April 30, 2009
Bruce Nigro, Director
Essex County Division of Welfare
18 Rector Street, Floor 9
Newark, NJ, 07102
Re: Step II Class Action Contractual Grievance
Provision of Proper Parking
Article I. Purpose
Article VII. Discipline
Article XXV. Non-Discrimination
Article XLIX. Safety of Staff
Dear Mr. Nigro:
CWA Local 1081 submits this Step II Class Action Contractual Grievance on behalf of our Union members who work the Extended Hours Program on Wednesday evenings who find it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a legal parking space within reasonable distance of the 18 Rector Street site once they need vacate the Fulton Street parking lot before 5:15 pm.
Many of the agency’s clients attending the extended hours’ sessions apparently begin to park their personal vehicles within the available free parking spots located on Rector Street as early as 3:00 pm. Therefore, between 4:30 pm and 5:15 pm the only parking spots remaining on Rector Street are either designated for the handicapped or are specifically illegal as they have fire hydrants in front of them. Our members who are forced at times to risk parking within an illegal spot face the fiscally daunting prospect of receiving a ticket costing them $104.00 written by the Newark Police. Some of these members have had to pay that exorbitant amount merely to ensure they dutifully arrive to work on time.
Inasmuch as the Essex County Division of Welfare maintains agreements within its numerous iterations of leases with the landlord of the 18 Rector Street site to provide parking for the employees of our agency during regular working hours, the resolution CWA Local 1081 respectfully demands to this grievance is for the County to make similar arrangements with the landlord to provide parking for those of our Union members who work extended hours on Wednesday evenings.
We seek a hearing, in this regard.
Sincerely,
David H. Weiner, President
CWA Local 1081
C: Anibal Ramos
Yvonne Davis
Marc Pilchman
Miles Berger
Stephen Weissman, Esq.