DHA - 28th Street Closure

Greetings union brothers, sisters, & friends,

On April 7th, 2026, your bargaining team met with the department regarding the fallout of the 28th street closure and additional operational changes the County has made as a result. Specifically, minor consent applications will now be centralized department-wide instead of being handled by an individual specialized unit. The department agreed to provide training to all HSS staff as a reminder of how to treat these confidential cases. In addition, the Home Visit team will now be located within the Research Bureau. Staff will be asked to volunteer for these visits, and the process itself remains unchanged.

UPE and its team of subject matter experts brought up a litany of issues that have arisen after the closure of 28th Street. It affected both the staff who moved and the staff at the bureau who received those forced to relocate. These issues included not having a practical usable window for GA workers at Susie Gaines Mitchell, nowhere near enough interview booths for intake staff, inappropriate and misplaced resentment towards our HSS and clerical workers by supervisors and staff, and much more. While we haven’t reached any specific agreement yet, the department has committed to taking under advisement all our concerns. We will not allow the mistreatment of any member, and we will continue to advocate fiercely for a fair, equitable & peaceable workplace for all. Additional meetings will be demanded if significant improvement is not made soon.

Stay Tuned!

Special thanks to our negotiation team members for their assistance in this meeting: Tony DeRego, Nichole Gorman, James Starr, Jennifer Avalo, and Stephanie McCall.