TO: All CWA Local 1081 Members
FROM: David H. Weiner, President
DATE: May 31, 2016
SUBJECT: Inspector General/Investigation Member Interrogations Arbitration Settled
CWA Local 1081 and the County of Essex have settled the attached arbitration case, our Union had our CWA Representative George Krevet file on March 30, 2016, to protest the Essex County Inspector General having on January 29, 2016 unilaterally ceased the long-standing past practice of our Union having been automatically included in all interrogations of our members carried out by the Inspector General and/or members of the Investigations unit of the Division of Family Assistance and Benefits-Formerly Division of Welfare (DFAB).
The attached settlement agreement, or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), consists of the following:
1. When a CWA Local 1081 member is notified that he/she is to be interrogated by the Inspector General and/or a DFAB Investigator, that employee is entitled to request a shop steward of officer of our Union to represent them, whether the member is the “target” of the interrogation or considered a mere witness. This is more inclusive than Weingarten which only allows Union representation if the members is the target of the investigation.
2. The CWA Local 1081 member must make the request for representation to the Inspector General/Investigator, as his/her interrogators are not obligated to tell them of their right to do so.
3. The CWA Local 1081 member must make the request for representation to CWA Local 1081, primarily by calling me on my cell phone at (201) 739-1081 or having their shop steward or officer do so informing us of the scheduled date and time of the interrogation.
4. While the Inspector General/Investigator is not responsible to notify our Union of the planned interrogation of our member, once the member has notified our Union of the scheduled date and time of the interrogation if the Union representative desired by our member is not available “the investigator and union shall communicate to agree upon a mutually convenient date for the interview”.