Girard employees return to work after court bout

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Two were laid off in early 2002.

GIRARD — Two employees involved in a lengthy court battle with the city to retain their jobs are now back to work.

Safety Service Director Jerry Lambert confirmed that Tom Watts, auto mechanic, and Ashley Algiers, water serviceman, returned to work full time for the city June 9.

Watts and Algiers were laid off in early 2002 during a wave of cutbacks after the city was placed in fiscal emergency.

The court case, which has been brewing since early 2002, was originally filed by Watts, Algiers, Ralph Malloy and Marvin Sweitzer, who claimed to be owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay.

The case involved the city’s using part-time, nonunion workers instead of the full-time Girard workers who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in 2002 when the city was placed under state-imposed fiscal emergency.

After the four workers were furloughed, AFSCME 3356 took the matter to arbitration. The matter had been making its way through the courts until the recent agreement to bring the two workers back to work.

While confirming that Watts and Algiers are on the city payroll, Lambert would not give any details as to the terms of the agreement to bring them back. He said a confidentiality clause prevents him from making comment on any provisions of the agreement — including back pay.

Auditor Sam Zirafi would not comment on the specifics of the Watts and Algiers situation, but said the city has not paid out any funds for back pay to any employees and to his knowledge has no plans to do so.

Lambert said bringing the two employees back will not mean layoffs for any other city employees. Watts, he said, will be worked back into rotation with existing employees.

Lambert said Algiers will work as an inside water department employee, moving another employee who had been working as an inside water department employee to outside water department work. An employee who had been working as an outside water department employee will be moved to the cemetery and wherever needed.

jgoodwin@vindy.com