Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

36° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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Deconstructing inequality

Meet Tommie Williams. He’s been to about 40 construction sites in search of a job in the past three months. But the 46-year-old, union card-holding Evanston resident repeatedly has been denied.

Now after complaining to the city and to the NAACP, Williams’ voice is being heard.

“I couldn’t find work,” Williams said. “If people want a chance to work, then the city needs to make sure they get that chance.”

Williams was unemployed since early last summer. Although he searched numerous construction sites, he kept hearing the same response: “We’re not hiring right now.”

Williams complaint came before the city’s Minority, Women and Evanston Business Enterprise Development Committee, which met Tuesday night to discuss issues affecting minorities, including its employment program. About 25 people, including several aldermen, met at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.

One of the main issues concerning the committee is the shortage of minorities working in construction as laborers, heavy equipment operators, carpenters, concrete finishers and truck drivers. Although most minorities seeking jobs at construction sites in the city are Evanston residents, qualified workers and union members, many of them often are not hired, Williams said.

His claim is supported by the mayor, some alderman and the Evanston and North Shore branch of the NAACP.

“We don’t see enough minorities working,” said Ald. Gene Feldman (9th). “If the city isn’t living up to its goal, there is a problem.”

The city’s employment policy encourages — but does not require — contractors to make 15 percent of their work force minorities and women living in Evanston.

Williams, who lives in south Evanston, said nothing was done when he told Lloyd Shepard, the director of the development committee’s programs, about his consistent rejection.

Williams said he gave Shepard a list of 28 other residents with similar claims. Shepard told The Daily after the meeting he was unaware of a list and declined to comment further.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Shepard said the city does not have the authority to address the claims.

“There is nothing in the policy that requires the hiring of minorities,” Shepard said.

Ben Ranney, a spokesman for Arthur Hill & Co., which developed the Church Street Plaza, said his company tries to hire minorities.

“We tried to hire a significant percentage of minorities,” he said.

Committee members said payroll is the only way to monitor whether minorities are being hired, but it does not monitor payrolls. Although Evanston has no control over private projects, aldermen said they want more minority participation in city-supported ventures, like the Church Street or Sherman Plaza projects.

“We want to see more blacks working on our projects,” said Ald. Lionel Jean-Baptiste (2nd). “The policy, as it currently stands, does not mandate that. I think we need to fix that.”

Council members suggested revising the policy to require that contractors hire Evanston residents, specifically minorities and women.

City lawyer Herb Hill said imposing such a requirement would conflict with constitutional law.

After getting no response from Shepard, Williams sought help from the NAACP. Chapter President Bennett Johnson said the NAACP would investigate the situation.

“If you go around the city, you see a lot of whites (at construction sites),” Johnson said. “You see very few blacks. It’s a greater problem with our country. Not enough blacks have jobs.”

The development committee said if residents seeking employment feel discriminated against, they should file a complaint with Evanston’s Human Relations Commission. Although complaints are reviewed carefully, the commission does not guarantee a resident will get hired.

The council plans to review the issue further in the coming weeks. It has scheduled a forum with the Sherman Plaza project developer to discuss opportunities for work on the project. The event is scheduled at 9 a.m. on Oct. 17 at 1200 Ridge Ave.

“They need to start talking about these things,” Williams said. “People are out of work. The city should stop going around in circles and start doing something about it.”

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Deconstructing inequality