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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson, Former Shop Steward for 32BJ SEIU
4:59:48
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168 sec
Christopher Leon Johnson, a former shop steward for 32BJ SEIU and former supervisor for Help USA, testified in support of reimbursing $90 million to DHS for security guard pay. He also called for additional funding to provide legal representation for security guards accused of violations by shelter residents.
- Johnson emphasized the need for real lawyers to defend guards, comparing their situation to police officers who have access to powerful attorneys.
- He expressed concern about false allegations from shelter residents and the impact on guards' employment.
- Johnson specifically addressed Finance Chair Justin Brannan, urging him to allocate $100 million for legal help for security guards in shelters.
Christopher Leon Johnson
4:59:48
Yeah.
4:59:49
Hello.
4:59:49
Hello.
4:59:49
Can you hear me?
4:59:51
Yeah.
4:59:52
Hello.
4:59:52
Yeah.
4:59:53
Yeah.
4:59:53
My hello my hello chairs of John chairs Brannan, chairs Bank and chairs chairs Bank and Brandon and Ayal.
5:00:00
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson and Gail Burrow.
5:00:03
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson, and I'm supporting Third two b j as the record, I was a former shop store with Third two b j for the MTA Eastside Access, I used to work for Help USA in 2016 as a supervisor for Help USA at the Howard Avenue, Shelton location.
5:00:18
So I'm here to support, their initiative to re be reimbursed $90,000,000 into DHS so these guards can get paid back.
5:00:26
Not only that, I am calling on you, the finance chair, Justin Brannon.
5:00:30
I know you're running for controller.
5:00:32
We need you need to put an initiative into the with the help of Dirtua Bijay to help out guards with legal help when they get accused by a shelter resident of any violation because what goes on in these shelters with these guards, and I used get a guard from doctor BJ as a shop steward, and I know the stuff that I've been in the offices, is that when a guard get accused of anything by a shelter resident, DHS and HRA has to log in those those complaints.
5:01:00
And what happened with those guards is that they get removed from the job site, and sometimes they might get fired for on a false allegation.
5:01:08
So I'm calling you, mister Brannon, because you got endorsed by George W.
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J.
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For controller to put at least a hundred million dollars into legal help into these guards.
5:01:17
So when they ever get accused of a of a violation from a shelter client, they are able to really defend themselves with a real legal representation other than union representation because the union representation is really weak.
5:01:29
Union representation is really weak.
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They need real lawyers.
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When it comes to the other unions like p the PBA, SBA, when they get accused of a crime by by a civilian, especially a corrupt civilian, like a criminal civilian, they are powerful attorneys protect protect the PBA officers.
5:01:43
So I'm calling on you as the the the finance chair and our so called hope hope we are next controller to really really put a real financial centers to really help out these guards.
Yusef Salaam
5:01:54
Thank you, Christopher.
5:01:56
Time has expired.
Christopher Leon Johnson
5:01:57
Wait.
5:01:57
Wait.
5:01:57
I know.
5:01:57
Know.
5:01:57
Wait.
5:01:58
To BJ, when they get in trouble when they get in trouble with when they get in trouble with these with these shelter client because a lot of these shelter client, a lot of them are really corrupt.
5:02:09
They're really dirty.
5:02:10
They're really evil people, and they really they really mischievous.
5:02:14
They try to find a way to get off the shelter, they know the legal the legal get around by let's accuse a guard of of of, like, sexual assault or accuse a guard of looking at them funny because I replaced a guard that as a supervisor that that accused of looking at a girl funny.
5:02:30
But
Justin L. Brannan
5:02:31
Thank you very much.
Christopher Leon Johnson
5:02:32
That shouldn't be happening.
5:02:33
But thank you so much.
5:02:34
Thank you.
Justin L. Brannan
5:02:34
Thank you, Christopher.
Christopher Leon Johnson
5:02:35
Thank you.
5:02:36
Thank you.