Pols, employers meet with deploying Guardsmen

[CommunityEditor]

Ralph Martell lifted the automatic weapon in his hands, took aim and fired, shooting at three possible insurgents.

No, the regional vice president for Cambridge Security isn’t a soldier, but part of a group of employers with employees soon to be heading to Iraq.

“These are real-world events. These are real challenges that they’re going to face,” Martell said, gesturing to a simulation exercise, similar to a video game, in which troops practice shooting at enemies and figuring out who is a civilian.

Martell was one of a group of employers and members of Congress, including New Jersey Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Rep. Rush Holt, who visited Fort Dix on Monday to meet with members of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in Lawrenceville, who are heading to Iraq later this year.

The roughly 2,600 soldiers, which represent almost half of the state’s Army National Guard force, will be the largest overseas deployment by New Jersey’s National Guard since World War II.

All of the employers had employees who are soldiers, and the visit was designed to familiarize them with issues their employees and their families will be going through as they prepare to deploy.

The employers talked with soldiers, observed some of the training they are doing and talked with officers about what kind of time commitment will be required of their employees before they’re sent to Iraq.

Brig. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson said although federal law protects employees from losing their jobs while they are deployed, more needs to be done in order to help the soldiers and their families during such long absences in war zones.

William Rudderow, a police officer with the Mount Laurel Township Police Department, described the visit as an “eye-opener.”

“It gives you a whole new realization of what these soldiers are going through and what their families are going through,” Rudderow said.

Menendez, who said he was preparing to make his first visit to Iraq on Thursday, said while he’s constantly opposed the war, he wanted to see the preparations that New Jersey’s soldiers would be going through and determine what needs to be done to help them and their families.

“They answer the call. They don’t ask whether it’s the right or wrong war,” Menendez said.

Menendez, Lautenberg and Holt, all Democrats, said they were worried about having almost half of the state’s National Guard force away if a natural disaster were to occur, and that they were worried over the stress that the deployment would have on employers who have to make do without one or more employees.

At Cambridge Security, 18 of the company’s 275 employees in New Jersey would be going to Iraq, and it would be “a big challenge to find suitable replacements” for them, Martell said.

Ken Clements, the vice president of Bridgeton-based Cumberland Insurance Group, said one of the company’s senior engineers will be deployed, and it will be difficult to replace his skills.

However, all of the employers said whether it’s a challenge for them or not, they’re doing whatever they can to support their employees, including sometimes making up the difference in salary between what the employee made at home and their military salary, which may be less.


Article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_guardbrigade_080114/

[buzzent]

I see you have a story on Ralph Martell, Well i have a story about Ralph Martell, allegedly he was the person who was behide charging security officers $8 a week to rent thier unforms at Cambridge.

Disability Discrimination at Cambridge Security Services
419 Park Ave South - 212-889-2111.


This all started last year when The New York State Attorney General took up the case against Cambridge Security Service, after I contacted them about Cambridge charging their security officers $8 a week to rent their uniforms. If you do not agree to sign a uniform agreement paper (that they give you, allowing them to take $8 out of your check weekly to rent their uniforms), allegedly you don't get hired. The uniform company they claim they get the uniforms from THEY OWN THE COMPANY. (AG Office is aware of this).

The attorney general office is very close to settling with Cambridge about this issue. They have been doing everything to me to try to make me quite, like taking my uniform when I’m not at work, and then witting me up for not having the uniform that they took. ( this was on tape, I have the photo picture of this) writing me up for not showing up to work, when I'm off, they put my name in the computer to work, this they do to a lot of people) The attorney general sent them a warning letter to stop it, and to delete those write up’s. Approx 4 weeks after the attorney general office wrote them a warning letter (October 2007), my doctor informed Cambridge that I had TOURETTE SYNDROME and FIBROMYALGIA. (I had this disability, from the age of 10 years old) I was working 6 days a week, which was by my choice, it was not mandatory. My doctor wanted the over time day (8 hours) that I was doing for (approx 8 years) removed. When the fibromyalgia kicked in (pain due to the tourettes) it was hard to control my tourettes.

I have been working at 1500 Noble Mansion for approx 13 years with the same disability.

Cambridge after getting the letter, called me down to the office, my tourettes was out of control while talking with Dave Malefsky V.P, he told me that they do not have any sites that fit my physical condition, and they gave me (what they call a temp layoff, until they find me a site) unemployment. (Cambridge never knew of my Tourette Syndrome before this, I was working approx 11 years at 1500 Noble Ave, before Cambridge took over the Security at that building. This was approx 2 years ago.

They said I have to be at a site that I can come in at 7:00 am and leave at 3:00 pm, and not get stuck. (Dave Malefsky stated to me, when we fine you something were let you know).
This was not the case. They never called or followed up with my doctor, ‘’all we wanted was the non-mandatory day token away’’, and have me work the normal 5 days not 6 days a week. They paid me for three weeks before this so called temp lay off, and claim they were looking for a site for me.

This was nothing but pay back for reporting them to the attorney general. What they have just done by giving me a temp layoff and basically confirmed it in an e-mail to me, was disability discrimination. The EEOC as taken up the charge. I wanted to tell my story before the EEOC processing. My EEOC case number is 520-2008-00770. Once the processing with me and Cambridge starts, I have to set down and work out a deal with them, I wouldn’t be able to talk about what took place at the meeting (EEOC Rules), which is coming up. I want to get my story out, and stand strong for people with disabilities. I am looking at suing Cambridge Security Services.