unionist february 2012

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Volume 42 Number 2February 2012

O fcial Publication o Social Service Employees Union Local 371-DC 37 AFSCME, AFL-CIO www.sseu371.org

Child Support Needs Boost The One-In-Three Rule Update in Bell/Adams Case Page 6 Page 7 Page 8

The video fooTage showed iT all.

The tape provided by Columbia LawSchool showed lines snaking around thestreet at the East River Job Center inQueens, with 124 clients waiting by thetime the doors opened in the morning. Many o them, taking time rom their jobs and school, would not get served, and would have to come back another day torepeat the hours-long waiting ritual.

The video kicked o a hearing by theCity Councils Committee on General Wel are, which convened Jan. 31 to discussthe overcrowding o the HRA job andbenefts centers.

It was all too amiliar or SSEU Local371, which has had two labor-managementmeetings with the Human Resources Ad-

ministration to address the overcrowdingat centers providing job assistance, oodstamps and other public benefts, as thepopulation o people needing these services has grown sharply since the globaleconomic crisis began in 2008. Workershave complained o rising caseloads, secu-rity concerns and management breakingovertime protocols.

O fcials GrilledIn the packed hearing room, City

Council Members grilled HRA o fcialson the issue o overcrowding. HRA o -fcials admitted that the client-to-worker

ratio has risen sharply in the past ew years, blaming its budget problems on theact that the State government stopped

Continued on page 4

Black History: Angela Davis Speaks

VP Rose Lovaglio-Miller testifed last month. Continued on page 6

T his years Black History CelebrationFeb. 3 at DC 37 Headquarters packedthe halls, with lines o membersnearly spilling out into the streets hoursbe ore the doors to the event even opened.It was a resh wave o rank-and-fle enthu-siasm about the Union, celebrating bothSSEU Local 371s past and present. Politi-cal fgures o all levels squeezed throughthe crowds, greeting members and shakinghands as live jazz flled the room. Indeedlong-time members and retirees noted thatthey had never seen so many members at aUnion celebration in their lives.

The unprecedented turnout was a resultnot only o the act that Civil Rights Move-ment lioness Angela Davis was the keynotespeaker but o the swelling excitementamong members about this Unions leader-ship and the legacy o our departed leader,Charles Ensley.

Michelle Akyempong, the Union VP whochairs the Black Heritage Committee said,Pro essor Davis is a great legend and I wasin awe to be in her presence. This will be inour memory or years to come. MichelleBlackstock and Joseph Myrick work co-

Angela Davis listened to Union speakers.

Union, Lawmakers ConfrontOvercrowding at HRA

C l a r e n c e E l i e - R

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2 The Unionist | February 2012

february

21 Alumni Association: 2:00 p.m.Union O fce, 12th Fl.

HA Membership Meeting: 6:30 p.m.Union O fce, 12th Fl.

22 Political Action Committee/WomensCommittee: 6:30 p.m. Union O fce, 12th Fl.

28 HPD Chapter: 6:30 p.m. Union O fce,12th Fl.

29 Civilians in Law Enforcement: 6:30 p.m. Union O fce, 15th Fl.

March

3 Delegate Training: 9;00 a.m., DC 37Headquarters, 125 Barclay St., Manhattan

7 Executive Committee: 6:30 p.m.Union O fce, 12th Fl.

8 Committee of Concerned SocialWorkers: 6:30 p.m. Union O fce, 12th Fl.

9 DC 37 Irish Heritage Celebration: 5:30 p.m. DC 37 Headquarters,125 Barclay St., Manhattan

12 General Membership Meeting: 6:30 p.m. Advance Realty Building,235 W. 23rd St., Manhattan

14 Womens Committee/PAC: 6:30 p.m.Union O fce, 12th Fl.

16 Committee of Concerned SocialWorkers Event: 5:30 p.m. DC 37Headquarters, 125 Barclay St., Manhattan

20 Alumni Committee: 2:00 p.m.Union O fce, 12th Fl.

21 Delegate Assembly: 6:30 p.m. AdvanceRealty Building, 235 W. 23rd St., Manhattan

28 Civilians in Law Enforcement: 6:30 p.m. Union O fce, 15th Fl.

CALENDAR

Published monthly except or a combined issue in July/ August and a Supplement in January by the SocialService Employees Union Local 371, District Council 37,

AFSCME, AFL-CIO. Subscription Price $2.00 annually.Periodical postage paid at New York, N.Y.

