Metra's board approves measure to deter improper influence over hiring

Metra's board last week approved a reform measure aimed at increasing transparency in the hiring process and reinforcing a ban on political influence by requiring employment-related communications to be recorded in a log available for public review.

The measure addresses a recommendation of the Northeastern Illinois Public Transit Task Force that agencies should be required to disclose communication between elected officials or their representatives regarding employment matters through a publicly available and regularly updated database, Metra officials said in a press release.

"We want the message to be loud and clear that political considerations in all employment-related matters are not and will not be tolerated," said Metra Chairman Martin Oberman.

The new ordinance defines "employment related communication" as communications by any medium, directly or indirectly, recommending or suggesting the hiring, firing, transfer, promotion, demotion, salary increase, job benefit, or discipline of any individual with respect to employment by Metra.

Any employee or board member who receives such communication from anyone who is not a Metra employee or board member will now be required to enter details about it into a log maintained by Metra's Human Resources Department, agency officials said.