TOMS RIVER – About a dozen members of CWA Local 1088 showed up at the Ocean County Board of Commissioners meeting to appeal for hazard pay for their work during the pandemic.
CWA Local 1088 represents social services and clerical employees of the Ocean County Board of Social Services. Union officials presented the county’s governing body with a petition asking for an appropriation of funds to their workers.
The union workers, all dressed in red, and carrying protest signs, sat in the front two rows of the county meeting room. They were not disruptive and were the first to speak when the public comments session opened.
“My fellow employees would like you to know the conditions we have been working under during the pandemic,” said Nancy Lopez, a CWA Local 1088 member. “Our quest is for the allocation of funds from the American Rescue Plan.”
Lopez said that social services workers had been plagued with what she termed “ineffective human resources” since COVID-19 hit the area. She also complained that the contract impacting union workers contradicts itself and presents a great deal of confusion because it is unclear.
“The COVID-19 policy has been used to drain employees of their sick and vacation time,” Lopez stated. “Human resources have used this policy to keep employees waiting in the parking lot before they can enter the building to return to work.”
While union workers acknowledged that mandatory quarantines represented frustration to many workers, their experience in helping the public made it more difficult.
The Ocean County Board of Social Services assists residents with food, housing, and cash assistance. Offices were closed at the beginning of the pandemic and reopened to the public on September 14, 2020.
“Our workers have been required to work in the office seeing clients experiencing symptoms of the virus,” said Lopez. “They are being pushed beyond management policies, which is the reason the CWA is so adamant that our workers deserve hazard pay.”
Jennifer Lehman identified herself as a CWA Local 1088 member and affirmed the statements made by Lopez. In addition, she read into the record a statement from another colleague who said her health has been impacted by her work for the Board of Social Services.
“The overall abusive atmosphere of the agency has affected not only my mental health but also my physical health,” read Lehman. “…The atmosphere has caused me to have anxiety about discipline for any small issue.”
“Most of (my issues) have been in direct response to how I’ve been treated by my supervisors, administrators, and even the former deputy director,” continued Lehman. “It concerns me that this agency’s atmosphere has gone unchecked for so long.”
According to Lehman, the anonymous colleague’s complaints tied into the agency’s COVID policies. She also said that workers in the Toms River building in particular, are working in absolutely deplorable conditions.
Ocean County Director of the Commissioners John P. “Jack” Kelly said that the board would be studying the feasibility of allocating funds from the American Rescue Act to CWA workers and others.
Kelly requested Julie N. Tarrant, Ocean County Comptroller, explain the process in using monies from federal funds for hazard pay.
“I can’t make a promise today, but we are in favor of it,” said Kelly. “We have to follow federal rules and guidelines…We’re very hopeful that this will allow us to make those payments.”
According to Tarrant, the county only recently received the guidelines as outlined in 52 pages of rules and regulations. It is currently under review.
“We have to have a spending plan, which is being drafted by the county’s consultant and county staff,” Tarrant explained. “It will then be presented to the board, who will then ask the community for input.”
Commissioner Gary Quinn said that he and the other board members have enormous compassion for the social services workers.
“The problem is they are coming before the venue that doesn’t have the authority or the ability to take and do what they’re asking,” said Quinn. “We have money that will be allocated throughout different areas, and the county wants to help as many people as possible.
“The request for any money here would have to come from the Board of Social Services, which is really a state agency,” Quinn continued. “Our obligation first and foremost is to the 2,000 people who work for Ocean County. So if there’s money to be allocated, they should be our number one priority.”
