Rift Appears To Be Widening

The county's Department of Social bervices (DSS) seems headed for a widening worker-management rift, with both sides "digging in" for what could be an eventual confrontation over administrative policies. Some 74 of the more than 160 workers frorn the three DSS offices gathered for a meeting Tuesday night, reiterating charges made last week of "intimidation and harassment" of workers by top DSS administrators. But Kenneth E. Oettle, director of the DSS offices in the county, contends that the workers are resisting his attempts to clean up what he describes as sloppy work habits of some employés in the three local offices over the past several years. Oettle speculated yesterday that the complaints may be tied to an attempt by supporters of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employés (AFSCME) to gain support among the county's DSS workers. Employés of the three county offices are state civil service employés, he said, and they do not have collective bargaining rights with the state DSS, their employer. The state civil service system recognizes the Michigan State Employés Association (MSEA) as the organization to represent state employés in the local office. Thomas Barbane, chairman of the DSS workers' chapter of AFSCME Local 1880, said last night's meeting was attended by DSS workers (some of them supervisors) with allegiances to MSEA and AFSCME as well as many with no particular allegiances. A seven-person panel elected last night drafted a statement which termed the meeting a start at documentation of "the present administration's oppressive tac tics." The "srooldering hostility' in the county's 'DSS offices camqkí light last? week, when Barbane and MSEA leaders joined forces to marshal employé resentment at the resignation of several "valuable agency personnel." "The credibility of the two top administrators," said the statement prepared by the panel elected last night, "is clearly in question when challenged by 164 DSS employés." Barbane said 148 of the 164 DSS employés (90 per cent) involved in the administration of the county's welfare programs signed a petition asking for an investigation of the local administration by state DSS officials. Oettle, who assumed the duties of directing the county's welfare system just under two years ago, said he is sympathetic to the difficulties faced by supervisors who must enforce working responsibilities of the employés. But standards are set by the state, Oettle said, adding that he suspects that "what has 'happened here in Washtena'w is that people have developed a very sloppy attitude toward clients." Many of the workers, Oettle said, come to work early and leave late, but others have habitually abused the 15 days of sick leave they are granted annually, arrive for work late and take long breaks. "A lot of people have ignored the directives of the state and done things their own way," he said. "As a result of this, we've had to clearly spell out what it is we expect, and some disciplinan? action has been taken by supervisors."