ST. LOUIS 鈥 The city has asked a judge to issue sanctions against the union that represents 最新杏吧原创 firefighters and its attorney for failing to show up at an emergency court hearing Wednesday 鈥 a hearing the union sought in its effort to block the city鈥檚 new director of personnel before she starts work next week.
The development marks the latest escalation between Local 73 of the International Association of Fire Fighters and Mayor Tishaura O. Jones鈥 administration over personnel issues, including long-delayed firefighter promotions and the leader of the powerful Personnel Department that controls them.
The union sued the city in February when Jones installed John Moten as interim personnel director after the sudden retirement of longtime director Rick Frank gave the mayor the rare opportunity to pick a new leader of the independent department. The union alleged in its lawsuit that the city鈥檚 Civil Service Commission improperly changed its rules to allow Jones to pick a temporary personnel director.
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In its motion Monday for a temporary restraining order, the union then alleged that the city had refused to provide evidence that Sonya Jenkins-Gray, the mayor鈥檚 permanent choice for the job, had two years of 鈥減ublic personnel administration鈥 as required by the city charter.
On Wednesday, the city responded with an affidavit from Jenkins-Gray that detailed her work at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Army from 1987 to 1993, including as director of personnel and finance at Fort Bragg in North Carolina from September 1989 to April 1992 鈥 jobs that 鈥渦nquestionably鈥 qualify her, the city said.
In a scathing response filed Wednesday, the city counselor鈥檚 office called the union鈥檚 motion 鈥渋mpertinent鈥 and part of 鈥渁 pattern of meritless challenges to the qualifications of a qualified and diverse cabinet appointed by Mayor Jones not faced by preceding mayors.鈥
The firefighters union, which backed Jones鈥 opponent in last year鈥檚 mayoral election, is 鈥渁pparently intent on challenging the appointment of any personnel director not handpicked by plaintiffs,鈥 the city counselor鈥檚 office contends.
City Counselor Sheena Hamilton along with two other city attorneys appeared in court for a hearing on the union鈥檚 motion. When the other side didn鈥檛 show, they asked the judge to sanction them for the time the office spent responding to the union鈥檚 鈥渇rivolous motions.鈥
In addition to dismissing the union鈥檚 motions to block Jenkins-Gray from taking the job, 最新杏吧原创 Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser ordered them to explain Wednesday why they shouldn鈥檛 be sanctioned for failing to appear. He also ordered them to show cause as to why they shouldn鈥檛 be sanctioned for filing their motion to block Jenkins-Gray 鈥渄espite prior assurances鈥 from Hamilton and 鈥渨ritten assurance鈥 from the Civil Service Commission that she possessed the proper qualifications.
And, Sengheiser added, the union needs to explain why they caused Jenkins-Gray to 鈥渆xpend time while out of the country to prepare for a hearing ... and time locating a notary in a foreign country to refute plaintiff鈥檚 assertions.鈥
Jenkins-Gray had been on a vacation cruise, part of what the city said in its response was 鈥渁 well-deserved break before assuming the substantial obligations and duties of the personnel director position.鈥
The union鈥檚 attorney, Emily Perez, last week asked the city counselor鈥檚 office for confirmation that Jenkins-Gray had the requisite experience. According to emails filed with the court, Hamilton personally spoke with Perez and told her that Jenkins-Gray met the charter requirements.
That was insufficient, Perez responded Monday, asking for a resume or other documentation. Her Monday motion cited Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 LinkedIn profile, 鈥渨hich catalogues her work experience in detail from 1998 to the present鈥 and is 鈥渄evoid of any mention of public sector personnel administration.鈥
Hamilton, in an email filed with the court, said that in addition to a response from the commission, she herself had provided assurances to Perez.
鈥淚 know you looked to LinkedIn to form the basis of your inquiry,鈥 Hamilton wrote Perez in one of the emails. 鈥淪o are you asking that Ms. Jenkins-Gray update her LinkedIn profile?鈥
Perez said Thursday that she would file a response with the court but that the city 鈥渨aited until the very last minute鈥 to file their response. As soon as she had Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 affidavit, she said she notified the city 鈥 before the hearing 鈥 she was withdrawing her motion for a temporary restraining order.
鈥淭hey very easily could have provided that information much earlier,鈥 Perez said. 鈥淎nd there wouldn鈥檛 have been a motion or a hearing.鈥
A city spokesman declined to comment. The union鈥檚 earlier claims over the rule changes allowing Moten to be hired 鈥 and a request for the court to invalidate his actions over the last eight months 鈥 are still pending.
