LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The leadership in Metro Louisville is in question after a letter sent to Mayor Greg Fischer suggests questionable treatment of frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
"There are certain things that are expected when you come to work, it's one that you're going to be in a safe environment, it's two that you're going to have some respect while you're doing your job and I think neither of those are happening," David Robertson, the executive director of the Indiana and Kentucky Council of AFSCME, said.
Robertson said the purpose of the letter is to draw attention to what’s happening to city workers. They feel safety should be prioritized during the pandemic and feel that hasn’t been the case in months so far.
“We really want to bring attention to this situation. If we can’t get it resolved by sitting down or even having a Zoom or however to try to resolve these issues to make sure the members are safe – Metro employees are safe,” Robertson said. “We’ve got to go this route, we’ve got to bring attention. We’ve got to do better.”
Robertson said they have been documenting issues throughout the last few months and hoping the letter will create real change.
Examples provided in the letter include being denied a safe, cool place to re-energize on days with heat indexes in the triple digits, pool employees aggressively approached, and employees subjected to racial threats and violence with no leadership support.
On Friday, we had the chance to talk to the mayor who says he had just seen the letter for the first time.
"Personal safety should be the number one thing from everybody and our workers here at Louisville metro government, we have over 5,000 need to have the safest working conditions possible," Fischer said. "So if there are ways we can enhance that here at Louisville metro we absolutely will do that, that's a very serious responsibility."
These park employees are not able to do their jobs remotely, over zoom or from a distance.
"They're doing their jobs to make sure the city of Louisville is a clean place and is well put together for our families, who when they get a chance to social distance, they go to these parks," Robertson said.
So Robertson says while they are working hard to take care of the city, the city should be taking care of them.
RELATED: Louisville Metro Council committee gives green light into investigation of Fischer administration
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