Material's
Mis-Management!
According to more than a couple of sources, it isn't just the employees in Shipping & Receiving at the NYCHA's Long Island City warehouse that need help. The whole of the Materials Management executive corps needs a top-to-bottom reworking. As our NYCHA sources, who ranked from low-level through executive level, all confirmed these suggestions, it would appear that Chair Hernandez might want to take a good look at this department.
Here, with a minimum of rewriting to help preserve anonymity for the authors, is what we're told:
For some time now, Deputy Directors David Chew & Steve Raleigh have made cover-their-butt promises regarding changes concerning computer programs, inventory achievements and item bar-coding. Not a single promise was ever fulfilled within the schedule. While they were quick to blame vendors and subordinates, in fact it was Mr. Chew along with Mr. Ziccardi who did not have the correct information to pass on to the vendors & subordinates. When they thought it suited them, they'd come up with an unrealistic completion date on a project and then "blame" the vendor or subordinate for not reaching the unattainable goal.
That way, they could deflect blame and hide behind a typical "the other people failed" defense.
David Chew
Mr. Chew has nearly a 15-year record of mediocrity and failure. About 5 years ago, David Chew pushed his way into the Warehouse Shipping & Receiving end of Materials Management, even though its own Deputy Director of Warehouse Operations already covers that area. Of course, this causes confusion when contradictory policies can come from equal but differing Dep. Directors. But Mr. Chew saw things differently. He demanded that things be done his way, and there began:
Since he began taking over, Mr. Chew has caused the retirement of numerous ex-perienced and know-ledgeable Materials Management/warehouse staff, because they just could not take anymore misman-agement and finger pointing.
Meanwhile the Director, Lou Consalvo, has let Mr. Chew run wild. The Director knows about Mr. Chew's relationship with Frank New, so the New/Chew connection gives Chew clout.
Prior to Mr. Chew's getting involved, there was an average of 200-300 back-orders for supplies. Today, there are over 15,000 items on back-order. Mr. Chew likes to blame those under him for that back-order increase, but those same people were running the operation efficiently prior to Mr. Chew's getting involved.
Overtime has reached scary proportions and warehouse staffers are doubling their official salaries, while back-orders increase exponentially.
The staff is busting their butts, trying to make a dent in this. But Mr. Chew has been giving them poor direction, and much time winds up wasted as staff tries to find ways to salvage another mess brought about by Mr. Chew.
Mr. Chew is now telling everyone that his relative (Mr. Frank New) is going to make him (David Chew) the new Director of Materials Management. Everyone working in Materials Management is very disappointed and worried about the future of the Dept.
There are very qualified employees within Materials Management & Warehouse Operations who could make progress if left to do their jobs. Two good examples would be Terry Eichenbaum & Bob McNally.
(Unfortunately, Mr. McNally transferred over to the Budget Dept. because of problems with this same Mr. Chew.)
Steve Raleigh
As for Deputy Director Steve Raleigh, he was kicked out of his Materials Management Directorship for "Mismanagement" back around 1992.
He was hidden in a warehouse making $80,000 per year, but somehow was brought back in the year 2001 as the Dep. Director of Warehouse Operations.
How does the Authority expect anything to improve while these two are still allowed to make decisions?
Upper Management has to realize that these two middle managers are not doing the New York City Authority any good.
From our email bag:
Will someone please tell me why there have been at least three recent attempted assaults on NYCHA window staff members? Could part of the problem be the untrained inadequate private contract security guards, like those at the 350 Livingston St. NYCHA office in downtown Brooklyn?
Why is it that the 90 CHURCH St. workers had security officers with peace officer status at that location, but are now relegated to the lowest level of Rent-A-Cop?
The attempted assaults in the last year involved applicants actually jumping over the counter at the NYCHA workers who were assigned to the windows.
The Teamster's union has done nothing. With the increased caseloads causing delays being accompanied by the frustrated, pent-up rage-ridden applicants, this possibly deadly situation will only get worse.
Something must be done, and it must be made to happen very soon!
Something to check on!
Some employees say that they have lost up to three weeks personal time since a move to 90 5th Avenue. They have not been given official estimates of their leave time since They've left Church Street.
© 2002 Public Housing Spotlight and John Ballinger. All rights reserved.
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