CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : State More Likely to Fire Black Workers

Black state employees in California are more than three times as likely as Anglo workers to be disciplined or fired, according to a two-year state Personnel Board study. Blacks make up less than 12% of the state government work force in California, but they accounted for 38% of the firings and 33% of the dismissals during probation, according to a report on the study. Latino workers also are disciplined more often than Anglos, the report concluded. Asian and Filipinos had a low percentage of sanctions. Figures for American Indians, Pacific Islanders and other minorities were not at wide variance. The findings were compiled by the Adverse Action Task Force, a group of more than 40 state workers, managers, union officials and civil rights activists.