Public Employee Press

Tow Pound workers protest hazards

Raccoons — six, at last count, cats — mangy and hissing, rotten floors — sagging, with gaping holes, rusting window air conditioners, drooping electrical wires and the pervasive stench of mold: These are just some of the disgusting conditions that greet DC 37 workers every day at the Police Dept. tow pounds in each borough.

Although few of the drivers whose cars get towed would label themselves “fortunate,” they simply show up, pay a fine, wait for their car and leave. The members oflocals 1549 and 983 are not so fortunate.

A recent tour of the pound in Maspeth, Queens, by President Eddie Rodriguez took place on a day that was neither hot nor rainy. But members shared tales about the days when buckets of rain fall on their heads every time they open a door and how the water also courses down the inside walls, causing electrical shorts that shut down the operation.

They also told Rodriguez of the hot days, when the flea-ridden cats that congregate under the trailers give off a sickening smell, and the ordinary days when the worst hazard is the deadly debris and rocks that fall from the Kosciusko Bridge, directly above the trailers.

“These are some of the worst working environments I’ve seen for our members,” said Lisa Baum, an experienced specialist in DC 37’s Safety and Health Dept. Disgusted at what he saw, Assistant Clerical Division Director Eddie Gates said, “We have to get this changed.”

“Every time it rains, water leaks down and covers my work station,” said Local 1549 member Michele Tavis, a 12-year veteran of the NYPD’s Queens “trailer park.”

“Garbage and rocks fall off the bridge — just what you would expect from a deteriorating bridge,” said Clerical Associate LeJuine Boone.

“The substandard working conditions reflect a lack of respect for the people who bring in a huge amount of revenue for New York City,” said Local 983 Vice President Marvin Robbins. Recording Secretary Clarice Wilson charged that, “the NYPD has horses that are treated better than these members. They have central air and a heating system, while we have a broken-down system they fix with band-aids and trailers infested with vermin, cats and raccoons!”

At the union’s request, the state Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau is conducting inspections. Meanwhile, DC 37 members have to put up with outrageous health and safety hazards every day to earn their living. Local 983 President Mark Rosenthal and Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez are committed to getting immediate action from management to correct the dangerous and offensive conditions.

— Jane LaTour