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: TheUnionist, SSEU Local 371, 817 Broadway, N.Y., N.Y. 10003.

USPS# 348990 (212) 677-3900ISSN# 0041-7092

President Anthony WellsExecutive Vice President

Yolanda PumarejoSecretary-TreasurerJoe NazarioV.P. Negotiations & ResearchRose Lovaglio-MillerV.P. Organization & EducationIngrid BeaumontV.P. Grievances & Legal ServicesLloyd PermaulV.P. Publicity & Community RelationsPatricia ChardavoyneV.P. Legislation & Political ActionMichelle AkyempongTrustees

Vincent Ciccarello Yolanda DeJesusMelva ScarboroughEditor

Ari Paul

Visit us on the web at www.sseu371.org

insp rat onand Mot vat on

F ebruary is the month we celebrate Black History. Itis a chronicle that is interwoven into the abric o American society. The Black experience has touchedevery aspect o American culture.

It is a history that is inseparable rom the rise o the labormovement. The list o A rican American leaders and theirimpact on the labor movement is extensive. From A. PhilipRandolph to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. to CharlesEnsley, their contributions have strengthened the movementand improved the lives o working men and women throughout this country.

As we commemorate this, we should be energized by the e orts o ourancestors and leaders. Their commitment to building and maintaining a stronglabor movement inspires us to keep the legacy alive. Our success is measured

by a strong union presence. It is measured by ourability to protect our jobs, benefts and pensions. Itis measured by improving working conditions andsa ety in every location where there are members.

As we move orward, the best way to applaudand honor those who came be ore us, no matter what culture and movement they are rom, is by con ronting the challenges we ace. We must continue

to organize and establish coalitions with those who share our common goals.In order to be success ul on any ront, we must energize and organize our mostprecious resource, the membership. We remember the past, fght back in thepresent, and maintain hope or the uture.

God bless you all and God bless the Union. Anthony Wells

AFSCME Lobby Day March 6SSEU Local 371 encourages members to take part in an AFSCME Lobby Day to urge passage o the

Assault Bill, one o the Unions top legislative priorities.

For more details, contact Vice President o Legislation and Political Action Michelle Akyempong.To register, return this coupon by ax to (212) 815-1553 or mail it to : Political Action Dept., DC 37,

AFSCME, AFL-CIO, 125 Barclay St. Room 408, New York, NY 10007, or ax to Ms. Akyempong at(212) 473-6121.

Last Name _________________________ First Name _______________________________

Address _______________________________________________________ Apt. # ______

City ___________________________________ State ________ Zip __________________

Home/Cell Phone _____________________ Work Phone ______________________________

Job Title _______________________________ Local ______________________________

Our success ismeasured bya strong unionpresence.


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February 2012 | The Unionist 3

The prosecutors at the Brooklyn Dis-trict Attorneys O fce handle lots o cases each day, and they cant do any-thing without the diligent work o Clerks

like Fredi Ramirez.Ramirez, who joined the DAs o fce fve

years ago, is one o a dozen workers whoretrieve the proper records a ter arraign-ments and ensure that they go to the rightprosecutor later that day so that cases cango orward in a timely manner. It is a jobthat requires an intense attention to detailand the pressure o doing things quickly.

Im the frst person to get the acts romthe court. A ter that, I re er them to theplace the records need to go, he said. I Idont put a fle away in the right place, andit gets lost, theyre never going to get it. So youve got to do the job right.

Work Is AppreciatedRamirez added o the Assistant District

Attorneys who are seeking records eachday rom the Clerks, They appreciate the work I do.

