By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1swingsmcc010510.html
UNITED NATIONS, January 5 -- With Secretary General Ban Ki-moon having moved out of UN Headquarters' 38th floor over to the roof of the building called a temporary "Wal-Mart," problems have arising with staff unions and the UN's other "swing space."
While the New York Staff Union has complained about asbestos work slated for January 8 on floor on which people are still working, the UN's other unions have written to Mr. Ban to complain about his non-implementation of continuing contracts. See SMCC letter to Mr. Ban, Ms. Migiro, Mr. Nambiar, Ms. Kane, Mr. Kim and Ms. Pollard, obtained by Inner City Press and put online here.
Meanwhile, UN staff working in the Albano Building swing space on 46th Street have received a critical memo from Under Secretary General Shaaban Shaaban. Complaints from those working in Albano have ranged from freezing temperatures to broiling heat.
Shaaban Shaaban, citing Michael Adlerstein of the Capital Master Plan, essentially blames the staff members for these conditions. He accuses them of leaving windows open, of using fire stairs to smoke, and with fiddling with radiators. If you were freezing, what would you do? Inner City Press obtained Shaaban Shaaban's memo and puts it online here.
Inner City Press ventured again Tuesday to the new North Lawn building, in search of answers not provided in what's left in Headquarters. There is still no wireless internet in the new building. Somehow it seems that this could and should all have been planned better. Watch this site.
