October 4, 2007
Bruce Nigro, Director
Essex County Division of Welfare
18 Rector Street , Floor 9
Newark , NJ , 07102
Step II Contractual Grievance
Unlocked Doors/Misused Elevators
Article I. Purpose
Article XLIX. Safety of Staff
Dear Mr. Nigro:
CWA Local 1081 submits this Step II Contractual Grievance on behalf of our members assigned to one of the agency's offices located within the privately-owned site located at 18 Rector Street , Newark , as well as for those of our members assigned to other agency sites who have the legitimate occasion to frequent the 18 Rector Street facility.
For many years, since the first of the agency's offices were opened within 18 Rector Street, the two large doors separating the elevator banks dedicated for clients from those dedicated for building employees had been locked with only employees working within the building aware of the code. On the Rector Street side of the doors, a bank of elevators had been dedicated for agency employees' use with cards having been distributed to them so that the elevations would only respond to workers with their cards.
As of recent, particularly with the arrival of Bowles Security replacing ABBRY, the employees of Bowles have been leaving the two doors open and encouraging clients to utilize what had been elevators dedicated for employees' use only.
There are a number of concerns CWA Local 1081 harbors regarding this illogical state of events:
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The locked doors routed our agency's clients up the ramp on the side of the building to enter and be screened by security. Now, unless a Bowles guard is constantly posted at the 18 Rector Street side door to screen those wishing to access the building there, clients and anyone else may just walk up the stairs and utilize the elevators that were previously dedicated for employees' use only, thus additionally avoiding security screening .
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If the first banks of elevators were not operable, slow or full of employees and clients the latter can stroll through the opened doors and into the elevators previously dedicated for their only use and more likely than not avoid security screening as well.
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Clients entering the building by climbing up the ramp and going through the security procedures are often told by the Bowles' guards to walk through the formerly locked large doors and take what used to be elevators dedicated for the use of employees.
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Security was a significant consideration when CWA Local 1081 contemplated filing this grievance. Often, our members find themselves on an elevator with clients the workers had just justifiably sanctioned or about who had taken some other adverse action with which the client was upset. Words have been exchanged and threats made against our members by such clients in such situations.
As the resolution to this grievance, CWA Local 1081 respectfully demands consists of the following:
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The County shall arrange with the 18 Rector Street landlord to ensure the two doors to which we have alluded are locked at all times, except in cases of an emergency.
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The County shall direct Bowles' personnel assigned to the first floor lobby to not allow clients to pass through the locked doors that lead from the Rector Street side of the site and ensure they don't utilize the elevators on the Rector Street side of the building.
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The County shall direct Bowles' personnel assigned to the first floor lobby to not allow clients to pass through the locked doors that lead to the Rector Street site of the site and ensure they don't utilize the elevators on the Rector Street side of the building.
We seek a hearing, in this regard.
:
Sincerely,
David H. Weiner, President
CWA Local 1081
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