Working or the Brooklyn DAs o fce orSSEU Local 371 members is tough thesedays, especially because Union membersare upset with its decision to wrongly and overzealously prosecute two ormermembers in the Administration o Chil-drens Services in the tragic case o thedeath Marchella Pierce, who was allegedly starved to death by her mother.

Ramirezs job is also a physically de-manding one. You li t boxes and you movestu around, he said. You have to gooutside and the weather is not always fne.

on The fronT lines

Making Court Work, on Time and CorrectlyIm the frst person to get the actsrom the court. A ter that, I re erthem to the place the records need

to go...I I dont put a fle away in theright place, and it gets lost, theyrenever going to get it. So youve gotto do the job right.

Fredi Ramirez

Ramirez, who moved to the UnitedStates rom Colombia 19 years ago, cameto the public sector a ter several years as asel -employed limousine driver. He likeddriving, but when he became ill, he real-ized he needed a career with high-quality,employer-provided health insurance.

Ramirez, who also serves as an SSEULocal 371 Delegate, said that being aClerk has allowed him to learn about theintricacies o the court system, but moreimportantly, the daily communicationhe has on the job has helped him masterEnglish. He compares the daily grind o ensuring that the di erent records in thecourt system get to the right o fce is likesolving a complicated puzzle.

I like the job, he said. I enjoy whatI do.

As a Delegate, he is devoted to makingsure that his ellow Union members get

the respect rom management they de-serve. Ramirez said that his Union role hastaught him to always be mind ul as to whatis going on in the workplace.

You have to be strong, he said. I yousee something wrong, you have to make itright. It makes you study. It makes you pay attention.

Enjoying Civil ServiceIn addition to driving, Ramirez has had

a lot o di erent jobs since coming to theUnited States. He worked in a actory andeven opened a restaurant, and while theincome was good, he was overwhelmed by the constant, unending labor.

You need a rest, he said.Now, Ramirez is in a Union-protected

position and takes real ownership o his work.

I dont plan to change, he said. Imhappy with what Im doing.

Fredi Ramirez: The courts need him.

NO MEDCO BENEFIT CUTSWith the cost o health care coveragerising over 10 percent per year and theCity re using to raise contributions to theWel are Fund or the last fve years, theFund Trustees were aced with drasticcuts in benefts. Instead, they decided tore-open the contract with the Funds drugmanager (MEDCO). As a result, a newcontract was settled, which assures nobeneft cuts or the next two years.

Celebrate SoCial Work!

SSEU Local 371 will hold its annual Social Work Celebration Friday, March 16, startingat 5:30 p.m. at DC 37 headquarters at 125 Barclay St. in Manhattan. The event honorsmembers who have recently earned their Masters in Social Work.

The keynote speaker will be Cassandra Mack, the ounder and chie visionary o fcer o Strategies or Empowered Living, a New York-based human development company designedto help people succeed and grow. Music will be per ormed by the Harlem Blues and JazzSeniors. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. and the program will start at 6:45 p.m. All Unionmembers and their amilies are welcome.

I you have obtained an MSW in the las t year, January 2012, June 2011, or August 2011 andwant to be listed in the commemorative journal ad, send you name, contact in ormation,social security number and civil service title as well as school in ormation and date o graduation to: Yolanda Pumarejo, Chair, Committee o Concerned Social Workers, SSEULocal 371, 817 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10003.


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January 2012 | The Unionist 5February 2012 | The Unionist 5

acilities.

I want to be a senior citizen.I want to have a pension andI want to have good health,Wells said. I want to live in

!house

Angela Davis spoke about the legacy o the Civil Rights Movement and what it meansor organized labor.my home, with my care and

my dignity. While the Black History Celebration is always a specialevent or the Union, this yearsevent was part o a year-longcelebration o the li e andleadership o the late CharlesEnsley, who led this Union ornearly three decades. Be oreDavis took the stage, members watched a video montage o Ensleys inspirational speechesrom Black History Celebra-tions over the years.

