Chanting slogans and carrying fliers, a handful of local union
representatives and workers protested outside Chamberlain’s
Children’s Services Center on Tuesday in response to the firing of
an employee.
The small protest, backed by the Service Employees International
Union Local 817, was organized in conjunction with the filing of
charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
Chanting slogans and carrying fliers, a handful of local union representatives and workers protested outside Chamberlain’s Children’s Services Center on Tuesday in response to the firing of an employee.
The small protest, backed by the Service Employees International Union Local 817, was organized in conjunction with the filing of charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
“We have filed additional charges against Chamberlain’s for the wrongful firing of Jay Barstow, who was let go about two weeks ago for an improper restraint, which is actually not the case,” SEIU spokeswoman Margaret Bonetti said.
Chamberlain’s officials denied taking any steps that violated state or federal labor laws and that the firing was justified.
“We are in compliance with labor laws,” said Doreen Crumrine, community services program director and administrative support center director. “Because this is a personnel issue, I can’t go into detail about it.”
Crumrine said state privacy laws prohibit her from discussing details surrounding the dismissal for fear of being sued civilly.
The additional charges were filed with the NLRB in reference to Barstow’s firing and because employees were allegedly forced to attend meetings by management officials who used the meetings to scare employees out of forming a union.
“They would tell them that Chamberlain’s would be shut down if they unionized,” Bonetti said. “Actually, every where we’ve unionized, conditions have improved for workers.”
Bonetti said she was hoping to avoid Tuesday’s protest, but felt they were forced into it because of Crumrine and other Chamberlain’s officials refusal to try and work out a resolution to the incident.
“Doreen has never agreed to meet with us, and yet she continues to break the labor laws,” Bonetti said.
Crumrine said she was more concerned about the effect the protest, which included shouting through a bull horn, was having on the children at the center.
“It was upsetting the kids a lot,” Crumrine said.
As part of the protest, off-duty Chamberlain’s employees demanded safer working conditions and for the administration to do more to protect both the children and the workers.
“I got my nose broken by one of the kids that was here,” Alicia Quezada said.
Quezada, who has worked at Chamberlain’s for 18 years, said the center, which cares for emotionally and behaviorally troubled youths, has gradually become a less than safe place to work.
“We should have the right to seek medical help whenever we need to,” Quezada said. “We should have the right to call the police whenever we are in danger.”
Quezada said the administration discourages staff from calling for police or sheriff’s deputies even if they have a youth who they know is prone to violence.
“They want us to use it as a last resort, but sometimes we have to call police and then we get in trouble when we do,” Quezada said. “A lot of us are not here for the pay, we are here to help the kids. Basically, what we are asking for is to be treated like human beings.”
Quezada is reportedly not the only employee who has been hurt.
“There is a worker who was beat up by a child last week,” Bonetti said. “She was never sent home and was not allowed to call the doctor until after her shift was over.”
Crumrine said officials at Chamberlain’s do everything they can to keep the facility safe.
“I can’t tell you how hard I’ve worked here to make this a safe and healthy a place as possible for the children and the staff because they are an important part of what we do here,” Crumrine said.
In early June, officials at Chamberlain’s agreed to a settlement with the NLRB and SEIU to reinstate an employee whose dismissal was seen by a labor relations investigator as a violation of labor laws. However, the settlement assured that no regulatory or legal action would be taken.
Crumrine also denied any wrong doing on Chamberlain’s part in that case.
