Escambia County has invested $250K of its CARES Act funds in a marketing campaign to encourage residents to wear mask.
However, Michael Lowery, president of ATU Local 1395, posted on Facebook on July 2, that county department heads, supervisors and staff aren’t wearing inside county facilities.
“Is the County Administrator protecting her own employees from contracting the COVID virus?” asks Lowery on Facebook. “Today, I saw with my own eyes she’s not leading within county government.”
He said that on Thursday, June 2 he visited 15 county buildings from Pensacola Beach to Century to post updates of labor negotiations on the Union bulletin boards.
He found “not one County employee wearing a mask.”
“Not ONE! I saw workers, I saw temporary workers, I saw supervisors, I even saw a Director of a Department. The only person I saw wearing a mask other than me was the candy machine guy refilling the machine,” wrote Lowery.
He added that County Administrator Janice Gilley and her directors haven’t worn face masks during labor negotiations.
Lowery wrote: “So if the Administrator isn’t wearing a mask, EVER! Then how could we expect the County Management to follow her example. Oh wait they mostly are NOT wearing a mask. It’s about leadership. Lead by example and your employees will follow.”
The union has pushed for masks and COVID safety at ECAT. Lowery said, “Now I understand the reason the administrator has ignored the Union’s demand to negotiate Hazard Pay. You got to believe that there is a problem before you really take it serious!”