CONTACT TRACER RECRUITMENT DISCRIMINATION

Dear Leaders in the New York City Area,

I am concerned that Mayor Bill Di Blasio's decision to pass the hiring of the estimated seventeen hundred Contact Tracers to Ex-Mayor Bloomberg will result in discriminatory hiring practices that will ill affect African American and Latino communities. Bloomberg “immediately” announced that he would turn the hiring process over to a “Staffing Agency.” Many of these “Staffing Agencies” use all types of software that “sifts-out” candidates based on name, demographics, race and word use. It has been well established that the African American and Latino community has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 Virus in New York State. Our community should be 1^st priority in these well-paying jobs which start at $57,000.00.

It should be very suspicious that one of the job qualifications is that a person must have prior “healthcare experience.” The Contact Tracer position is basically an "investigatory" position. Other States are not requiring that experience. Many African Americans and Latinos with prior Criminal Convictions in New York City who would be otherwise qualified for this position, would "automatically" be denied because New York State have "statutory" guidelines which prevent people with prior convictions from working in the Healthcare Industry. One of the qualifications on The Fund for Public Health website is that a candidate must have the "ability to understand the concepts of institutional racism and bias and their impact on underserved and underrepresented communities." That qualification alone should send African Americans to the front of the line of this recruitment.

Erin Schumaker from ABC News wrote this:

“Several states have already started the process, although qualifications are uneven. In New York, in addition to understanding how racism fits into the COVID-19 pandemic, candidates should have health-related professional experience and computer skills and the ability to show empathy toward distressed individuals. Being able to speak multiple languages in addition to English is a plus… New York City’s contact tracer qualifications go beyond what Massachusetts, among the first states to roll out an extensive contact tracing program, lists for qualities candidates should have if they want to apply to be contact tracers in the state… Massachusetts candidates need to have a high school diploma, but neither specialized health education nor professional health experience are prerequisites for applying. The posting is listed by Partners in Health, a Boston-based health nonprofit that’s working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and local health departments.”

We have not had a pandemic of this magnitude since the Spanish Flu of 1918. The Contact Tracer position is a "new" position where the candidates must be "fully trained." If they wanted to require Data Entry skills, “fine,” communications skills, “no problem,” but to require degrees and healthcare experience for what's essentially an investigatory job where the candidates will be "fully trained" is wrong and will lead to discrimination of the very groups that historically suffer from extreme “joblessness.” The same groups that Governor Cuomo and Mayor Di Blasio admit have been dying at disproportionate numbers because of the States historical mistreatment of African Americans and Latinos. These are jobs paying an average $57,000.00.  Again, most States are not requiring those qualifications. There should be some sort of “oversight” over this recruitment process.


c:          FILE

            Mr. Alfred Sharpton, The National Action Network

Mr. Herb Boyd, The New York Amsterdam News

            Mr. Charles Blow, The New York Times

            Mr. Charles Barron, NYS ASSEMBLY

            The National Hire Network

            The Legal Action Center of New York

            The Community Service Society of New York

            The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Eric M. Deadwiley is a Freelance Op-Ed Columnist, Investigative Reporter and Author

Contact:         Eric M. Deadwiley

Email               edeadwiley27@yahoo.com