Whistle blower investigation from local news Channel 46 reported Public Works Trash Collectors are not performing their jobs as paid. (Wendy Saltzman Channel 46 News). One individual, whose identity was shielded on the local news Channel 46, wore the uniform of the Public Works Department and had chosen to publicly give his perception to the Local News before bringing his concerns up the chain of command to the Department’s Commissioner or use the Ethics Hotline. PACE does not question his motives, but we do question his judgment.  

PACE wants all Union Members to be informed and aware that work performances and activities may be scrutinized from internal and external sources. If you have a problem and or see a problem that may seem unethical, please utilize your options to report them to your department head and/or ethics hotline.  If you feel this action has not been effective, then contact your Local PACE Steward or your PACE President.  We will ensure your confidentiality will be maintained as we speak on your behalf. 

Since the shortfalls of the City of Atlanta’s budget, many eyes are upon the entire workforce. We encourage you to utilize your local union in assisting you in complaining about unethical work habits of others before you consider going to the news media.  This will only impact our opportunity to have leverage when attempting to fight for our jobs in the event of Riffs. Use every concerted effort to continue performing your jobs in an ethical and quality manner, remember the public's perception can be perceived differently, yet it is important.

Although PACE is not the laboring union for sanitation workers, we have learned that many of those trash collectors had placed their work above their lunch hours. In which they should have been commended.  Some employees/supervisors chose to continue working without taking a lunch break in an effort to get the trash picked up, since the city is working with less personnel.  Once their routes were completed, the workers were able to take their lunch hour closer to the end of their work day. This is a practice that is not new to the sanitation department, or the City of Atlanta.  In some other areas of field workers, there are numerous times when workers continue to work through their breaks and lunch hours to get their projects completed in a timely manner with approval, and then take a late lunch after returning to their facility to await their clock out time.  Unfortunately, the local news reported the workers were abusing time and wages of the City of Atlanta and such a report will be under review to insure proper procedures were followed.

 PACE is alerting all members to be aware of your activities during your lunch hour, no matter what time of day, and be more perceptive of your work performances to help prevent unsubstantiated reviews of work ethics.  The difference between perception and actuality is not immediately apparent.

The City of Atlanta is a great place to work, and PACE/NAGE Local R5-50 will continue to assist in encouraging our employees to maintain quality work ethics and utilize the Union representation.