Courthouse workers protest

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Courthouse workers protest

Recent sewer line break called one of many health problems they face

By Brent

Baltimore Sun Reporter

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-

md.ci.courthouse14apr14,0,3135783.story?track=rss

Waving 'Respect our Safety' signs and relaying horror stories

involving a ruptured sewer pipe, about 40 protesters gathered

yesterday outside the Clarence M. Jr. Courthouse and called

for a new building to house the city Circuit Court.

It was a familiar cry for the courthouse workers, who have

complained for many years about rodent infestation, plumbing

problems and poor air quality in both Baltimore Circuit Court

buildings, which sit on opposite sides of the 100 block of N.

Calvert St. They say those conditions have led to skin rashes,

allergic reactions, migraine headaches and possibly cancer for some

workers.

On Tuesday, a sewer pipe burst in the sub-basement of Court House

East, disrupting water service and forcing Administrative Judge

Marcella A. Holland to close the building. Three civil cases and one

murder trial were interrupted by the closure. The building reopened

on Wednesday after service was restored.

Arthur " Pat " , president of the American Federation of State,

County and Municipal Employees Local 3674, which represents about

200 court workers, said employees were not released from their jobs

until about four hours after the pipe burst.

" People should have gone home. An hour, two hours is long enough to

allow someone to remain in that situation, " said. " Ultimately,

we want our people out of these mold-infested and asbestos

buildings. We want them to build a new courthouse. Any other

courthouse in the state, you won't find these conditions. "

directed the most pointed criticism at Holland, who said

is unresponsive to the union's complaints about the working

environment. said the union is " at war " with Holland and her

staff.

AFSCME Local 3674 sent a letter yesterday to Court of Appeals Chief

Judge M. Bell, who appointed Holland, to intervene and take a

more active role in the health conditions at the courthouse.

" The attitude and poor communication between [Holland's] office, the

city and the union in particular neither serves the employees of the

Circuit Court nor the public who comes in here every day, "

said.

Holland said she doesn't have the authority to handle many of the

union complaints and has referred workers to the city, which is

responsible for maintenance of the circuit court buildings. She said

she has had little communication with the union since then.

" I haven't met with them in months, " Holland said. " I'm out of the

loop. The union has made more complaints about things that I don't

know about. They don't tell me what's going on. "

Holland defended the decision to keep the courthouse open for

several hours after the pipe broke, saying the severity of the

problem was not realized until later.

" You can't let people go home because water goes out for 10, 15

minutes, " Holland said. " It's just like when water goes off in your

house. You don't know how long it's going to take. I have a mandate

to keep courts open until an issue arises that affects health. "

At yesterday's rally, about a dozen workers said they have been

treated this year for illnesses they contend came from hazardous

conditions at the courthouses. One worker pointed to what she said

was a spider bite on her leg.

Truemenda Mobley, a court clerk for 13 years, said she has a thyroid

condition. " And I never had a thyroid problem in my life. "

She said that after the pipe broke, conditions in the restrooms

deteriorated because the toilets couldn't be flushed. " You couldn't

wash your hands. And the odor was all in the hallway, " Mobley said.

Conditions in the buildings have sparked numerous demonstrations in

recent years. Six years ago, employees staged protests and

threatened legal action because of the alleged health problems they

blamed on the courthouses. City officials responded by monitoring

air quality, cleaning dirty vents and removing rodent feces and

trash.

City officials say a new building would cost at least $500 million

and would likely involve a city-state partnership.

" It would be difficult for anybody to do anything right now, " city

public works spokesman Kurt Kocher said. " The revenue just isn't

there. "

Circuit Court Clerk M. Conaway Sr. met with workers at the end

of the protest, telling them pushing for a new courthouse remains a

priority of his.

" I've been speaking out for a new courthouse for the last nine

years, " said Conaway, a mayoral candidate. " It's very unfortunate

that the employees had to endure so many hours without water. "

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