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Image provided by: Rochester Public Library, Local History & Genealogy Division
tos ® \ Fi b E bt ¢ # 4 By Mike Murphy ' Gates-Chili News \No one really wants to believe us,\ one woman, a member of a support group consisting of people with ties to the Gates Highway Department, says. Several women have begun meeting to compare stories of life in the highway department under Superintendent Al Leone Sr. and his sons that work there, They have declined to be named in this story, partly because they fear potential recrimination, but primarily to prove they stand behind the motto 'one for all, and all for one,' At a recent town board meeting, one woman spoke on their goal of qusting the Leones from power for several reasons. \Now it's coming to the point where we're all pulling together,\ Toni Delmonte, an attorney representing the women and leading the support group, says. \Everybody is together to show this can't happen any more. It's gone on far too long.\ One woman claims a discarded seat cushion, found along the side of a road, has been used as a seat in one of the highway trucks. Others claim the trucks the union workers are forced to use have holes in them. Frustrating to them, they say, is that newer trucks sit idle. If used, the newer trucks are used by the Leone family, they say. They claim they are not allowed to use newer equipment, thus eliminating chances for advancement. \Our husbands have beenhurt by old equipment,\ one woman charged. Supervisor Ralph Esposito said he has \ checked on complaints as best he can, but said if there has been safety problems, they should be addressed through the grievance process. He has said grievances do not reflect what the women and workers have been complaining about. \I have heard a lot of innuendoes and accusations, but without hard and fast grievances, it's unsubstantiated,\ he said. \We have trucks that are older,\ he said. \We have investigated. If Al says they're okay for the trucks to be used, the burden falls on the union.\ Superintendent Al Leone Sr. has continuously denied the allegations. ,* More recently, workers who voted in favor of keeping the Local Teamsters #118 as the department's bargaining unit, found themselves clearing drainage ditches with hand tools, while equipment purchased for this sat at the highway garage on Trabold Road. Supervisor Ralph Esposito disputed the inference. In one instance, he visited the E 1370 Buffalo Rd. * 328-8324 Pro Football on Big Screen TV SUNDAYS & MONDAYS DURING NFL GAMES 2 0¢ Jumbo Q j ock. wfsmzmt | mm, emcee WWW _ 35.9%. t Maw New England ank enmmeew: $2” mds P onine site, accompanied by Teamsters ' Secretarymeasnrer Tony Valenti, and said . the area was too muddy for a piece of heavy machinery to be used. \Indeed they were working in the trenches,\ Esposito said. \But you couldn't even walk through it. It would have been foolhardy to bring in heavy equipment. He (Valenti) seemed to be agreeable. Was it a tough detail? Yes.\ Esposito added that he has talked with only two women, and has done all he can do under the terms of the union contract. ' \Have I talked to the Leones, have I talked to the workers? Sure,\ he said. \I can only do so much under the framework of the contract. You have to wonder how serious they (wives) are. I'm not running away from any discussion period - I welcome it.\ He says he wants to speak with the women, but they have not made an offer to sit and discuss the allegations. \I'm not running away from any discussion period,\ he said. \If I was on the other side, I would give it a shot. I can't promise anything will happen, but I think it's worth a shot. They have opted for public confrontation.\ Esposito said he was contacted by workers after they claimed a cable leading to a television set was cut,. Esposito said New Yeasts Eve at the x\ RAMADA 1273 Chili Ave. « 464-8800 ‘ Deluxe room accommodations with early chec-1 time of 12 noon and a late check-out the following day of 3:00 p.m. A bottle of chilled charnpagne will be delivered to your room. Party begins at 8:30 p.m. with open bar till 1:30 a.m. Dinner served at 9:00 p.m. Clams Casino (appetizer) * House Salad Surf & Turf (prime rib & shrimp scampi) Baked Potato & Vegetable ® Rolls & Butter Chocolate Mousse for dessert A Continental breakfast in our lobby starting at 1:00 a.m. Dancing and singing all night to Rochester's Original Karaoke. Champagne toast at midnight, hats, noisemakers, etc. All for ... $154.95 per couple. Includes all taxes and gratuities. Interested in staying with us on Friday, Jan. 1, 1993? We are offering a special rate of $29 per room. Please call 464-8800 for reeematzmw me MW Mihai ! lingrenints rennin WWWMMMM % Women with TIES to Highway Department Make Charges ~- he ordered the Situation remedied. .\I didn t care. if it was cut or not,\ he said. i called to make sure it was fixed. The bottom-line is. when I can get mvolved I do * One woman claims they have approached a town board member as well, but conditions remained the same. \We have gone to town board members -with no success,\ she said. \Where else do we go?\ Since they have gone public with their intentions, the women say conditions have improved for the workers. But they wonder. \They're trying to back off and be nice again,\ one says. \But they have to clean up their act permanently. Things are not well,\ Esposito said he is taking some unfair blame, partly for political motives. - \If they want to continue to make this a political witch hunt, then they continue what they're doing,\ he said. \Point blank, the town shouldn't be taking any heat at all, If they have problems, file grievances. Where do we want to go? Do we want this resolved?\ Another said they did not want to go public, but felt the women were forced to. \We feel bad that it's had to come to this,\ one says \We can 't take any m
