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St. Petersburg workforce survey finds discontent, racial tension

 
St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, here with Mayor Rick Kriseman, said the study will serve as a guide for officials.
St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, here with Mayor Rick Kriseman, said the study will serve as a guide for officials.
Published July 8, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG — Nearly half of city employees in a survey expressed doubts about how their workplace fosters equality, respect and inclusiveness, according to a report released Tuesday.

The 91-page study depicts a labor force beset by racial tension, even as it also shows that many employees say they feel proud and optimistic about the general direction of St. Petersburg.

The study was triggered last year by a Tampa Bay Times story about racial discord in the city's stormwater department. A Tampa consulting firm, Competency and Performance Solutions, wrote the report from a survey of 1,124 employees — or 42 percent of the city's 2,700 full-time employees who responded.

Other findings included:

• There's deep mistrust and concern about upward mobility within city ranks, where only 20 percent of respondents said promotions and transfers are bias- and prejudice-free.

• Only half of those surveyed thought the city had procedures to ensure everyone had a fair shot at success.

• Employees are concerned Mayor Rick Kriseman's vision for the city is not trickling down. About a third of workers felt their managers were not communicating that message of diversity and inclusiveness.

• Though most agreed that residents should get equal service, a third said negative attitudes hurt customer service. Some employees cited their concerns about the treatment of seniors and the homeless.

More than 40 pages of the report were reserved for comments.

"Please do something," one anonymous respondent wrote.

"Being asked to participate in this survey is an acknowledgement that there is work to be done," another person wrote. "We are not treated equally and neither are our customers. I wish the mayor the best of luck."

Kriseman was on vacation Tuesday and could not be reached. Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin said the report will serve as a guide for officials.

"We're happy to have this data that allows us to chart a course to an internal culture that reflects our goals and values," Tomalin said. "What we are going to do is take the time to craft an action plan and response to this data."

Tomalin also said officials were "very happy" with the high response rate, which exceeded internal goals.

The city ordered the survey, the first of its kind in recent history, after a Times story last August about a black city worker's claim that his white boss spray-painted "KKK" on his back during a work shift in 2013.

The racially charged incident prompted black workers and the union to demand the supervisor be fired. He wasn't, but instead was given a 10-day suspension even though guidelines called for termination.

When Kriseman took office in January 2014, the workers and union again approached city officials. A subsequent city investigation confirmed black workers' long-standing allegations about uneven promotion and training opportunities in the stormwater department.

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City officials announced that the study on the workplace would be conducted after the "KKK" story became public in August. They also promised diversity training for all employees and wider community conversations about race.

This year, employees were sent 25 questions pertaining to the city's goals on workplace diversity, equality and accessibility, and whether the city accomplishes those goals.

Rick Smith, chief of staff for the union, said he wasn't surprised by the results, which he said shows an out-of-touch administration.

"I think what it really points out is the disconnect between the mayor's office and his own administration," Smith said. "There's nobody watching the chicken coop."

The survey did not ask questions about specific departments, but many employees singled out police, fire, sanitation and public works.

The survey did have some good news for officials though. Seventy percent said they would recommend the city to a friend for employment and two-thirds thought the mayor's office did a good job communicating a message of inclusion.

Competency and Performance Solutions is working on using the survey results for a training program, which all city employees will have to take.

"It doesn't do any good to do a cookie-cutter diversity training," said Lillian Dunlap of CPS. "This is a good step for the city and in a lot of ways a very innovative one. We really want this to stick … so that it has some long-term, lasting effects on the system."

Tomalin said city officials are being realistic with expectations.

"We know it will take time to get to our optimal place," she said. "We're committed to doing the work."

Contact Kameel Stanley at kstanley@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8643. Follow @cornandpotatoes.