Jump to content

Class Action suit against PVSC for unfair labor practices.


Guest Agency Observer

Recommended Posts

Guest Agency Observer

The agressive and heartless way people were treated by Wayne Forest will soon come to light and the truth will come out on what really took place on the terminations of 200 employees at PVSC. The agency is a one man show with no accountabllty to the public with people being placed in positions with no wastewater experience what so ever. Sadly the people who were walked off the plant with the exception of the 4 people who were charged by the attorney general were hard working people who did nothing wrong and were just caught up in a Governor Christie agenda that have broken the sprits of many families who now are finding it hard to find a job while Mr Forest hires people to replace the very people he let go. Does that make sense.Shame on the way you walked the people off the plant like they were common criminals and people that are still working are afraid the phone is going to ring and that they will be the next to be walked off. What kind of people do this and create a climate of stress and seem like that enjoy doing it. At some point the legal process will answer why what was done here was right and justice I believe will clearly stand behind those employees that were unjustly victimized by this agressive takeover by a one man show who answers to no one except, we would think Governor Chris Christie. We will soon learn the truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 427
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Guest Longtime West Hudsonite

The fact of the matter is that Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission's budget was out of control with an extraordinary number of high salaries. There was no public accountability in how Commissioners voted on new hires, promotions and salariy increases. No one can justify the spending except perhaps for those individuals who were (or are) collecting one of those salaries. Frankly, irrespective of Democrat or Republican, what Governor Christie is doing needed to be done. Here's a recent story from the Bergen Record:

Governor Christie's housecleaning at Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission is working

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Last updated: Wednesday February 15, 2012, 2:09 PM

BY RICHARD COWEN

STAFF WRITER

In the year and a half since Governor Christie seized control of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, the agency’s workforce has shrunk by nearly 200 jobs, its budget has been slashed and rates to homeowners have been cut.

Declaring a “state of emergency” for the PVSC early in 2011, the governor purged its board of all but one member. Criminal investigations that followed led to the arrests of four top managers, each now facing charges of using agency workers to do private jobs. Since the state takeover, the PVSC’s payroll has been reduced by 195 jobs, from 685 employees to 490. Yet amid the changes, the work of processing the 300 million gallons of wastewater generated daily by North Jersey households goes on unimpeded, agency officials say.

Although Christie’s takeover of the PVSC could be considered a success, state lawmakers are reluctant to grant him more power over the agency, and the governor’s nominees to the board haven’t been acted upon by the Democrats who lead the state Senate. Deep reductions in the workforce allowed the PVSC to cut its budget by $3 million and reduce sewer rates by 2 percent to its 48 municipalities in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson and Union counties. “We’ve reduced our budget and our rates, and that’s obviously good for the ratepayers. But we still have more to do,” said Wayne Forrest, the former Somerset County prosecutor who was appointed by Christie to root out corruption and slash a payroll that was bloated by years of political patronage.

Since Forrest took over in July 2010, the PVSC’s workforce has been reduced largely by rooting out no-show and “low-show” jobs that made the sewer authority a political dumping ground. Of the 195 reductions, there have been 111 terminations, 61 retirements, 21 resignations and two deaths, according to the PVSC. The salaries of all employees making more than $175,000 have been slashed, and contracts that used to be doled out as patronage are now subject to competitive bidding, Forrest said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Its interesting that the Governor prides himself at rooting out four top mangers for using agency workers to do private work, which I agree was wrong. What I also think is wrong was the GOVERNOR'S USE OF A HELECOPTER to attend his sons baseball game. Using state resources for private use. THATS A NO NO!!! He was allowed to reimburse the state while these individuals may face jail time.What a double standard. Practice what you preach Governor Christie and also the nepotism that exists in your adminstration.Is it true that your secretary is Mr Forest's wife. Nothing has changed at Passaic Valley Sewerage Names have changed but the game remains the same!!!!!! You can't fool the public!!! the truth will come out and I would hope that the media will report this the same way it reported the mischaracterizion of the hard working people that were disrespected and victimized by this one man show who loves media attention by building himself up by bringing everyone down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Longtime West Hudsonite

You've attacked the Governor but failed to explain why so much tax money was (mis)spent at Passaic Valley.

1. The Governor, like the President, is provided helicopter transportation. Yes, the helicopter can be used for family events and to transport family members. The criticism Christie (deservedly) got was that he should not be spending tax dollars in helicopter rides when he's slashing the state budget. The charges against the Passaic Valley employees includes theft of services (where Passaic Valley employees were doing work in private homes during work hours). That's criminal. Your argument is the equivalent of saying "'stealing is okay if I pay it back but only if I'm caught."

