DEPARTMENT HEAD OVERTIME DISPARITY

As an Alderman for the City of Kingston, I have done my very best to stay away from the legal ramblings of the DPW sexual harassment and contract pay scale issues until the process is completed. It’s the right thing for the Councilmen to do, since we preach to others about letting the rule of law take its course before judgment.

But the ability to resist venting our opinions is getting long in the tooth, considering the Freeman’s expose on the Police and Fire chiefs overtime rates.

First, the paper didn’t have to FOIL for the info. Both Keller and Salzmann are stand up guys who do their jobs well. The numbers make sense and there are no scandals in either of their departments that I’m aware of anyway.

I am amazed that the two submitted payments for less than $2,000 and $3,000 dollars for the last two years. And both offer clear explanations as to what caused the overtime. [stole their pictures from the Freeman]

My colleague Al Teetsel is suggesting a shift in process to make all the Department heads more accountable for their overtime by detailing their overtime reasoning and the Mayor having to sign-off on the extra pay. I agree, as do the rest of the council, but I would add that perhaps the DPW Superintendent have a cap on hours allowed like the Police Chief.

You’ll notice I still didn’t opine about the ongoing legal case that still plagues the city. The Aldermen will have that place in due time, even when some characters are screaming for us to interject on the matter. We are like jurors during a case. We have our speaking limitations when it comes to litigation and personnel matters like this one.

Bit the disparity in the overtime pay-out is worth noting, and the public will want to know more.

Freeman reporter Paul Kirby did point out that Kathy Janeczek, our City Clerk, also works obscene overtime hours without compensation. She and the whole staff at the Clerk’s Office are a tremendous asset to the Council and the taxpayer. They all surpass their expected duties and deserve recognition for their diligence.

KINGSTON'S DISCRIMINATION POLICY

During Wednesday’s meeting of Laws & Rules, we discussed the Sexual Harassment case that has plagued the DPW Department and City Hall for months.

The Human Rights director, Tawana Washington, said that the final report was nearly complete. Alderman Charlie Landi jumped in first, asking that the Aldermen get a copy as soon as it is finalized. Hoffay echoed the opinion as did the rest of the Council.

We all feel, as Landi was quoted, that the public should know what we’ve spent all this money on in court. The outcome, should be aired out regardless of the commission’s verdict. However, the Mayor disagrees.

On another note, Tom Hoffay, with some verbal inspiration from me, proposed changes in some language in the “protected class” descriptions.

The original language states in section one; unlawful to discriminate based on sex, right in the first paragraph. That has been changed to: unlawful to discriminate against Gender, Gender Identity, and so on. The word SEX has been relegated to a verb only in this context.

Also added to the long list of “protected class” descriptions is the term, sexual orientation. Although it is included in the New York State statute on non-discrimination, we had it placed front-and-center with the rest.

As you will recal, Gov Pataki signed the SONDA legislation years ago. It has altered the employment landscape here in NY since. The security of employees who are or perceived to be gay/lesbian in the workforce has caused a noticable decrease in employee dismissal and diminished sick time.

I expect to see a better workforce serving in our DPW as a result of the revised Non-Discrimination Policy as well as the harassment course everyone took. Take these tough lessons to heart and be mindful of your co-workers boundries.

CARELESS CHOICE OF WORDS

Oh Junior, what have you done now?

This war of words among Republican leaders is quite revealing. To see the end of this story play out, I need a front row seat. I better pull up another garbage can and get comfortable.

Each of the members of the Council have bad days, and we take turns pissing off other members sometimes with a vengeance. But the dirty mouth will bring you down every time.

To maintain your equanimity during all frustrating moments in any confrontation is our biggest challenge, and having any level of training in the world of public speaking, like a lawyer, should give anyone the edge on control. This tit-for-tat (I got tit in my article) between Teetsel and Cahill is unfortunate, but the hypocrisy in the timing is what gets me.

Rich, a word of advice, learn when not to jump into an issue. What is going on in DPW and City Hall regarding sexual harassment and the administration is no-longer a laughing matter. Your past comments will sting for a while, and people will snicker at you for a few months, but your source of income depends on respect in the court room.

Teetsel is correct in pointing out the double standard that Cahill has offered the public. When the allegations of sexual harassment were leveled against city employees, Rich should have stepped back and watched rather than inject himself into something no-outsider can help.