An Ensley MomentIn act, Union President

Anthony Wells stepped aside when it was time to introduceDavis as the next speaker andinstead played a video o Ensley introducing Davis at the Black History Celebration in 1993.

I was so moved by Charless words, she said as she took the stage. It is really a greathonor.

Davis and Ensley knew eachother in high school and wouldcontinue to be riends and col-laborators in the Civil Rights Movement. I remembersuspecting even then that there was something great aboutCharles, she said. I came torealize what an amazing laborleader he was.

The night also honoredCharlene Mitchell, who wasEnsleys long-time executiveassistant and was active in theFree Angela movement.

Party Time A ter the speech, members

were clearly energized by the words o Davis and Wells as well as the video documentingthe power ul li e and leader-ship o Charles Ensley. Withthat energy members welcomed

riveting per ormances by theBrooklyn Steppers MarchingBand and gospel singer MichaelPugh. A ter that, members gotout o their seats and dancedthe night away.

Charles taught us not only to fght hard but also to play hard, Wells said. He wantedmembers to fnd power in ourdiversity and our ability tocelebrate our cultures. That is what this night was about.

A l l p h o t o s p a g e s 4 -

5 : D a v e

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But the Union and advocates hopedthat the City Council hearing wouldpush orward the move or more substan-tial change, which would include at theore ront the hiring o more sta . At thehearing, advocates, City Council Mem-bers and Union representatives agreedthat the Mayors Do more with lessmantra is code or Do less with less.

City Not Playing Fair Joel Berg, executive director o the New

York Coalition Against Hunger, said that Mayor Michael Bloombergs advocacy o fngerprint scanning or wel are recipients was stigmatizing and on par with oneRepublican presidential candidates nega-tive portrayals o ood stamp recipients.

Berg also said that HRAs testimony wasnot rank and candid.

We are not hearing a air and trans-parent discussion o the acts, he said.

vital to the economic health o the City o New York. Undue sta cuts in the publicand private sectors are hurting the ability o HRA to help get New Yorkers back to work when they need it most.

In the meantime, SSEU Local 371 haso ered smaller solutions or the shortterm. [Management] can make changesin the amount o call-ins scheduled ona daily basis or change the intake andscreening processes, which [management]agreed to consider, she said. However,they cant control the number o walk-inson any given day. These suggestions may help in the short term, but long term, theonly real solution is additional sta .

Since the two labor-management meet-ings, management has agreed to take

some positive steps, such as discontinuingthe policy o orcing all workers to stay a ter his or her shi t until each workerscases or the day have been completed.

time or a change, these members say, as well as a pay raise.

Caseworker Sandra Rivera said thatUnion members have been extremely busy, due to two new pilot programs putin place, and that the economy is makingit harder or parents to make their pay-

ments on time.People are backlogged with paymentsbecause theyre out o work, she said,adding that the program needed to hiremore workers.

during these economic times does not just happen. You made it happen.

Nice words, but the SSEU Local 371members who make this important

agency run believe this is only hal thestory. Yes, they are doing their jobs betterthan they did last year, but theyre do-ing it with more management pressure,tougher cases and not enough sta . It is

L ast month, O fce o Child SupportEn orcement Executive Deputy Commissioner Frances Pardus-Ab-badessa sent a congratulatory letter to the

sta , noting that the agency had collectedthree quarters o a billion dollars in childsupport payments in 2011, a 4.5 percentincrease rom 2010.

I we were to divide this fgure by all960 sta dedicated to the child supportprogram, it would mean each o you cantake credit or about $761,531, Commis-sioner Pardus-Abbadessa said, adding thatall workers should be proud.

She added, An increase o this size

A Li eline or OCSE Sta , Please

Delegate Training Follow UpSSEU Local 371 will hold a day-long re resher training or Delegates and Alternates on Saturday,March 3 to ollow up on the October Delegate training. It will concentrate on grievance procedureand legal issues. Any elected Delegate or Alternate interested in joining should ax the reply slipbelow to Ingrid Beaumont at (212) 477-4863 by Feb. 24.

