The Flood at Fourth Street

8-1-2016 12-49-14 PM

There have been a lot of complaints about the way the flood was handled here in the Fourth Street Building by employees. They has even made their way onto the local news, with photos included. NTEU73 has been on top of the situation and is working with management to assure a safe and clean environment, a goal we all share.

Thursday morning, management officials did a walk through and decided it was safe to keep the service center open, even though early in the day some units had to stay in the cafeteria and break room while the place was cleaned up and sanitized. This activity went on all day. In fact, the union office was even flooded.

Many photos were taken on cells phones of the horrible condition of the drinking fountains, among other things. OSHA requires that all employers provide water for their employees. NTEU73 is trying to get management to provide bottled water for workers until we can make sure the fountains are safe. But in fact, they are.

The fountains overflowed from the backup in the drainage system, which is not to be confused with the pipes bringing water into the fountains. The water that is going into the fountains is as safe as ever. The debris that overflowed from the fountains and cascaded down the walls was not human waste from the bathrooms. It was dirt and grime from the drainage system. There was an awful smell, seemingly coming from the bathrooms, and the union is looking into that as well. OSHA is being contacted and will be making sure everything safe.

Everyone wants a clean and safe working environment: managers, employees and the union. It is everyone’s best interest to make sure that is the case.

The response was quick to clean it up and at no time were people’s health at risk because of the flooding. Areas that flooded, such as carpeted areas, etc., have been sanitized and dried out. Still, NTEU73 wants to make sure that all of the employee concerns are addressed with management.

If you know of a problem that has not been addressed please contact NTEU73 at any union office and your issue will be researched. If any thing can be done to address it, it will be. As in many of these types of situations, there has probably been some over-reaction, because it did look and smell very bad. But overall, the center has been cleaned and things seem back to normal. But again, if you have any issue with safety or heath, please let us know.

Together we will assure that this is a safe environment for everyone.

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