Since the MSR’s January 4 article “Black employees call Minneapolis Park Board a ‘toxic workplace,’” Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) officials say they have already undertaken significant changes to the organization’s “internal climate” and there is more to come as “we…acknowledge and address our shortcomings.” Some workers fear the changes will be superficial and fail to go far enough.MPRB board and staff recently received an environmental and organizational analysis interim report by a local consulting team. The report, originally scheduled to be completed and released in April, confirms the findings of a six-month Minneapolis NAACP probe into employment conditions at the Park Board among Black employees.“Unfortunately, many of the deficiencies and issues noted are not new but have been present for years,” admits MPRB Superintendent Jayne Miller in a January 25 cover letter to the report.The 11-page report identifies current issues that “require immediate attention by everyone in the entire organization… It is not an overreaction to describe the MPRB as demoralized internally — where employees across racial and ethnic lines feel stymied in their ability to effectively meet job responsibilities.”The reports recommendations include developing strategies to address culture issues, building a strong human relations department, reinstating a diversity council and strengthening and supporting the community outreach department.“To fix this situation will require a laser-like focus” by MPRB officials, the report surmised. As a result of the report and NAACP investigation, Miller has set up a series of 10 employees’ meetings, which began January 26 at various MPRB locations around the city. She “and at least one Board member” will be in attendance “to hear…concerns, opinions and suggestions,” she wrote.However, several Black and White MPRB employees told the MSR last week that these meetings are “being jammed down our throats” and are nothing more than having them “forced to confess” their concerns in an open setting. The employees, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of employer retaliation, said, “We don’t want to go [to the meetings] because you are going to hear the same old stuff.”A White Park Board maintenance worker said, “They’ve got managers there [in the meetings] that people are afraid of or mad at. Continue Reading
