Public Employee Press

Fighting for workers who prevent child abuse
The union battles to stop the city from destroying the Administration for Children’s Services.

By GREGORY N. HEIRES

More than 300 workers at the Administrative for Children’s Services got a reprieve in June when the city agreed to postpone layoffs of permanent employees for 90 days in an agreement with the Municipal Labor Committee on health-care savings.

The deferral allows the union an opportunity to search for alternatives to layoffs in discussions with ACS. The agency should be able to reduce the layoffs, because the fiscal year 2010 budget approved June 19 by the City Council restores some of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s funding cuts.

DC 37 and AFSCME helped locals 371 and 1549 battle the layoffs, and the union will keep fighting to prevent ACS from being dismantled through funding reductions, downsizing and contracting out. Pointing out that the City Council put back only $3 million of the $18 million cuts in the proposed budget, Local 371 President Faye Moore said the restoration falls far short of what’s necessary to fulfill the mandate to prevent child abuse.

“We have fought hard to protect jobs and services,” said Moore, referring to Local 371’s lobbying, rallies and media campaign, which included a dramatic radio ad that recalled the tragic case of Nixzmary Brown, the 6-year-old beaten to death in 2006. “This downsizing must stop,” Moore said.

Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, which also faces layoffs at the agency, joined Local 371 in the campaign to save ACS jobs and services.

The cuts “will have a dramatic impact on the quality of life and possibly the safety of children and families in real need of help,” Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez told the City Council’s General Welfare Committee May 26. Cutting an agency like this is “sinful,” he said.

Helping pregnant teens

Local 371 members at the agency’s Teenage Services Act Program spoke passionately about the work helping young mothers. They said that gutting the program would leave needy teenage mothers without services that teach them parenting skills, provide family counseling, ensure they continue their education — and ultimately prevent abuse.

“We work one-on-one to help the teenage parents get their lives together,” said Child Welfare Specialist Eulyn Damon, a 17-year veteran who works at TASA’s office at 185 Marcy Ave., in Brooklyn. “After all the good things we have done, management wants to take this away from us and turn it over to private agencies. It’s not right,” she said.

Jessica Govin, 21, credits Damon with turning her life around after she gave birth to her daughter three years ago. After living a month with her boyfriend, Govin decided to separate and was going to live in a homeless shelter rather than with her parents, with whom her relations were strained. Acting as a mediator, Damon helped Govin reconcile with her parents.

Damon encouraged Govin to complete her high school equivalency degree, and now she expects to finish her associate’s degree at Kingsborough Community College in the fall. Then she wants to get a bachelor’s degree and pursue a career in nursing.

“It’s a shame that they want to put this program out of business,” Govin said.