Public Employee Press


Death Trap

The Parks Dept. tried to make members drive a truck with rusted-out floorboards and only a brick to anchor the seatbelt. Local 1505 President Dilcy Benn protected members by getting the deathtrap pulled out of service.

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS



Everyone chuckles at the floorless car that Fred Flintstone stopped with his feet, but when two City Parks Workers were made to drive a dilapidated Parks truck with rusted-out floorboards, only a brick to anchor the seatbelt and cardboard upholstery, it was no laughing matter.

"This vehicle is a deathtrap and there is no accountability," said Dilcy Benn, president of City Parks Workers Local 1505. "I don't want my members driving a deathtrap - that's a hazard to them and the public!"

Parks Dept. vehicle number 5719Q is a 14-year-old Ford pickup with 102,685 miles on its odometer. Its corroded floors have 18-inch-wide holes that expose the brake and fuel lines. The dash is shredded and duct tape holds the gearshift in place. Start the engine and toxic fumes fill the cab.

"A supervisor picked this vehicle up at a borough garage, drove it to Queens and gave it to City Parks Workers in this condition. Where's the accountability?" asked Benn. "More than one supervisor had to approve the trip ticket and see the extent of the damage. This vehicle is a wreck; it's an accident waiting to happen."

In January, the truck was driven from Flushing Meadows, Corona Park to Cunningham Park in Queens, about five miles, and used in Park District 7. Parks Dept. policy calls for drivers to inspect vehicles before using them and report any safety or mechanical issues.

Safety first

Benn questioned the decision to order CPWs to use the rusted junker to spread salt before an expected snowstorm. When they refused to drive it, Benn said, they were threatened with retaliation that could lead to suspension.

CPWs have had problems with poorly maintained Parks vehicles before. Two years ago, veteran Local 1505 member Curly Robinson, 63, was struck by a Parks Dept. van that popped out of gear and pinned him to another vehicle. Robinson is now permanently disabled.

One source of vehicle problems, union officials said, is the Parks Dept. practice of contracting out repairs to a private firm, in this case Great Bear, whose work orders indicate that the repairs are not under warrantee. Great Bear has issued New York State inspection stickers to vehicle 5719Q for the last three years.

Union officials ask why Parks would contract out repairs when the Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services has mechanics who maintain city vehicles. They also said Parks apparently has no transparency about who checks whether safety issues are addressed when repairs go to private contractors or if the repairs remain outstanding.

In mid-January, the DC 37 Safety and Health Dept. and the union's Parks Committee met on safety and maintenance issues involving Parks vehicles. Principal Program Coordinator Lillian Goodwine of the Safety and Health Dept. said, "It's Parks Dept. policy that workers are given a safety check sheet they complete before taking a vehicle out. They are to notify their supervisor of unsafe conditions, and the vehicle should be put out of service. If they are told to operate it, they should notify the union immesdiately."

After several calls from Benn and the union to complain to management, the Parks Dept. pulled 5917Q and other dangerous vehicles out of service in all five boroughs.

"We got results. My job is to protect my members, no matter what," Benn said. "Parks has rolled out new vehicles from its Randall's Island lot. Our members are no longer driving trucks that should be in a junkyard."