2. June Forrest is Assistant Legal Counsel for the Governor. She previously served as a Deputy Attorney General. She's a graduate of Rutgers University School of Law. Neither Wayne nor June Forrest is related to Governor Christie. Nepotism means the appointing authority hires someone that is a relative of his/hers. Several PVSC Commissioners did that repeatedly. June Forest does not work for Wayne Forest; Wayne Forest does not work for June Forest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Your point on the Governor being able to use a helicopter for family events, I believe is not true and the fact he was caught doing it prompted the Governor to put his normal spin on the issue to favor himself, when in fact he wasn't allowed to use it for personal use and had to reimburse the state. To compare the Governor to the President is a weak argument there is no comparison, but one would think is acting like he is by using these resourses. On nepotism I thank you for correcting me on Mrs Forest job title but I stand my ground in saying that Wayne Forest was recommended by Governor Christie and the fact that Mrs Forest who has had a longtime working relationship with the Governor didn't play a part in the hiring of Wayne Forest. I would find that hard to believe but then again it goes back to my orginal concern on how the vast majority of employees were terminated and walked off the plant like common criminals and the heartless way it was done is certainly something for the courts to here. What kind of people do these kinds of things to innocent hard working people, Wayne Forest has hurt these famlies and has broken there sprits. As for no show jobs where was it discovered that there were no show jobs and low show jobs. My question is on the Bergen Record article above, did the writer seek out Mr Forest, or did Mr Forest seek out the writer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Longtime West Hudsonite

The Governor is assigned a helicopter. Its use is criticized because it's expensive, NOT because it's illegal:

Since the 1980s, New Jersey governors of both parties have come under fire for using state helicopters. Mr. Christie has used them far less often than predecessors like Thomas H. Kean, a Republican, and Jim Florio, a Democrat, who each flew hundreds of times a year, or Mr. McGreevey, who used the helicopters 277 times in his first year in office. As a candidate for governor, Christie Whitman, a Republican, said she would sell the helicopters, but after taking office she did not. Then she was criticized for using them to fly to events like a Devils hockey game. As governor, Jon S. Corzine largely avoided the issue by paying from his own deep pockets for private helicopters. When he suffered near-fatal injuries in the crash of a state S.U.V., critics said he should have used state helicopters more often.

Examples of nepotism include PVSC Commissioner's hiring their wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, children and nephews. Oftentimes with questionable qualifications and serious background issues. Almost all the PVSC Commissioners, including the one from Harrison, did so with no accountability until Forest was appointed Director.

PVSC was bloated with high paid employees who got to where there were due to a "hook" with a Commissioner or politician. What about the countless of honest, hardworking persons who applied for jobs at PVSC and weren't hired because they had no hook? Or the hardworking PVSC employees who were overlooked at promotion time because he didn't have a hook with a politician or Commissioner? Those are the innocent ones. Name me a fired PVSC employee who should have been retained on merit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

You fail to mention in reguards to use of helicopter rides, how they were used, one would think they were for officlal use which is perfectly legal. If the Governor was a man of principal which he always preachs to the media then he should have not reimbursed the state. But knowing that he was caught forced him to right a wrong. I have it on information and belief that Mr Forest on numerous counts in meetings with Union Membershp has openly said that innocent people were affected in this heartless act of termnations that resulted in innocent people being walked off the plant like common criminals. Is it true that a Retired State Trooper who over saw the reorganization of the Security Department and when his assigment was completed and he left, Wayne Forest hired his wife as his secretary? What HOOK did she have to secure a positon with this accountable Director. The more things change the more they remain the same?????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Longtime West Hudsonite

You really are bitter. Your only defense is attacking the Governor and the Director. That helicopter ride pales in comparison with decades of bloated political patronage at Passaic Valley. It wasn't enought to get a good paying job through a hook. Raises, promotions, optimal schedules -- all went to those with connections. Sometimes the "hook" got himself on the payroll: like one local who got in at $40,000 and in several years got himself promoted, over and over and over, before retiring at $98,000.

It was pigs at the trough. Now, no more trough, and alot of squealing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest justice

Christie has filled passaic valley with retired state troppers,and political ass kissers. Nothing has changed and it will cost Passaic Valley millions in legal cost to answer there discrimination suits at passaic valley.But like always Christie will blame the other guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Really??

