The Youth Department was the subject of some discussion at the Common Council meeting last night, much of it in executive session. Among the new resolutions introduced at the meeting was one authorizing transfers funds within the Youth Department budget. These kinds of intradepartmental transfers are pretty common, but what made this request different was the money was being transferred to pay attorney's fees.
When Garriga and Rosenthal pressed for specific information, Nick Zachos, youth director, offered to detail the issues that required the attention of the labor attorney. Doing so, however, required going into executive session, since personnel issues were involved. So every member of the public in attendance at the Zoom meeting was put into a waiting room while the Council heard the reasons why the labor attorney was needed. During the executive session, something bizarre happened. The host, Shaheim DeJesus of Hudson Tech, ended the meeting. It seems the action was inadvertent. The problem was remedied quickly, and everyone was allowed back in, either to the executive session or to the waiting room--everyone except Alderman Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward), who has in the past often scrutinized the Youth Department and its employment practices.
When the Council came out of executive session, Council president Tom DePietro reported that no decisions had been made. It was then that Alderman Eileen Halloran (Fifth Ward) made it known that Merante had been trying to get back into the meeting but couldn't. After the executive session, the Council voted first to amend the resolution to eliminate the transfer of money for attorney's fees and then to pass the resolution. Merante voted no both times because he had not been part of the executive session and did not know what been disclosed. All the other members of the Council voted in favor.
When DePietro invited new business from the Council, another Youth Department issue was discussed. Rosenthal brought up the subject of union organizing at the Youth Department, which had been reported earlier in the day in the Register-Star: "Youth workers call for unionization"--an article that most of the members of the Council had not seen.
Other city employees belong to CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association), but the union the employees at the Youth Department want to join is CWA (Communications Workers of America). Johnson explained that CWA had "reached out" to him, because the Youth Center employees were not being well represented by CSEA. He spoke of the "extreme lack of communication from the CSEA union." He said he had referred CWA to the labor attorney, whose OK is needed to proceed. Alderman Malachi Walker (Fourth Ward) said unionizing the Youth Department was "long overdue." Garriga expressed her support for unionizing, saying, "Most of the employees at the Youth Department are people of color, and they need representation." She called for the Council to draft a resolution of support of the union, but Jeff Baker, counsel to the Council, advised against such action "until you hear from the labor attorney."
The picture below, which is assumed show the Youth Department staff, is the cover photo for the Facebook page announcing a job opening at the Youth Department: a new director to replace Nick Zachos, who in February announced his intention to leave the position.
Hudson is rapidly becoming a quibble of lawyers with a small city attached.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall, there are 5 attorneys in the Corporation Counsel's office at last count. Five. Making it, if I'm not mistaken, the largest law firm in the county except the County. And not one has any labor law experience? In a city government where the majority of employees are union members? The mind reels considering what the qualifications were for the 5 attorneys in-house.
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ReplyDeleteMayor Johnson was right to respond that way, and I hope people remember it the next time they hear that someone “ain’t black” because they're thinking outside the box.
DeleteBut the stronger statement would have left race out of it (though the story reported it was Karlee Burchfield who'd inserted race into the discussion):
“I’m an adult with my own mind and I’m not going to let anybody tell me how I should feel.”
Too MLK for our times? Not for me. His path was still the wisest and best.
Resist coercion. Call it out. Defend one another.
I thank Mayor Johnson for rejecting the speaker's blatant coercion.
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DeleteYou only need 42 people concerned about the mayor's misogynistic attitude to sign a petition to get on the line for the Democratic primary. Last day to get signatures is 25 March.
ReplyDeletePlease contact the Columbia County Board of Elections directly for more information; they can be reached very easily by phone during normal business hours. (Don't bother with the Dem Committee-the chair is just a shill and is probably feeding info directly to your opponent.
*Please disregard the previous message listing the primary date as 1 Apr- signatures should be received to the BOE by 25 Mar. Please also make sure to collect more than the required amount of signatures, as signatures can be challenged and having less than the required amount will block you from the ballot.)