CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cell phone video captured the falling snow on Saturday, not outside, but inside the city garage in Cleveland Heights.
In addition to slick streets, it appeared road crews also had to deal with their own slippery floors.
“We have guys working in unsavory and unsafe conditions,” said Colin Sikon, a representative for Laborers Local Union 860.
Sikon took the job seven months ago and said he first saw the problems then, claiming that little has since changed to fix them.
“When it rains, it rains in the building,” Sikon said. “When it snows and it melts, it rains inside the building.”
Cell phone video captured a few months ago also appears to back up his point.
Sikon said Monday that he has been in touch with the city, only to be told there is not enough money. He worries about the consequences, everything from mold to a bad fall.
“City’s reaction is basically they are cash-strapped, they are trying to do what they can,” he said. “I will say they seem to be trying to work with us to make things better…but at some point, it is just not fast enough.”
3 News reached out to the City of Cleveland Heights, which was closed for the holiday. The city issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon:
“Our Public Works Director and Facilities Superintendent were both on hand this weekend and saw nothing like what was depicted in the video footage, nor what was alleged by the Union rep or the reporter about unsafe conditions.
Puddles may form when the trucks and equipment come back into the garage after being on snowy or wet streets, but what was shown in the video must be many years old and the current leadership is not familiar with that video. As far as “gaping holes” in the roof, that is just incorrect. We have experienced water leakage from some of the garage skylights. Most of these have been repaired, but the remaining few have been scheduled to be resealed when the weather improves.
Primary parts of the roof were completely repaired in 2015. This covers all the places that public works staff gather (administrative offices, breakroom, locker area, vehicle maintenance area). The City is cognizant of providing safe working conditions for all City employees. The Union rep also mentioned the condition of some of our trucks/equipment. As far as the vehicles, we are aware that some of them may be old, but the staff does an amazing job of maintaining the older equipment and keeping it in service. If a truck is deemed unsafe, it is to be reported by the employee and then it is pulled from service immediately and thoroughly checked out and repaired if possible. The Union is aware of equipment that has been replaced/upgraded over the past year, as well as financial constraints we are working through as pertains to capital needs.
We are not aware of any grievances being brought forward from public works employees or by the Union about working conditions at this time. These matters are discussed in Labor Management meetings, and the Union is aware of the City’s commitment to providing safe working conditions for our employees. City leadership recognizes the important work that our public service staff does every day for our residents and businesses and we value their service.”
Sikon claims the building is just the tip of the problem, claiming many road vehicles are also shabby and that the community and its workers deserve more.