Public Employee Press

Union reverses two police firings at NYPD

When the New York Police Dept. terminated them improperly, Police Communications Technician Natalie Wilson had 18 years on the job and PCT Ronda Marage had 19 years.

The union stuck up for them and both Local 1549 members have been reinstated to their jobs at the 911 call center in Brooklyn.

Wilson was suspended for over a year and then terminated after an NYPD policy put her job in jeopardy. Marage's case continued without resolution for more than 10 years.

Using reps, lawyers and hearings before the Civil Service Commission, the union mounted a full-scale effort to save the two workers' jobs.

Now that she's back at work, Wilson is ecstatic. "I'm overwhelmed, and I want to thank my union rep, Diana Marenfeld, and union attorney Martin Druyan, who really fought for me." Marage is also pleased. "It feels good to be back," she said.

Grievance Rep Rhonda Spaulding, who represented Marage, tells other members, "If an agency wants to take your job from you, you have to fight back. We did and we won."

DC 37 Assistant General Counsel Ximena Naranjo represented Marage in her appeal to the Civil Service Commission. "The commission looked at the fact that the agency took years to determine her livelihood. We got her job back because of the outrageous 10-year delay," she said.

The CSC decided Wilson was being unfairly penalized for the illegal actions of a family member, Marenfeld said. In both cases, the commission determined that the penalty of termination was excessive. "I have absolute faith in DC 37 and I am grateful for them," Wilson said.