In light of the letter from Todd Stroger’s office last week notifying us of layoffs, 4-day work weeks, and furloughs, the Public Defender Union Executive Board met today (February 5). While our efforts to change the direction of the county budget have been ongoing (including appearances at the most recent public hearings), we planned further action today. That action includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Litigating a grievance asserting that the Notice from Stroger’s office regarding 4-day work weeks and furloughs is a violation of our Collective Bargaining Agreement with the County. A hearing is scheduled on this grievance tomorrow (February 6) at the County Building. Members of the Executive Board will be present for this hearing. Should it be necessary, we will seek expedited arbitration on this matter. Download Grievance Form Here
2. Members of the Executive Board have been conducting ongoing face-to-face meetings recently with County Commissioners to specifically discuss the effects that layoffs/4-day work weeks/furloughs would have on the Public Defender Office. These meetings continue this week.
3. We are currently researching the legal effects of increasing our caseloads (through layoffs) while simultaneously reducing our available work hours (through 4-day work weeks and furloughs). This excessive caseload situation is troubling, and we will have a plan to address this in short order.
4. We are attempting to rally the legal community to get involved in our cause. Besides ongoing consultation with numerous legal organizations, we will be placing a call to action in at least one local publication seeking support. Stay tuned for further developments here.
5. We ask that all assistant public defenders approach the judges we appear before and inform them of the proposed cuts to our office, and the likely effects the cuts will have in the courtroom. Those effects include unavailability for 5-day trials, reduced staffing during all court time, higher caseloads leading to longer disposition times, less support staff and investigators leading to longer disposition times, and other effects.
6. We ask that all assistant public defenders continue to get the message out to County Commissioners and others about the disastrous effects the cuts will have on our Office and the criminal justice system. You can download an updated version of our talking points here. Download Talking Points Here.
In addition to this formal plan for action, the Executive Board has been busy fighting the Stroger budget plan in other ways: we have pressed our case with Management in a Labor-Management meeting, responded in the media to the layoff/furlough notice, pressed our specific issues with AFSCME Council 31, organized speakers for the public hearings, cold-called County Commissioners, and updated this site with as much information as possible.
In the last week alone, our website was visited almost 1000 times by those of you interested in updated information. We will continue to provide information as we learn it.
February 5th, 2007
Thank you Executive Board members for all of your hard work on behalf of all our brother and sister union members. I hope everyone realizes that you all have your own heavy court caseloads and do not get paid for all the work you are doing for all of us, and through us, for our clients. I encourage all members who are not yet part of PEOPLE, the political action arm of AFSCME, to sign up. This is all about politics after all.
February 6th, 2007
Please be advised that attorneys in the Legal Resources Division have been specifically directed by their Chief and supervisors not to advise judges or clients regarding the impact of reduced work days on their duties. I personally believe we have an individual duty as attorneys to keep our clients apprised of the status of their legal matters and to advise the tribunals before which we appear regarding changes in circumstances which affect our timely disposition of matters pending on their court calls.
February 6th, 2007
Apparently certain supervisors in this Office are unaware of the constitutional right of public employees to speak out on matters of public concern (Connick v. Meyers), which would include speech about the impact of layoffs and budget cuts on provision of services. Maybe the supervisors trying to impose a gag order need to go to CLE classes …
February 6th, 2007
I wonder how in the world ANYBODY could possibly enforce the “don’t tell” rule. Unless they are a fly on the wall they have no way of knowing what anybody has said to a judge or client.
February 13th, 2007
Can the union members get an update on the hearing that was held on the grievance on February 6, 2007?
February 13th, 2007
Dan, (and all the other sisters and brothers) the grievance was denied at the county level-Step 3. Now the issue needs to be arbitrated, The reason we have sought an injunction i the courts is that the County has refused to stay the implementation of the furlough policy until a decision is reached by the arbirator. Please review the complaint we filed in Court seeking the injunction. There is a link in the Budget update from 2/13/07.