Welfare Workers Strike, NYC, 1967

The Commissioner of the Department of Social Services Mitchell I, Ginsberg answers questions about the Welfare Case Workers Strike now entering its second month.
After a brief recap of the facts of work stoppage, Ginsberg discusses his department's relationship with the union and the perceived locus of their disagreements, which involve summer hours, the recently created Office of Collective Bargaining, injury compensation and the Labor Management Committee.
Milton M. Bergerman, chairman of Citizens Union; Emanuel Perlmutter of the New York Times; and Gabe Pressman of NBC News provide the questions.

Mitchell Ginsberg is the guest on WNBC TV and Radio's Citizens' Searchlight.

Moderator Ben Grauer brings up the 3500 case workers on strike in the department of social services. About 1/3 of the staff is engaging in a work stoppage. He also notes that Ginsburg is set head to Jerusalem to reorganize the social welfare system of the city.
Ginsburg will be questioned by Milton M. Bergerman, chairman of Citizens Union; Emanuel Perlmutter of the New York Times; and Gabe Pressman of NBC News.

Ginsberg is asked about how many employees are missing from work. He clarifies that it is closer to 1/2 than 1/3.
With reduced staff the department is not giving full services. Many recipients are not getting visited by case workers. Checks still go out.
He is asked about 500 resignations that were reported to have occurred. The department did not know of official resignation and there are no new hires. There were new scheduled hires that did add to the department's workforce. Resignations are normal according to Ginsberg.
The department opened a new welfare center, which was unexpected.

He does not anticipate a "Newark" type situation - potential urban unrest.
He tries to clarify the relationship between the department and welfare recipients.

A group of clergymen is meeting with the union to work out a settlement. He is asked about accepting mediation as an option. Ginsberg was only partly aware of the potential meeting.

Ginsberg is asked about mediation and Judith Mage of the union's claims that the city wouldn't mediate. Ginsberg claims that Mage is lying is she says that the city has not offered mediation.

Ginsberg has not been in direct contact with Mage. Commissioner Haber is the liaison between the city and the union.

Ginsberg is indeed concerned about the reputation of the welfare department and welfare recipients. He worries about the functionality of the department as well.

Salary and workload are not the current issues according to Ginsberg. The current question has to do with "summer hours." Summer hours are to be a city wide issue according to the mayor, but the "SSE" disagrees.

Ginsberg discusses the OCB, the Office of Collective Bargaining. The SSE has shown no interest in using it as a means to raise questions. The union wants each issue to be a part of negotiations rather than something that can be raised to the OCB.

Another issue is the labor management committee. The union demanded an outside chairman whose opinions would be binding.
A fourth issue involves on the job injury compensation. The city feels that this is required to be another city-wide decision.

Ginsberg is asked about the lack of Lindsay's engagement with this strike, as opposed to other ones. It was felt that it may have been because it involved welfare recipients, something Ginsberg vehemently denies.

Ginsberg does not think the issue is because of "one lady" (Mage), and he worries it is about saving face. Ginsberg feels the problem is resistance from the union about some department policies.

Ginsberg is ready to go back to meditation, but only if the strikers go back to work concurrently.

He talks about the expanded programs for welfare recipients that the department is undertaking. Which he quickly describes, including day care, social security, and more.

He talks about the non-stop threats of strike the department has received from the union.

He does not feel that the City should responsible for welfare.

He feels that it is up to Haber, but he is ready to go back to mediation.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 150612
Municipal archives id: T2646