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Public
Employee Press Local
1549 saves members jobs Union victories recently
kept three Local 1549 members safely in their jobs jobs their agencies
tried to take away.
Most recently, 27-year Police Dept. employee Crystal
Lewis won the fight to keep her job after the department sought to fire her for
two clerical infractions.
Her tortuous struggle included grievances, two
successful hearings before administrative law judges, reversals by the Police
Commissioner and finally a decision from the Civil Service Commission with
union representation at every step, including that of attorney Martin Druyan.
As of April, Lewis was able to return to work. The Police Dept. needs to
follow its rules, she said. Theyre in charge of enforcing rules,
but they dont follow them!
Clerical-Administrative Employees
Local 1549 also went to bat to save Andrea Tillmans job at the Administration
for Childrens Services. After Tillman had worked for just under one year,
the agency terminated her unfairly, said Eddie Gates, 1st assistant director of
the DC 37 Clerical Division. The union took the case to arbitration and the impartial
arbitrator ordered Tillman reinstated. As was the case with Crystal Lewis, the
agency had violated the principle of progressive discipline, Gates said.
At
the Dept. of Homeless Services, Norma Lynch was terminated right before the end
of her probation period. It took two years to win back her job. I had a
good record and had passed my probation with flying colors. It felt good to go
back to work and to know that the union helped me get my job back!
she said.
The dedicated and persistent team that saved these jobs included
grievance and council reps from the Clerical-Administrative Division, the division
director, 1st assistant director and attorneys from the DC 37 Legal Dept. | |