exists as to whether a particular matter is subject to coverage by these grievance procedures, the Town reserves the right to make the final judgment on that question through the Affirmative Action Officer and the Town Manager. Application of these procedures will be denied in instances where the appealing party is not involved, or where there is good reason to believe that the grievance has been brought in bad faith.
Informal Grievance Procedures
1. The employee should first discuss the
grievance with the immediate supervisor.
2. If the grievance remains unresolved, the employee may discuss it with his/her department head.
3. If circumstances of the grievance prevent using
step (1) and/or step (2), or if the department head does not resolve the grievance within a reasonable period of time, the employee may discuss the grievance with the Affirmative Action Officer.
4. If the grievance is judged to be valid and to have resulted from an application of personnel policies, the Affirmative Action Plan, or employment law on the basis of discriminatory criteria, such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability
the Affirmative Action Officer will bring the matter to the attention of the Personnel Director and the Town Manager who will review the grievance and take whatever appropriate administrative steps to enforce the policies, the plan, or law that he deems appropriate.
5. If the grievance involves a question of judgment or opinion not covered by the personnel policies, the Affirmative Action Plan or employment law, the Affirmative Action Officer may counsel with the employee, the supervisor and/or department head to resolve the grievance, if possible. The matter may be brought to the attention of the Town Manager, by either party for final resolution.
6. Any retaliatory action of any kind taken by any employee of the Town against any other employee as a result of that person's seeking redress under these procedures, cooperating in an investigation,or otherwise participating in any proceeding under these procedures is prohibited and shall be regarded as a separate and distinct grievable matter under these procedures.
The Affirmative Action Officer shall be granted the authority to carry out the following activities under the direction of the Town Manager:
1. To receive and attempt to resolve complaints on an informal basis:
2. To provide aggrieved persons with information on equal opportunity procedures including local, state, and federal redress procedures, including the option to file a complaint within six months with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination or with any state or federal agency from which funds are received, such as U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Office of Revenue Sharing.
3. The Affirmative Action Officer shall make every effort to resolve the problem informally. To this end, the Affirmative Action Officer may, if requested by the complainant, assist in discussions with the supervisor or any other party to the problem and may take other steps which may assist in the resolution of the problem.
4. The aggrieved person has the right to be accompanied, represented and advised by a representative or attorney of their own choice. If the aggrieved person and/or their representative is an employee of the Town, they shall be given a reasonable amount of time during the working day to prepare and present a request for a solution of the grievance.
XII Employee Unions
The Town recognizes six municipal employee unions as collective bargaining agents and is signatory to collective bargaining agreements. These agreements contain, or will contain in the future, clauses prohibiting discrimination.
The Town recognizes its obligation under these agreements and will adhere to them in the implementation of this affirmative action plan.
XIII Construction Contracts
The Town recognizes the important role which equal employment opportunity requirements and goals can play in eliminating and remedying discriminatory barriers in the terms and conditions of employment in the construction industry. The federal government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also recognize this role and have stringent requirements for projects in which federal or state monies are involved.The Town also recognizes and enforces the equal employment opportunity language for construction contracts as stated in Articles 15 and 16 as passed by Town Meeting vote on April 22 and 24, 1996.
The equal employment opportunity requirements which the Town will incorporate in bid specifications and construction contracts will vary, depending on the funding sources for each particular project, as follows:
1. Federally-assisted Projects. Federal regulations required that the terms and conditions set forth in Executive Order 11246, as amended, be included in all federally-assisted contracts. Federal bid conditions which are administered by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) and which are intended to implement the provisions of Executive Order 11246 must also be included. Other affirmative action or equal employment requirements may also be imposed by the administering agency, eg. the special requirements for Section 3 projects administered by H.U.D.
2. State-assisted Projects. Projects funded in full or in part by state funds must include the basic contract language contained in Massachusetts Administrative Bulletin 75-14 which was issued on December 2, 1975. The language will be modified to assign to the Town all functions assigned to the Commission. This Administrative Bulletin sets forth a required 5% minimum requirement in each job category for minority participation on state and state-assisted contracts. In addition, the Town will recommend 5% minimum requirement for female workforce participation in each job category.
3. Town Funds-only Projects. The Town will also incorporate Affirmative Action provisions in construction contracts with a dollar value in excess of $50,000 which are funded solely by the Town. This contract language is a modification of the state contract provisions contained in Administrative Order 75-14. The Affirmative Action Officer will be responsible for administering these provisions, coordinating development of specifications with contracting authorities, and monitoring contractor performance under contracts of this nature.
The Affirmative Action Officer will be responsible for preparing EEO materials and specifications, for conducting pre-construction EEO conferences, and for monitoring the compliance of contractors in regard to their equal employment opportunity requirements. He/she may be assisted by the
Grant Administrator if one has been appointed for any particular project.
The Town Manager may appoint an Advisory Committee to advise the Town on relations between the Town, contractors, construction unions and minority communities and organizations. This committee may be the core group for any liaison committee which may be constituted under the terms of Administrative Bulletin 75-14, as modified, for a state- assisted project.
XIV. Amendments
The foundation of this Affirmative Action Plan is the Town's Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Policy. As conditions in the workforce and the labor market change and as changes in personnel policies and practices become necessary, the various elements of the plan may need to be modified in keeping with the Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Policy.
Changes in this plan may be proposed by the Affirmative Action Officer or the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, as well as the Town Manager. The advisory committee will have the opportunity to review and to make recommendations on any substantive changes proposed by either the Affirmative Action Officer or the Town Manager. Changes in this plan are the final responsibility of the Town Manager.
C. Definitions
1. Minorities - are defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as follows:
a. The category "Black" (not of Hispanic origin): All persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
b. The category "Hispanic": All persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
c. The category "Asian or Pacific Islanders": All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Phillipine Islands, and Samoa.
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