December 14, 2007
Bruce Nigro, Director
Essex County Division of Welfare
18 Rector Street, Floor 9
Newark, NJ , 07102
Re: Step II Class Action Contractual Grievance
BJ Unit, Et Al
Inequitable Caseloads
Article I. Purpose
Article XXV. Non-Discrimination
Article VII. Discipline
Article XXX. Work Distribution and Practices
Dear Mr. Nigro:
CWA Local 1081 submits this Step II Class Action Contractual Grievance on behalf of all of our Family Service Worker members assigned to the BJ Unit within the Office of Medicaid Services to protest the documented inequitably and disproportionately excessive number of cases they respectively are routinely assigned.
According to the document attached to your memorandum written Essex County Department of Citizen Services Director Anibal Ramos of October 30, 3007, entitled “Statistics Reports”, “Medicaid caseloads total over 43,000 cases and have increased by 25% since January 2006.” “The Medicaid caseload increase is becoming significant and based upon available staffing; we are having difficulty maintaining currency with all Medicaid work.” CWA Local 1081 notes that the referenced Statistical Reports document was based upon a client flow analysis of August 2007 and our Union therefore maintains the Medicaid caseload has only become further exacerbated and more an onerous burden for all of our affected members.
Based upon “Office of Medicaid Services Assignment of Clients to be Interviewed” forms of September and October of 2007 our Union has within our possession and which we’ve well scrutinized, the BJ Unit’s caseload is even more excessive and more onerous than that of their counterparts.
The resolution CWA Local 1081 respectfully demands to this grievance consists of the following:
- Management shall immediately meet with our Union in order to together review the documentation CWA Local 1081 cited above.
- Management shall take immediate measures to decrease the excessive respective caseloads of the members of the BJ Unit.
- Management shall take immediate measures to decrease the excessive respective caseloads of all of our Family Service Worker members assigned to the Office of Medicaid Services.
Sincerely,
David H. Weiner, President, CWA Local 1081