Attorney to Investigate Charges Against Parks Maintenance Supervisors

Riverside

The tide may be turning. Riverside parks maintenance workers are feeling cautiously optimistic after learning this week that the City has hired attorney Brenda L. Diederichs to conduct an independent investigation of their complaints against two parks department supervisors.

Over the last several months, union members have filed numerous written complaints with parks management and Human Resources.  The complaints portray a highly stressful work environment in which a maintenance supervisor and/or crew leader have routinely intimidated and abused employees. Over the last six years, at least half of the parks maintenance workers have quit over the supervisors’ behavior.

“We’re hopeful that Brenda Diederichs will carry out a neutral investigation,” said Frank Coral, a worksite steward who has been assisting the parks employees. “She’s being paid by the City, but I’m going to trust her professionalism and assume her investigation will be thorough.”

More than three months after their original complaints were filed, an HR executive finally began interviewing some of the parks employees. Coral said the union has requested that Diederichs re-interview all employees already interviewed by HR, since many held back because they suspected that an HR-led investigation would be slanted and that being completely frank could be risky.

Some members still fear they’ll get in trouble if they tell the whole truth about these supervisors, Coral said. “But we’ve been given word that retaliation won’t be tolerated. My attitude is, whatever happens, it can’t get much worse, so why not stick together and tell it like it is.”

Diederichs is an attorney based in Chino with a specialty in employee relations. She has represented management in several high-profile positions, as former chief labor relations officer for the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and former chief negotiator for the Los Angeles City Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).