The training will take place at DC 37 Headquarters, 125 Barclay Street, rom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Name _______________________________ SS# _____________________________

Address __________________________________________________ Apt# ________

City ___________________________ State ________ Zip Code __________________

Phone (Work) ________________________ Phone (Cell /Home) ____________________

Work Address/Agency _____________________________________________________

E-mail ________________________________________________________________

contributing unds to the agency. Vice President or Research and Ne-

gotiations Rose Lovaglio-Miller, who was joined by other labor o fcials, said in written testimony that overcrowding hason many occasions led to fre hazards as well as other health and sa ety issues dueto the larger number o clients in thesecenters. She added that the overcrowd-ing has caused a large drop in workermorale. This only compounds problems:attrition among workers goes up, whichcauses an even larger crisis.

Sta fng is VitalFor the Union, the answer is simple.

Sta shortages must be addressed im-

mediately, Lovaglio-Miller said. Sta fngis vital to the e ectuation o any improve-ments in the system. Improvements in thesystem, especially in the job centers, are

City Council Hears Unions ConcernsContinued rom page 1

15-Day Election NoticeO fcial 15-day notice is hereby given that themembership meeting o Monday, March 12,2012, will hold the ollowing nominations and/ or elections. The meeting will be at the AdvanceRealty Building, 235 W. 23rd Street (between 7thand 8th Avenues), in Manhattan, at 6:30 p.m.

Nomination and election o candidates our(4) positions o Trustee o the Wel are andEducational Funds or the two-year termcommencing in 2012.

Nomination and election o candidates ornineteen (19) positions as Local 371 Delegateand twenty (20) positions as Alternate to the

AFSCME convention.


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Social Service Employees UnionLocal 371817 BroadwayNew York, N.Y. 10003

Periodicals PostagePaid at New York, NY

T he wrong ul prosecution o twoormer SSEU Local 371 members,Chereece Bell and Damon Adams will go orward March 14, and it is impor-tant that as many members as possible fllthe courtroom.

The case dates back to September 2010, when City residents learned o the tragicdeath o 4-year-old Marchella Pierce, who was allegedly killed by her mother

and maternal grandmother. In addition tocharging the mother and the grandmother,Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynesalleges that these two Administrationor Childrens Services workers did notmake the appropriate number o mandated visits they were supposed to make or Marchellas case.

They have been charged with negligenthomicide, which carries a lengthy prisonsentence. The Union and the ormer mem-bers attorneys state that ACS workers areso overburdened with caseloads that it is

Pack the Court: Support

Bell and Adams March 14

SWAP- SUP I at Long Term Home Health Care Programat 30 Rockwell Place in Brooklyn would like to swap to aSup I non-feld position in Lower Manhattan or MidtownManhattan. I interested, call (718) 330-2293.

SWAP- JOS at (Center 17) 132 West 125th Street inManhattan would like to swap with JOS at (Center 47) 275Bergen Street, Brooklyn. I interested, call (917) 306-2030.

SWAP- Caseworker at HHC at 3424 Kossuth Avenue inthe Bronx would like to swap with Caseworker in Manhat-tan or Brooklyn. I interested, call (718) 642-7451.

SWAP- Community Assistant at 78 Catherine Streetwould like to swap with Community Assistant at 300 Skill-man Avenue, Brooklyn. I interested, call (212) 877-4434.

SWAP- AJOS at (Center 67) 45 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn wouldlike to swap with AJOS at (Center 54) 165-08 88th Street,Jamaica, Queens. If interested, contact (347) 995-6127.

SWAP- Caseworker at OCSE in Manhattan would like toswap with Field Caseworker in HASA in Brooklyn or anynon-feld position in Brooklyn or Manhattan. I interested,call (917) 723-0956.SWAP- Caseworker at HASA in Manhattan Homemak-ing Unit non-feld position. Would like to swap with Case-worker in Queens. I interested, contact (212) 620-9817.

