March 19, 2008
Bruce Nigro, Director
Essex County Division of Welfare
18 Rector Street, Floor 9
Newark, NJ, 07102
Re: Step II Class Action Contractual Grievance
Inadequate Security
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 all of our Family Service Worker members assigned to the Military Park Citizen Services Center, to protest the inadequate security provided by the applicable staff employed by the private security firm contracted by the County of Essex to provide safety measures within the privately-owned 18 Rector Street, Newark facility:
- On the morning of Tuesday, March 18, 2008, a male and two female clients began to initially verbally bicker and then engage in a physical fray with each other within the client waiting room on the first floor of the Military Park office.
- Despite repeated attempts by a Clerk assigned to the reception desk to summons security personnel, including those assigned by their employer to the security equipment located within the 18 Rector Street entrance of the building only several yards from the fracas, no security personnel responded to the scene.
- Members of CWA Local 1081, particularly one valiant male Family Service Worker, found it necessary to intercede and halt the altercation.
- The ostensible discernibly disconcerting dearth of adequate coordination between the private security personnel and the Sheriff’s officer assigned to the site harbors ill for the well being of the members of CWA Local 1081 and the clients (including children) they so dutifully serve.
The resolution CWA Local 1081 respectfully demands to this grievance consists of the following:
- The County shall assiduously investigate this matter and expeditiously report its findings to our Union.
- The County shall review the current security arrangements existing within the site and meet with our Union to discuss how they may be bettered.
- The County shall immediately review its contract with the private security firm with an eye toward terminating the compact and deem the firm not the “lowest responsible bidder” in evaluating any prospective Requests for Proposal (RFP).
We seek a hearing, in this regard.
Sincerely,
David H. Weiner, President
CWA Local 1081
C: Marc Pilchman
Lynn Buckley