Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994                   TAG: 9406210001
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

STUDY: BLACKS DISCIPLINED MORE

The disparity is greatest at low pay grades but persists to the highest and is more pronounced for black men than women, the IRS determined. The study confirms recent findings by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management that African-American employees are far more likely to be fired by federal agencies than whites.

``Race clearly is a dominant factor in decisions to impose discipline. What we don't know is exactly how it works,'' said National Treasury Employees Union president Robert Tobias, whose union worked with the IRS in the study.

The agency and its union blame unidentified ``cultural problems within the IRS'' work force of 132,000 for the disparity. About 23 percent of IRS workers are black, 6.5 percent Hispanic and 2.5 percent Asian. Hispanic discipline rates were found to be on a par with whites. Asian rates were lower.

Higher discipline rates for black workers showed in virtually every category of clerical, technical and professional worker at the IRS, and for every age between 26 and 55.

In the first action by any U.S. agency to treat the problem, the IRS will require managers who take disciplinary action to explain why the violation occurred and how formal discipline could have been avoided.

Regional commissioners will be evaluated quarterly on their actions ``to address and lessen the potential adverse impact of discipline on minority employees,'' according to the report.