Picking up the Pieces
Labor and management are working together to mourn the dead and care for the living.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Ever since six beach workers were shot in February, AFSCME Local 532 has been working with the city of Fort Lauderdale to help members and citizens come to terms with the past and plan for the future.
The five public employees who were killed have been buried. Lelan "Joe" Brookins, who was in critical condition with gunshot wounds, is now out of the hospital. Nancy Ellers, who escaped before the shooting began, is back at work.
Local 532 Pres. Cathy Dunn noted that all efforts to help employees and the community have come from labor and management jointly. "From the first press statement, every decision was a joint decision," Dunn said.
The workers were shot on February 9 by a former co-worker who had been fired from his job a year before. Clifton McCree entered the beachside work trailer where they were readying for their shift. He opened fire with two pistols.
The murdered workers were part of an innovative labor-management program that built the good relationship between the union and the city. Dealing with the shootings has welded that relationship.
mmediately after the shootings, a team trained to help people cope with trauma was brought in to meet with all city employees. Counseling continues to be available and stress workshops have been set up for all Fort Lauderdale employees. The union is working with the city commissioner to set up a community meeting to address issues of diversity.
Dunn said union members are looking out for one another. They keep an eye on workers suffering from grief and stress and get them the help they need. They often call Dunn. "When the members need me, they beep me. I call them back whatever the hour," she said.
Union and management are also improving security for city employees. They're changing the way complaints about employee behavior are handled, putting locks on some doors and starting a safety committee.
An April 20 march was scheduled to raise funds for a memorial to the five AFSCME members murdered. It will be placed in a park on the beach where they worked. For those wishing to contribute, checks can be made out to: The City of Fort Lauderdale Memorial Project Fund and sent to the attention of Cathy Dunn, Community Development Department, 350 SE Two Street, Suite 400, Fort Lauderdale FL 33301.
