August 3, 2007

Anibal Ramos, Director
Essex County Department of Citizen Services
18 Rector Street , Floor 9
Newark , NJ , 07102

Step III Class Action Contractual Grievance Bowles Corporate Services Article I. Purpose
Article XXV. Non-Discrimination
Article XLIX. Safety of Staff

Dear Mr. Ramos:

CWA Local 1081 submits this Step III Class Action Contractual Grievance on behalf of our members assigned to work within the Essex County Division of Welfare offices located within the privately-owned building located at 18 Rector Street/10 Park Place, Newark to protest the existence of the following purported situations that have come to our Union's attention regarding some employees of Bowles Corporate Services as well as situations we have witnessed personally. The following purported and Union witnessed situations are in violation of the contract between the County of Essex and Bowles Corporate Services, a New Jersey state statute and could well endanger the health and safety of our members and their clients. Division of Welfare Director Bruce Nigro's attached Step II Class Action Grievance denial letter of July 31, 2007 is unacceptable to CWA Local 1081 and our members. Attached, please find a memorandum written on this day my Family Service Worker Tatiana Horton to Westside Citizen Services Center ASFS Mark Fullman recounting a most unpleasant and potentially dangerous incident which she endured On August 2, 2007 during which a verbal abusive client threatened Sister Horton while the Bowles Corporate Services guard did not react for some time to Sister Horton's please for assistance and then stated to her after the incident that he would not risk his life for $8.00 per hour:

  1. On an almost daily basis, certain Bowles security staff may be observed congregating outside of the 18 Rector Street side of the building past 7:30 AM on weekdays, as well as walking towards 18 Rector Street past 7:30 AM, when the contract with the County requires they be at their respective posts at 7:15 AM.
  2. None of the Bowles security staff observed congregating outside 18 Rector Street appeared to have had attached to their uniforms a Bowles company identification card with their respective name and photograph attached clearly identifying them as a Bowles security officer as is required within the company's contract with the County. Failure to wear a photograph identification card is also in violation of the attached N.J. Law Title 13 Law and Public Safety-Chapter 5A-Security Officers and Security Officer Companies-Subsection 13:55 A-6.2.
  3. It has been reported that on a number of days there were fewer Bowles security staff assigned to the building than required by the company's contract with the County.
  4. It has been reported that some of the Bowles security staff assigned to the building have been viewed sleeping on the job.
  5. It has been reported that some of the Bowles security staff assigned to the first floor entrance and charged with operating the x-ray machine and magnetometer are less than diligent in performing their screening duties and thus possibly overlooking contraband items that could prove dangerous to our members and their clients alike.
  6. It has been reported that one specific Bowles security staffer assigned to the magnetometer does not leave their chair even when the magnetometer's alarm sounds, thus hampering if not preventing the staffer's ability to properly wand individuals who set off the magnetometer's alarm.

    As you will please recall, CWA Local 1081 wrote the attached letter of May 7, 2007 to Essex County Administrator Joyce Wilson Harley entitled "Bowles Corporate Services" wherein our Union expressed concerns regarding the propriety of the bidding process by which Bowles was awarded their contract to provide security for the 18 Rector Street/10 Park Place site. You will please recall, as well, the attached letter of June 5, 2007 our Union wrote you requesting "you arrange for a Labor/Management Security Committee to be formed, inclusive of members of CWA Local 1081 delegated by our Union, in order to reexamine the security protocols now in place within the Essex County Division of Welfare. With the change of the private security company within the agency having taken place effective June 1, 2007, now is an ideal time for such a committee to be formed and its recommendations seriously considered by management."

    While CWA Local 1081 appreciated the meeting with the Bowles Corporate Services representative you arranged that took place on May 29, 2007 to discuss the company's then imminent replacement of Abbry Security, our Union is now considerably concerned regarding the abovementioned reported and observed incidents regarding certain of Bowles' security staff.

    The resolution CWA Local 1081 respectfully demands is for you to investigate our above cited purported and Union observed situations regarding certain of Bowles' staff.

    CWA Local 1081 seeks a hearing, in this regard.

    Sincerely,

    David H. Weiner, President
    CWA Local 1081

    C: Joyce Wilson Harley
    Bruce Nigro
    Marc Pilchman
    Mark Fullman




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