If you call what's going on now "political ass kissing" what would you call what happened at PSVC over the past two decades, things liking Commissioners having family members with background issues hired? or politicians hired and promoted repeatedly? or using workers on the clock to fix up your private house? Would that be more like a "politcal colonoscopy" in your book?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

You really are bitter. Your only defense is attacking the Governor and the Director. That helicopter ride pales in comparison with decades of bloated political patronage at Passaic Valley. It wasn't enought to get a good paying job through a hook. Raises, promotions, optimal schedules -- all went to those with connections. Sometimes the "hook" got himself on the payroll: like one local who got in at $40,000 and in several years got himself promoted, over and over and over, before retiring at $98,000.

It was pigs at the trough. Now, no more trough, and alot of squealing.

I thank you for discribing the heartless way the terminated employees and current employees are characterized with no respect at Passaic Valley Sewerage. I'm not bitter just an observer that wants to expose the heartless way people are being treated at Passaic Valley Sewerage, by this one man show who answers to no one and has no wastewater experience what so ever, but questions the qualfications, backgrounds of employees. He doesn't know anything about wastewater treatment. All this man knows is how to scare people and put people in positions of authority with no wastewater experience to do the same thing to employees. Heartless and Cruel. If Mr Forest had issues with people like you mentioned above then he should have made an example of them and not the rank and file that were the backbone of the plant cleaning the troughs and were innocent and disrespected and walked off the plant like common criminals. What kind of people do this in the United States of America. Is it true under Mr Forest's Leadership that the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission has FAILED its DEP permits 3 MONTHS IN A ROW?????? ARE THERE FINES IMPOSED FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY???? Mr Forest, i'm sure we would think wouldn't want the media to get a hold of that???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

You really are bitter. Your only defense is attacking the Governor and the Director. That helicopter ride pales in comparison with decades of bloated political patronage at Passaic Valley. It wasn't enought to get a good paying job through a hook. Raises, promotions, optimal schedules -- all went to those with connections. Sometimes the "hook" got himself on the payroll: like one local who got in at $40,000 and in several years got himself promoted, over and over and over, before retiring at $98,000.

It was pigs at the trough. Now, no more trough, and alot of squealing.

Its interesting that many of the issues that have been presented on this forum have gone avoided and unanswered, Is it true, considering that all these retired state troopers that were hired have pensions between 60 to 80 thousand dollars a year and were hired at between 45 to 90 thousand a year with no wastewater experience have supplemented their income quite nicely????. so your argument doesn't hold any wastewater in reguards to to above example.The more things change the more they remain the same and at some point the truth will come out. DO THE MATH THATS MORE MONEY THAN THE $98,000 Still waiting on weather Passaic Valley Sewerage passed their DEP Permit. Is it true under the leadership of WAYNE FOREST that Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission has failed to make their PERMITS 3 months in a row??????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Does anyone know if Passaic Valley Sewerage PASSED their PERMITS? How much are the FINES for failure to COMPLY???? Are there UNSAFE HEALTH CONDITIONS to the EMPLOYEES as a result for failure to comply?????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest changeling

hey, are you talking about harrison? the same senario, the same corrupt, assholes! they lay-off

people, and hire new ones to take their place. hey , why doesn't someone from the state dept of

criminal justice , look into the practices going on in HARRISON !!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Obsrever

A

Does anyone know if Passaic Valley Sewerage PASSED their PERMITS? How much are the FINES for failure to COMPLY???? Are there UNSAFE HEALTH CONDITIONS to the EMPLOYEES as a result for failure to comply?????

Are EMPLOYEES working in UNSAFE HEALTH CONDITIONS as a result of Passaic Valley Sewerage not being able to pass there DEP PERMITS 3 MONTHS in a ROW?????? Do the employees have any LEGAL RIGHTS under the LAW to file suit for UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS??????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Another interesting issue that was raised during this mass heartless layoff was all the new trucks that were being used by supervision to take home. Did Mr Forest cite that it was a waste of money that there were to many people taking brand new trucks home????? Well the more things change the more they remain the same. Is it true that all these retired state troopers in supervisory positons and Mr Forest who by the way (HAS NO WASTEWATER EXPERIENCE) bring home a truck everyday with all the gasoline that they need to get back and forth to work????? Nobody in the average working world gets these kinds of PERKS. If Mr Forest prides himself on saving money he should eliminate this wasteful PERK and lead by example and start using his own vehicle and pay for his own gas as should all his SUPERVISORS. This economy and the way gas prices are, Mr Forest should understand that firing people and walking them off the plant with no respect like common criminals isn't the only way to save money. END THE PERKS OF BRINGING TRUCKS HOME!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Still waiting to here if under the leadership of Wayne Forest if Passaic Valley Sewerage PASSED THEIR DEP PERMIT. Is it TRUE that PVSC FAILED TO PASS THEIR PERMIT 3 MONTHS IN A ROW????? Walking 200 employees off the plant like common criminals results in, I believe poor planning in addressing the important issues that pertain the the health and safety of the current employees and the ratepayers, and to insure that this agency is in compliance with the law. Is having no wastewater experience a major component that one would believe is why these failures are occuring where by letting so many employees go like common criminals resulted in poor planning and poor operation of the workings of the plant which one would think is a reason for these permit failures??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Agency Observer

