43
Youngstown council to consider creating a whistle-blower policy
YOUNGSTOWN
City council will consider legislation today to create a whistle-blower policy, and another to address violence and bullying in the workplace.
State audits of the city have, for years, recommended a whistle-blower policy.
“It’s a small issue in audit reports, but I’m tired of seeing it,” said Mayor John A. McNally. “This puts a reporting procedure in place.”
The city used a number of existing whistle-blower policies — including those from the state and Ohio State University — in creating its own, said Law Director Martin Hume.
A whistle-blower is someone who sees wrongdoing at the workplace and reports it.
The policy states: “The city is committed to protecting individuals who make good-faith reports of suspected or actual wrongful conduct or who refuse to partake in wrongful conduct. This policy is intended to encourage and enable officers and employees to report suspected violations without any adverse employment consequences.”
Under this proposal, those who become aware of inappropriate or illegal conduct should immediately contact their supervisor. If not comfortable talking with a supervisor, a person should contact the human-resources manager or the law department.
Also up for consideration today is a policy against violence and bullying in the workplace.
“We need a policy in place to protect employees and supervisors,” McNally said.
Although there are protections from the state and federal government against violence and bullying at work, the city wants its own policy in place, Hume said.
“The goal is to provide people with guidance,” he said.
The policy lists 14 inappropriate behaviors including verbal threats, violence or threatening physical contact, destroying or sabotaging property, possession of an unauthorized weapon on city property, stalking, making threats, spreading rumors and preventing people from completing work.
The proposal states: “Many situations, if investigated and responded to before they become serious, can be defused before they result in violence or damage to an employee’s health or career.”
Also today, council will vote on a new contract with its firefighters union that will give its members a 2.5 percent raise starting with the next pay period and then a 1 percent raise in January 2016. With this deal, the city will have existing contracts with all of its employee unions.
Firefighters have worked without a contract since Aug. 31, 2014, and haven’t had a pay raise since 2009. The new contract will end May 31, 2017.