In its first move toward reorganization, the department of Buildings and Grounds (B&G) has appointed William A. Lee, its Equal Employment Officer, to the newly-created post of Personnel Administrator.
As Equal Employment Officer, Lee has been concerned with hiring of minority workers and awarding contracts to minority firm B&G has 17 per cent minority workers in new construction and about 20 per cent in renovation programs. Lee said yesterday.
Lee plans no new recruitment programs for minority workers and firms. Instead he will continue to rely on personal contacts in the black community.
Lack of qualified minority workers is not the major problem in recruitment. Lee said. "There are people out there, but the connections have not been made," he explained.
Lee said he was not involved in the Charles McNeil controversy last year, in which SDS accused B&G of using apprenticeship programs to keep black workers' wages down. Lee said that the apprenticeship programs are continuing this year.
Lee's appointment marks a shift in responsibility for B&G's 1000 workers from the university-wide Personnel Department to an internal B&G department. B&G will thus be better able to inform the workers of their benefits and handle their grievances, Lee said.
Lee said he would emphasize personal contact with the workers. "I'm not office based. I want to get out to where the employees are," he said.
William N. Snouffer, B&G's assistant director for Financial Affairs, will become Manager of Operations as part of the reorganization plan. Snouffer's post, like Lee's has been created as part of the plan, which is intended to increase B&G's efficiency and accountability.
Snouffer's first task will be to appoint four new superintendents, so that B&G will have one for each of the nine faculties, instead of for the five geographical areas in its present structure