Its interesting that many of the issues that have been presented on this forum have gone avoided and unanswered, Is it true, considering that all these retired state troopers that were hired have pensions between 60 to 80 thousand dollars a year and were hired at between 45 to 90 thousand a year with no wastewater experience have supplemented their income quite nicely????. so your argument doesn't hold any wastewater in reguards to to above example.The more things change the more they remain the same and at some point the truth will come out. DO THE MATH THATS MORE MONEY THAN THE $98,000 Still waiting on weather Passaic Valley Sewerage passed their DEP Permit. Is it true under the leadership of WAYNE FOREST that Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission has failed to make their PERMITS 3 months in a row??????

The issues that are being discussed on this forum should be brought to the attention of the news media. Has the leadership of Wayne Forest (WHO HAS NO WASTEWATER EXPERIENCE) affected the operation of a sewerage treatment plant that has FAILED ITS DEP PERMITS 3 MONTHS IN A ROW??? Is he currently in the process of hiring more people to make up for the mistake he made in letting go 200 employees and walking them off the plant like common criminals???? Is it true Mr Forest who is a lawyer has packed the comission with twice as many lawyers in the history of PVSC????? See the official website and count the lawyers!!!! The more things change the more they remain the same!!!!! DID PVSC PASS THEIR DEP PERMIT THIS MONTH???????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Agency Observer

Is it true that there will be a changing of the guard at PVSC in the next few months? Wayne Forest will get on his white horse and ride off into the sunset proud of what he was able to do, in distroying the sprit and lives of 200 familes and walking them off the plant like common criminals. Is it true that Mr Forest is in line for a judgeship??? Will that be his reward for the damage that he has done in his mismanagment as a result of having no wastewater experience?? Is FAILING THE DEP PERMIT 3 MONTHS IN A ROW a record to be proud of in this ride into the sunset?????? The courts will answer many questions in what was done here and the lawyers will be billing many hours in sorting out all the damage that was done here. My prediction is after many millions of dollars PVSC spend defending this heartless assault on common working people, the final outcome will truely be on the side of the people who were victimized by this senseless action that certainly hurt the services that are provided to the ratepayers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Agency Observer

Its interesting that many of the issues that have been presented on this forum have gone avoided and unanswered, Is it true, considering that all these retired state troopers that were hired have pensions between 60 to 80 thousand dollars a year and were hired at between 45 to 90 thousand a year with no wastewater experience have supplemented their income quite nicely????. so your argument doesn't hold any wastewater in reguards to to above example.The more things change the more they remain the same and at some point the truth will come out. DO THE MATH THATS MORE MONEY THAN THE $98,000 Still waiting on weather Passaic Valley Sewerage passed their DEP Permit. Is it true under the leadership of WAYNE FOREST that Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission has failed to make their PERMITS 3 months in a row??????

Is it true the patronage law enforcement wagon in alive and well at PVSC with the security department bloating to 34 security officers and 10 trucks with laid off police officers starting at 50 plus k plus bennies. The past security department before Mr Forest(HAS NO WASTEWATER EXPERIENCE) became director had 15 security officers and 3 trucks. Why so much security? Failing the DEP permits 3 MONTHS IN ROW we would think he would devote more time and attention to fixing the problems that he created in throwing 200 employees off the plant for no reason like common criminals instead turning PVSC into a prison fortress watching every move employees make like (if true) plugging their hibrid car and taking power from the plant when they could have helped the employee with the dead battery instead, they are looking to hang that employee and try to fire him for stealing power. What a joke!!!!! Retired State Troopers raking in big money with penisons and high salaries for overseeing departments they have no expierence to oversee. The future will evaluate Mr Forest's tenure at PVSC just the way he evaluated and dismantled it when he came here and there will be many questions as to what the real motivation was for what was done in destroying the lives of 200 familes and the legacy of Mr Forest will be he certainly didn't improve the services of the rate payers. SERVICES HAVE GOTTEN WORSE

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Guest Let the Sunshine In

This just in. Greed had no limits, not even for the ethics officer:

A former top administrator at the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners pleaded guilty today to charges of official misconduct, involving the use of PVSC maintenance workers as his own personal handymen while they were supposed to be on the job. Kevin Keogh, 46, a one-time West Orange Democratic councilman, admitted to separate counts of conspiracy and misconduct in Superior Court in Passaic County. He could face up to five years in prison when he returns for sentencing in September.

