June 1, 2010

Yvonne Davis, Director

Essex County Division of Welfare

18 Rector Street, Floor 9

Newark, NJ, 07102

Re: Client/Employee Confrontations

Dear Ms. Davis:

As you are only too aware, CWA Local 1081 has for many years expressed to management our concerns regarding the alarming increase of client/employee confrontations within the offices of the Essex County Division of Welfare. Some of the more egregious examples of such confrontations include:

1. On February 9, 2010 a female member of our Union was reportedly sexually assaulted by a male client within the Military Park office. While representatives of the private security firm employed by the County escorted the offender from the building once informed of the circumstance, security seemingly responded only after three requests were broadcast over the office’s intercom. Our Union grieved the lack of sufficient security and the matter now awaits an arbitration hearing.
2. On May 20, 2010 another female member of our Union was verbally threatened in a profanity laced diatribe by a female client who waited to apparently waylay the FSW at the 18 Rector Street side of the building after work that day, thwarted only by our member having used the 10 Park Place side of the building to leave for home.
3. On May 21, 2010 another female member of our Union was allegedly threatened by a male client (an SSI recipient) within the Military Park office who is said to have threatened to cut off her body parts. While the client was able to exit the building the day of the incident, he returned today and while being interviewed by another FSW was noticed by the member he’d threatened who summoned the police who arrested him. Our Union filed a Step III Contractual Grievance regarding the serious scarcity of security involving the May 21^st incident and awaits your reply.
4. Recently, a male FSW assigned on certain days to 990 Broad Street was threatened physically by a male client.
5. Today, a female client became boisterously threatening to a female FSW in the Office of Medicaid Services with the office manager apparently possessing the temerity and bad judgment to chastise our Union’s Shop Steward in front of the offending client and others for having utilized the office’s intercom system to request a response from security.

CWA Local 1081 recognizes the inherent difficulties and dangers our members have always faced working within the agency’s offices and while in the field. Our Union appreciates the fact that the administration of Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo has been responsive to our security concerns by having magnetometers and x-ray machines installed within both the 18 Rector Street, Newark and 50 South Clinton Street, East Orange sites.

However, as the United States and the other world economies struggle to emerge from the Great Recession increased fiscal and sociological pressures are being imposed upon a significant portion of our client population. Our clients aren’t aware of the faceless bureaucrats who conjure the rules of public assistance that may result in them being denied benefits. Our clients see only the very real faces of the members of CWA Local 1081 who are duty bound to at times to deny them those benefits and it is upon our members the clients too often visit their frustration and wrath.

Now, with Governor Christie proposing to eliminate the cash allowance of $140 per month for General Assistance clients, CWA Local 1081 fears the specter of some 10,000 “employable” GA clients descending upon the 50 South Clinton Street facility when they soon receive the letter now being mailed them that their “cash” assistance might well be eliminated.

Our Union repeats our robust requests that the security procedures within our agency be right away reviewed and improved through a Labor/Management partnership. We have extremely fortunate up until now that more serious client/employee confrontations have not already occurred. We should not, however, press our “luck”. 

Sincerely,

David H. Weiner, President

CWA Local 1081