President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3448, Michael Murphy, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a workplace safety issue that forced an office in Ohio to temporarily close. Murphy also discussed the staffing shortages at Social Security Administration offices, which has limited the ability to assist the public, and also led to an office shutdown in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
AFGE Local 3448 represents almost 1,000 Social Security workers who work at 55 Social Security offices across Ohio.
Social Security offices in Ohio have recently faced a few problems, including a temporary shutdown due to a raccoon infestation. The Middleburgh Heights office outside Cleveland was damaged due to the raccoons. After five months of complaints and OSHA filings, the office was finally shut down to resolve the infestation. Murphy explained how the situation at the office building escalated, including lights being knocked out, motion detectors falling out of the roof, and more. He talked about his efforts to address the problems, how the agency resisted and what he went through just to get into the office to finally view the problems.
While the Middleburgh Heights office could re-open after the damage is repaired, another office in nearby Warrensville Heights office closed in April due to short staffing. Murphy said that since 2011, most offices in the state are operating with staff levels 40 percent below normal, while there’s been an increase in people filing Social Security claims. The Social Security Administration thought working remotely would help resolve the staffing problems, but Murphy said it could never meet the growing demands. He talked about the different programs within the Social Security Administration that have been negatively impacted by the lack of staff.
Murphy is a fifth-generation union member from a long line of organizers and union leaders. His mother was an organizer with the Communication Workers of America and his grandfather was the head of a small steel union in Youngstown, Ohio. Murphy said his great-grandfather was kicked out of Pittsburgh for union organizing for the Steelworkers, and his great-great-grandfather organized coal miners in Western Pennsylvania. When it comes to the importance of unions and protecting and strengthening the voice of workers, he is well-informed.
Listen to the show above to hear more from Murphy on problems at Ohio’s Social Security offices.