HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #31 - Discussion ItemRESPONSE TO CHANNEL 4 REPORT
MIAMI CITY COMMISSIONgfjgj qd into the public
MAY 4, 1993
record in connection with
BY CHARLIE CO�iem
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Mcatty Hirai
MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS CHARLIE COkAD�'W'
PRESIDENT OF AFSCME LOCAL 1907, THE UNION FOR YOUR GENERAL
EMPLOYEES. I AM HERE TODAY TO RESPOND TO UNFAIR AND
SLANDEROUS CHARGES OF INEFFICIENCY AGAINST YOUR EMPLOYEES
AND MEMBERS OF MY UNION.
ACCORDING TO THE CHANNEL 4 NEWS REPORT, A VACTOR CREW
WAS OBSERVED WORKING AT A RATE OF 48% OF THE AVAILABLE
WORKDAY. AS I WILL DEMONSTRATE, THIS IS SIMPLY UNTRUE.
THE CREW REPORTS FOR WORK AT 7:00 AM. THE FIRST 44
MINUTES OF THE DAY IS SPENT GETTING THE EQUIPMENT READY.
ACCORDING TO THE STATE LAW REGULATING COMMERCIAL VEHICLES,
A COMPLETE VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE MUST. BE MADE FOR
SAFETY PURPOSES. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BRAKES MUST BE 'BLED'
AND RECHARGED. THE EMPLOYEES MUST MEET WITH THEIR
SUPERVISOR TO RECEIVE WORK ORDERS AND DISCUSS ANY SPECIAL
ASSIGNMENTS OR PROBLEMS EXPECTED ON THE SHIFT. LASTLY,
THESE WORKERS ARE ALLOWED TO FILL THEIR ICE COOLER AND
OBTAIN WATER. THEY WORK COMPLETELY OUTDOORS AND HAVE NO
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AVAILABLE WATER TO OFFSET THE HOT OUTSIDE WORKING
CONDITIONS IF THEY DO NOT CARRY THEIR OWN WATER. THE
CHANNEL 4 REPORT DID NOT RECOGNIZE THIS AS WORK TIME.
THE EMPLOYEES LEFT THE YARD AT 7:44AM. THE CREW'S FIRST
STOP WAS AT THE DUMP SITE TO ELIMINATE THE PREVIOUS DAY'S
LOAD. THE TRAVEL TOOK 9 MINUTES. THE DUMPING PROCESS, WHICH
INCLUDES CLEANING THE VEHICLE TOOK 33 MINUTES. NEITHER OF
THESE ACTIVITIES WAS COUNTED AS WORK TIME BY THE TV
REPORTER. TO NOT COUNT DUMPING TIME AS WORK TIME IS SAYING
THAT SANITATION EMPLOYEES ARE ONLY WORKING WHEN THEY ARE
FILLING THE TRUCK NOT WHEN THEY EMPTY IT.
FOLLOWING THE DUMPING PROCEDURE, THE CREW PROCEEDED
TO FILL THE VACTOR WITH 1300 GALLONS OF WATER FROM A FIRE
HYDRANT. THIS PROCEDURE TOOK 28 MINUTES. WHILE THE TRUCK
WAS FILLING, THE EMPLOYEES PURCHASED A DRINK, THE TV CAMERAS
WERE DELIBERATELY POSITIONED SO THAT THE FIRE HYDRANT WAS
NOT VISIBLE, GIVING THE VIEWER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE
EMPLOYEES WERE SIMPLY STANDING IDLY BY. THIS WAS ALSO NOT
COUNTED AS WORKING TIME.
THE CREW THEN PROCEEDED TO THEIR FIRST WORK LOCATION.
THE TRAVEL TIME WAS 5 MINUTES, THE TIME TO SET UP THE VACTOR
WAS 4 MINUTES. NEITHER WAS COUNTED BY THE TV REPORT AS WORK
Submitted into the public
record in connection with
item -y� on `E�q o 4 _ 2
329,E
M'atty Hirai
City Clerk
TIME. THE NEXT 48 MINUTES WAS SPENT IN OPERATION OF THE
VACTOR. AT 9:50, THE FIRST OF TWO AUTHORIZED BREAKS WAS
TAKEN. IT LASTED EXACTLY 15 MINUTES. THE CREW RETURNED TO
VACTOR OPERATION FOR THE NEXT ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES.
AT 11:25 THE CREW TOOK TEN MINUTES TO WASH UP. GIVEN THE
FACT THAT THEY ARE WORKING IN UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, IT IS
REASONABLE TO PERMIT A TEN MINUTE BATHROOM BREAK PRIOR TO
EATING.