SWAP- AJOS worker at (Center 99) in Richmond, StatenIsland would like to swap sites to 109 East 16th Street,Manhattan. I interested, contact (347) 398-4891.

SWAP- Caseworker at HASA Queensboro O fce locatedat 33-28 Northern Blvd, Queens, would like to swap toHASA/Greenwood or HASA/ Brownsville. I interested, call(917) 226-5931.

SWAP- Supervisor I at APS in Manhattan (South) wouldlike to swap with a non-feld Supervisor I position in lowerdowntown Manhattan or upper midtown Manhattan. Iinterested, call (212) 971-2894.

FOR SALE- 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. Red, mint condi-tion, 69,100 miles, asking $3,500, 4 Door automatic. Iinterested, call (646) 732-0210.

BULLETIN BOARDMEMBERS

Condolences are extended to Gwendolyn Bradby,Associate Fraud I at HRA/BEV at 250 Livingston Streetin Brooklyn, on the death of her mother, Ms. JuanitaHenderson, who died Jan. 22. Condolences can besent to Ms. Gwendolyn Bradby, 218-26 113th Avenue,Queens Village, NY 11429.

Condolences are extended to Ana Bravo, FraudInvestigator II at BEV/HRA at 250 Livingston Streetin Brooklyn, on the death of her mother, Ms. AngelaHernandez, who died Jan. 23. Condolences may besent to Ms. Ana Bravo, HRA/BEV Unit, 250 LivingstonStreet, 6th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

Condolences are extended to Ana Alicea, Child WelfareSpecialist at TASA/HRA at 150 William Street, 8th Floor,Manhattan on the death of her son, Joseph Class, whodied in January. Condolences can be sent to Ms. AnaAlicea, 2896 Valentine Avenue (Private House), Bronx,NY 10458.

Condolences are extended to the Family and Friendsof Olga Reznik, Job Opportunity Specialist in theHomelessness Diversion Unit at Coney Island Job Cen-ter in Brooklyn, who died on January 14. Condolencesmay be sent to her husband, Mr. Igor Reznik, 2424Kings Highway, #6F, Brooklyn, NY 11229.

Condolences are extended to Ida Gordon, Job Op-portunity Specialist at Coney Island Job Center #63 inBrooklyn, on the death of her son, Robert R. Gordon,who died Jan. 7. Condolences can be sent to 3222Bayview Avenue, #6C, Brooklyn, NY 11224.

Condolences are extended to Family and Friendsof Tammy Irvine, Fraud Investigator at BEV at 1910Monterey Avenue, 2nd Floor, Bronx, NY, who died Jan. 9.

physically impossible or them to do all thecase work in a timely manner.

We need as many members as possibleto come out and to support our sister andbrother as they go through this di fcultprocess, SSEU Local 371 President Antho-ny Wells said. Just as important, we need tosend a message to the judge that workers arestanding up against the scapegoating o theCitys social service workers.

Wells added, This isnt just about thesetwo ormer members. I Bell and Adamsare convicted then it will be open seasonon any member who is buried under exces-sive caseloads.

In the meantime, the same judge ishearing the case against the mother andgrandmother.

Members who want to attend should getto the courthouse early. The March 14hearing will start at 9:30 a.m. The courtis located at 320 Jay St. (Brooklyn), 15thFloor, Part 15.

Condolences

CASA Update The Union is continuing to meet with State and City elected o fcials in an e ort to staveo the Governors Medicaid Redesign Teams plan to eliminate the CASA program,which threatens the jobs o nearly 700 o our members.

Obviously, our frst priority is to stop the elimination o CASA, not just or our members,but or the seniors and other clients who would be adversely a ected, said VicePresident o Legislation and Political Action Michelle Akyempong. We are looking at allpossible paths so that no matter what happens, no Union member will be out o a job.We should have a back-up plan that averts the layo s i the elimination goes orward.

unionist february 2012

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