Baltimore City Circuit Court employees stage a walkout to protest

Daily Record and the Kansas City Daily News-Press, Aug 19, 2006 by Daniel Ostrovsky

After filing grievances and requesting transfers en masse in June, employees of the Baltimore City Circuit Court's Jury Division staged a walkout for nearly an hour Tuesday to protest the policies of Jury Commissioner Nancy M. Dennis and her lead worker, Cheryl Reese.

They were joined outside the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse by more than 50 members of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3674, which represents employees of the clerk's office in the circuit court.

The employees allege that Dennis is often absent from the office and has changed the policy for jurors who fail to appear for jury duty, so the office receives an additional 400 to 500 calls a day.

Reese, the employees claim, engages in verbal harassment.

"The lead worker will not come out and lend a hand," jury division worker Debbie Wykiel said. "She's good for saying, 'I hear the phone is ringing. Somebody better answer it, or you are going to get written up.'"

Nine of the 10 jury division employees signed the June grievances. Two employees refused to participate in yesterday's walkout, and another was out of the office.

The circuit court hired Dennis, but her employees are hired by Clerk of Court Frank M. Conaway, who yesterday pledged to "support my employees, especially when they are right."

This article was originally published in The Daily Record, Baltimore, another Dolan Media-owned publication.