Public Employee Press


Local 371 protests
Two workers scapegoated in child's murder

By GREGORY N. HEIRES



Hundreds of Local 371 members hit the street April 6 to voice their solidarity with two co-workers who face criminally negligent homicide charges based on their case management work involving a 4-year-old child whose mother is accused of murdering her.

Child welfare workers and other Local 371 members from around the city rallied at lunchtime April 6 in front of the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office at 350 Jay St. to protest the indictments of Caseworker Damon Adams and Supervisor Chareece Bell.

Co-workers say the Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes is unfairly blaming Adams and Bell for the murder of Marchella Pierce, whose mother was indicted last year for killing her. The demonstrators said the two workers are scapegoats for the failings of the Administration for Children's Services, and they criticized Hynes for overreaching with his indictment, which apparently is the first time child welfare workers have been hit with murder charges.

Deadly downsizing

Union leaders and rank-and-filers said the indictment has had a tremendous chilling effect and shifted attention away from the roots of the troubles at the agency - mismanagement, contracting out case management and years of downsizing, including the layoff of 300 civil servants last year.

With average salaries of $40,000, many of the workers feel underpaid for their stressful work. Now they face the looming threat of being arrested for a job known for attracting idealists driven by a desire to protect vulnerable children.

Marching outside the district attorney's office, workers carried signs with such messages as "Who's Next?" "Stop the War on Workers," "Budget Cuts Kill, ACS Workers Don't," and "We Are Not Criminals."

Equipped with a bullhorn, retiree Neal Frumkin fired up the demonstrators with chants: "Protectors, not murderers! and "We protect children. Who protects us?"

At the podium, Local 371 leaders President Faye Moore, Executive Vice President Yolanda Pumarejo and Vice President of Research and Negotiations Anthony Wells were joined by City Council member Charles Barron, DC 37 Treasurer and Local 1407 President Maf Misbah Uddin, Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez, DC 37 Associate Director Oliver Gray and Jim Cullen, New York area field services director of DC 37's parent union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Local 371 members Jackie Ramos, Ray Phillips and Glen Hyman spoke poignantly about Adams and Bell, describing their tireless dedication to meeting their job responsibilities for their mission of protecting children. Wells led the crowd in a chant of "We're fired up! Won't take no more!"

"We are not going to let anyone criminalize us," Moore said. "We are proud of what we do."

"This is a dangerous precedent," said Barron. He questioned why two front-line workers are charged with criminally negligent homicide while the head of the agency, John B. Mattingly, isn't held accountable. He called it "absurd" for two African American workers to be scapegoated while white Wall Street executives with bloated salaries were not prosecuted after their reckless moneymaking schemes drove the economy into the sewer.

"Something is wrong with this system," said Gray, expressing his disgust that workers were singled out when Mattingly and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg appeared unwilling to address seriously the problems plaguing child welfare services.

"They are demonizing public workers," Cullen said. "But you are doing God's work. We are here to mourn for that little child who died. But guess what, brothers and sisters? Her mother killed her."