FOR THE RECORD

George Figueroa wants a fair chance to be promoted to Supervisor of Electricians at Bronx Community College. He passed the civil service test for that title nearly two years ago, but officials at the college have so far refused to replace a provisional in the title who failed the same December 2004 promotion exam.

Further complicating matters, Mr. Figueroa's latest work evaluation written by that same provisional supervisor claimed he "needed improvement" and was not suitable for promotion.

The review was drafted after The Chief-Leader detailed Mr. Figueroa's plight in May. "I feel it's retaliatory because I've had four other evaluations which were all above average," Mr. Figueroa asserted during a Sept. 7 phone interview. "How can you say my work now is worse then when I started?"

He also questioned how his supervisor, George Meyreles, could fairly evaluate his work given his role as a competitor for his job. "He didn't even pass the test," Mr. Figueroa noted. "I think it's a conflict of interest because [we] are going for the same job."

Bryant Mason, a college spokesman, did not return a call seeking comment. Mr. Figueroa appealed the evaluation in a letter to Wayne Murphy, the college's Administrative Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds.

But Mr. Murphy refused to change the evaluation, noting that it listed specific examples of areas that needed improvement.

Mr. Figueroa, who has worked as an Electrician at Bronx CC for four years, blasted that decision, pointing out that the review was vague and never mentioned precise instances. "Whenever the supervisor is out, I'm running the shop," he added.

An official at CUNY's appeal panel - the Civil Service Commission - told him that since he was the only eligible on the roster for The Bronx college, the 1-in-3 civil service rule didn't apply. Under the 1-in-3 rule, agencies are required to "consider" one of the top three candidates.

Mr. Figueroa's union, Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, is urging CUNY to merge the list with others within the system for Electrician, which would then force the Bronx school to at least consider him. A CUNY official, however, has pointed out that some of the other candidates on the list have already been appointed and there may not be enough names on the other rosters.

According to Mr. Figueroa, CUNY has made promotions from other rosters with only one name. "Basically, they are just stonewalling me for some unknown reason," he said, noting that he studied for the civil service exam for months and paid a $60 filing fee. "I'm the only one who took it and passed it."

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An expected endorsement of Eliot Spitzer for Governor by the Transport Workers' Union Local 100 never materialized last week - only because it was a fait accompli long before.

After political observers spotted Local 100 President Roger Toussaint walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr. Spitzer at the Sept. 4 Caribbean Day Parade and blogged about it, Republican challenger John Faso released a statement urging people to question why Mr. Spitzer was keeping company with "a law-breaking union leader."

It wasn't to win an endorsement that was already his - Local 100's executive board voted a while ago to endorse Mr. Spitzer, along with Sen. Hillary Clinton, running for re-election, Andrew Cuomo, running for State Attorney General, and Alan Hevesi, running for re-election as State Comptroller.

Mr. Faso added that the "cozy relationship" between the two men "certainly leads to questions about why the Attorney General was so soft on Roger Toussaint earlier this year." A union official responded that he wasn't aware anyone "had been soft on Roger - he did serve time in jail."

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Police Commissioner Ray Kelly Sept. 9 became the latest inductee into the French Legion of Honor Order, which was created 204 years ago by Napoleon Bonaparte, in recognition of his efforts to prevent terrorism while continuing to reduce the city's crime rate. The honor was bestowed on Mr. Kelly on behalf of French President Jacques Chirac at the French Consulate in Manhattan.