THE CREW TOOK ONE HOUR AND FIVE MINUTES FOR LUNCH. I
AGREE THAT THIS EXCEEDS THE CONTRACT TIME.
THE CREW RETURNED TO WORK FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND
TWENTY MINUTES. THEY THEN TOOK THE SECOND AUTHORIZED
BREAK. INSTEAD OF THE CONTRACT TIME OF 15 MINUTES, THE CREW
TOOK ONLY 6 MINUTES. THE TV CREW DID NOT REPORT THIS. THE
TELEVISION REPORT DID NOT MENTION THAT THIS CREW WORKED AT 6
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS,
THE CREW THEN RETURNED FOR ANOTHER 22 MINUTES OF
WORK. THEY THEN RETURNED TO THE YARD WHICH REQUIRED 25
MINUTES OF TRAVEL TIME. THE TV REPORTER DID NOT COUNT THIS AS
WORK TIME. THE REMAINDER OF THE WORKDAY CONSISTED OF
PUTTING AWAY THE EQUIPMENT AND CLEANING UP. THIS 37 MINUTE
Submitted into the public
record in
item
fvt Py Hirai 4- 329.1 3
City Clerk
PERIOD WAS ALSO NOT DEEMED BY THE TV REPORTER TO COUNT AS
WORK TIME.
WHEN THE WORK DAY IS PROPERLY ANALYZED, IT BROKE DOWN
AS 89.8% PRODUCTION TIME AND 10.2% NON -PRODUCTION TIME. I
BELIEVE THAT THIS IS NOT A RECORD TO BE SCORNED, BUT ONE TO BE
ADMIRED.
TWO THINGS WERE SEEN IN THE REPORT THAT BOTHERED ME. I
DO NOT APPROVE OF CITY EMPLOYEES LITTERING THE STREETS. TO
MAKE UP, I AM OFFERING A CREW OF MY UNION MEMBERS TO DONATE
A DAY TO CLEANING UP OUR CITY. AS TO THE 26 MINUTES OF EXTRA
LUNCHTIME, I THINK IT WOULD BE PROPER FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES TO
GIVE BACK AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF LEAVE TIME TO THE CITY. BUT THAT
SHOULD BE THE END OF ANY TALK OF PUNISHMENT.
IT HAS LONG BEEN ALONG RUNNING JOKE TO CRITICIZE
GOVERNMENT WORKERS AS LAZY AND INEFFICIENT. THIS IS UNFAIR TO
MEN AND WOMEN WHO LABOR IN HOT AND DIRTY JOBS THAT PEOPLE
WHO WORK IN AIR-CONDITIONED OFFICES THINK SIMPLY GET DONE BY
NAMELESS, FACELESS HUMAN MACHINES.
THE MEMBERS OF MY UNION WORKED 16 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A
WEEK IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE HURRICANE TO HELP CLEAN UP OUR
CITY. THEY RAISE MONEY AND PERFORM WORK FOR THE MARCH OF
DIMES, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY, THE UNITED WAY, THE CAMILUS HOUSE
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Matty Hirai 0 4 - 3 2 9.%
City Clerk
AND BROTHERS OF RESCUE. INSTEAD OF BLOWING THEIR HORNS
ABOUT IT, THEY QUIETLY LABORED, OFTEN FOR FREE, TO MAKE MIAMI A
BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.
THE NEWS REPORT ALSO INTENTIONALLY SLOWED THE CAMERA
SPEED DOWN TO MAKE THE CREW MEMBERS LOOK LAZY. THIS IS AN
INTENTIONAL DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH. OF COURSE, THIS TYPE OF
REPORTING IS IN KEEPING WITH THE PARENT NETWORK'S EXAMPLE
WHEN IT WAS CAUGHT MISLEADING THE PUBLIC CONCERNING
EXPLOSIONS OF GAS TANKS IN CERTAIN TRUCKS.
INSTEAD OF MANUFACTURING STORIES WHERE NONE EXIST, I
CHALLENGE CHANNEL 4 OR ANY OTHER STATION'S REPORTERS TO
WORK A SINGLE SHIFT OF DIFFICULT, DIRTY MANUAL LABOR. I BELIEVE
THAT WALKING A MILE IN ANOTHER MAN'S SHOES WILL PUT A
DIFFERENT AND HOPEFULLY TRUTHFUL SPIN ON THE GOOD WORK
DONE BY THOUSANDS OF DEDICATED CITY EMPLOYEES.
Submitted into the public
record in connection with
item —on `� S ��,
Matty Hirai
City Clerk
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