I don’t condone the actions of anyone harassing co-workers or in the home or in public, and I even recognize the harassment can work both ways, but leading the cause for the purpose of making personal headlines is sad at best.

Lets get back to what matters most to City residents…Jobs, Taxes and Safety.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLASS 101

Little by little, the City of Kingston is becoming a model city. It wasn’t too long ago that our image was that of Old School “Good Ol’ Boys” Politics and Ethnic ties took priority over good sense.

With the recent past city wide protest of the “White Supremist” rally and the significant upgrade to our Human Rights Mission, we see signs of maturity.

Now, through unfortunate circumstances, we have implemented Sexual Harassment Classes and all city employees are ordered to take them. What transpired between city employees is unfortunate and until the case is settled, all parties involved have soul-searching to do.

Demonstrations in support of administrative action, are a good civic exercise and allows an emotional release for the public. The gathering at City Hall showed us there were issues of concern either real or imagined by our citizens regarding the speed of the investigations. I would remind everyone that this process is slow and of an intimate nature. Calling for resignations or firings at this stage is premature.

Regarding the classes, the Mayor said in the Freeman: "I do not believe this training has ever been offered by any administration in the past or that any type of training of his nature took place." I have to agree that we have not offered such classes, but there should be a degree of civil discourse in any workplace. Our hiring practices have changed significantly since Sottile took office.

The Mayor was quoted: “There are two sides to every story.” Again, even though Jim and I haven’t been speaking, I have to agree with this as well.

All of us have heard that the “fake breast” (I can’t believe I just wrote that) had been in the DPW offices since the mid 90s and the banter between the employees involved has escalated in the last year. So where does truth end and storytime begin? I don’t know and neither do you.

CSEA MEMBERSHIP HAVE A VOICE

Only days ago, DPW Superintendent Steve Gorsline received an envelope with an abundance of paper folded in it. His first thoughts were, oh no, this cant be good.
But to his amazement, it was.

There has been trouble brewing within the City of Kingston members of CSEA, their leadership and the department heads. Because of incidents in the recent past, the animosity has escalated to a palpable point and very few think they see an easy way out.

Back to the envelope: The papers were a petition signed by almost 100 members of CSEA from the DPW and City Hall. There is little I can say to this, so I will just Post the actual petition…
_______________________________
To: Danny Donohue; Pres CSEA
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210

Dear Mr Donohue;

As members, we write to you regarding the City of Kingston CSEA. Over the last several months, it has become increasingly obvious that out Union President, Bart Robbins and Vice President, Troy Ashdown are acting from a personal agenda which is harmful to the rank and file.

The Superintendent of Public Works, Steve Gorsline has held this position for more than 10 years. His entire career is rooted in the DPW where he rose from laborer status to his current position over a period of more than 34 years. He has been accessible to the public and the employees and until recently, neither his ability nor his sense of fairness been questioned. He was Vice President of CSEA for 9 years, representing the employees in good faith and did his job well. To sum it up, he knows his job, and is conscientious about his responsibilities.

The animosity Mr. Robbins and Mr. Ashdown initially showed toward the current administration has been prevalent for quite some time. When the candidate they chose (with very little input from our membership) lost the election in November 2007, that attitude shifted to the DPW Superintendent where their prejudice escalated. They have launched an ongoing criticism of him and his operationof the department through the local media without thorough research of their information and minimal consultation with us in the union.

Many of us feel their self-serving vindictive attitude and their over all approach is detrimental to us. While they are publicly airing their perceived complaints of Mr. Gorsline, they are demeaning the opinion that the public has of our members who are hard working and dedicated to their jobs. It seems that, if you agree with them, they will fight for you. If your problem does not fit their agenda, it often goes without adequate response and/or resolution.

We approach you for advice and possible assistance. We want our Union to live up to its reputation. As long as Mr. Robbins and Mr. Ashdown continue to head this Union, reputation suffers in the public eye and within our ranks. We know that new leadership can turn that around, but what can we do prior to the next scheduled union election?

We urgently await your reply and we thank you.
___________________________________

Well, there it is. I know for every witness to an incident there is a different recollection of the same event. Im sure Giz has buried himself in work, the Mayor is hiding from reporters and the employees have their own stories to tell, but where will this go?

Someone asked me to get in the mix on this harassment issue. Posting this petition is as far as I will go, and I don’t think opinions from us Bloggers will help any. Let the courts decide, until then…get back to work!