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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt"><img width="185" height="60" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.gif@01CF7685.7516F340"></span></b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>May 23, 2014<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">CONTACT: Charlie Burr, BOLI, (971) 673-0788 or (503) 913-5407 mobile
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="color:black">Final Order: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office violated veterans' preference hiring law<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">PORTLAND, OR—The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office failed to properly credit a disabled veteran’s military service under the state’s veterans’ hiring preference law, the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) has
found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">A BOLI Final Order issued this week directs the county to comply with Oregon’s veterans’ preference law, develop a written statement of veterans’ hiring and promotions policy within 60 days, provide hiring training
for its staff, and pay complainant Sgt. Rod Edwards $50,000 in damages. A copy of the Final Order (Case No. 01-14) is available upon request.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Sgt. Rod Edwards filed the civil rights complaint against the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 after unsuccessfully applying for a promotion to lieutenant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Under Oregon’s veterans’ preference law, public agencies hiring for civil service positions must give special consideration to veterans who meet the minimum qualifications and any special qualifications for a position.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">An earlier BOLI investigation determined that the county did not have a method of ranking applicants with numeric scoring nor did it have a policy describing how it would apply the legal hiring requirements.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">The BOLI Final Order also rejects the county’s argument that the veterans’ preference law applies only during the initial screening, not throughout the hiring process.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“We’re committed to fair enforcement of civil rights law so that more veterans can have access to economic opportunity and career advancement,” said Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. “BOLI’s technical assistance
experts can help Oregon employers understand and comply with the requirements of our veterans’ preference law to steer clear of potential violations.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Oregon employers can contact the agency’s
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/boli/TA/pages/t_faq_veterans_preference_2012.aspx">Technical Assistance for Employers Program</a><span style="color:black"> at (971) 673-0824. Within the next month, BOLI’s Technical Assistance Program will develop and
post on its website a model veterans’ preference policy that employers can adopt to avoid potential hiring violations.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">BOLI protects Oregonians from unlawful discrimination, investigating allegations of civil rights and wage and hour laws so that Oregonians are treated in the workplace.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Charlie Burr<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Communications Director<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bureau of Labor and Industries<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">800 NE Oregon St., Ste. 1045<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Portland, OR 97232-2180<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(971) 673-0788 wk.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(503) 913-5407 cell.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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