Keogh was fired from his $186,000-a-year position as superintendent of special services at the regional sewerage authority after his arrest last year with three other senior PVSC managers. Charged with ordering employees install replacement windows at his home and new kitchen cabinet doors fabricated in a PVSC woodshop, Keogh was also accused of summoning workers from the PVSC maintenance department to his home during a snowstorm, while on agency time, to repair his snow blower, and having employees put up Christmas decorations at his home.

The criminal charges by the state’s Division of Criminal Justice came following a series of stories in The Star-Ledger last year detailing widespread abuse, sweetheart deals and unchecked patronage at the PVSC facility in Newark. The revelations led to the firing of six of the commission’s seven board members by Gov. Chris Christie, who accused them of using the agency as their own private piggy bank.

Others still facing charges in the case include Paul Bazela, 45, mayor of the small Bergen County borough of Northvale, who had been making $109,600 as an operations supervisor for the PVSC until he was fired, and Anthony Ardis, 58, of Paterson, a former PVSC commissioner who later served as clerk to the board and its chief ethics officer, who made $214,000 a year. Chester Mazza, 71, of Totowa, a former state trooper who served as the agency’s assistant superintendent for special services at a salary of $127,000 a year, pleaded guilty in May to a single count of fourth degree theft by unlawful taking, officials said today. He is expected to be sentenced to a non-custodial term of probation.

According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Bazela — at the direction of Ardis and Keogh — ordered carpenters and other workers he supervised to go to the homes of Keogh and Ardis’ mother and girlfriend while on agency time to complete repairs and improvements using agency vehicles and equipment. The state charged that Mazza, directed two employees for the PVSC to install a vent or fan in the roof of his home in Totowa and make repairs to a masonry wall while on agency time. None of those charged paid for the work, said the Attorney General’s office.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Guest

Any questions about Corruption should be addressed to *** *** midget Tom Powell. I'm sure this man of great integrity can fill you in. He made Million$ between PVSC and his wife and his jobs in Harrison. When he hired McDonough at Passaic Valley Powell became the Beautification Official in Harrison raking in a few hundred grand for having some lower caste workers hang a few plants on Davis Ave. That's my opinion on the siyuation.

Edited by KOTW
Content.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Agency Observer

Is it true that there will be a changing of the guard at PVSC in the next few months? Wayne Forest will get on his white horse and ride off into the sunset proud of what he was able to do, in distroying the sprit and lives of 200 familes and walking them off the plant like common criminals. Is it true that Mr Forest is in line for a judgeship??? Will that be his reward for the damage that he has done in his mismanagment as a result of having no wastewater experience?? Is FAILING THE DEP PERMIT 3 MONTHS IN A ROW a record to be proud of in this ride into the sunset?????? The courts will answer many questions in what was done here and the lawyers will be billing many hours in sorting out all the damage that was done here. My prediction is after many millions of dollars PVSC spend defending this heartless assault on common working people, the final outcome will truely be on the side of the people who were victimized by this senseless action that certainly hurt the services that are provided to the ratepayers.

As predicted Mr Forest has left PVSC for greener pastures having distroyed the lives of 200 families and walked them off the plant like common criminals. History will determine what this man did and how this Governor used this agency to highlight his national profile. Integrity is something a man has in his life and it is defined on how people in authority treat people and this attack at the middle class working people at PVSC clearly motivated by self interest with Wayne Forest being rewarded with a judgeship and the Governor getting positive misleading press. This story is contiuning to be told and while Mr Forest will enjoy his career as a judge and the Governer will enjoy his last year in office { I DON'T BELIEVE HE WILL BE RE-ELECTED} it will be off to the lecture road show at $5000 a speech and the people of New Jersey will be saddled with an angry state and people who's lives were ruined by heartless insenstive people who like to promote their agenda at the expense of people who did nothing but come to work and do their job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Guest

Stop crying you baby! The Honorable Governor Christopher Christie is doing an outstanding job at every turn and WILL be in office for a long time. The lawless ****bags that were canned from PVSC should have all gotten jail. They got a slap on the wrist for stealing tens of million$ from the taxpayers. Christie should start auditing every local govt. in NJ. They would have to build a new 2,000 capacity inmate prison which would improve the Governors already stellar record of job creation. Thank God for Chris Christie. As for you, too bad you lost your no show job and benefits. Go cry to Obama, your hero.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...