KENT COUNTY, Mich. — UAW Local 6000 held an informational picket on Wednesday, addressing what they say is a need for more caseworkers.
Recording Secretary for the Union, Ray Holman, says his union represents caseworkers from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and is seeing a shortage in workers, training and resources.
"We don't have enough bodies. Number one, we don't have sufficient training. Our caseworkers are not given the tools to be successful," Holman said. “We need more staff. And we need more staff now.”
He says it’s important that the department gets more staff and tools because of the types of cases their workers take on, including child and elder abuse cases.
Because the department is understaffed, he says it's causing people to not only get burnt out but also to leave.
"We have so many people leaving state service early because they're so stressed out," Holman said.
Wednesday was the union's fourth informational picket since September. It says it plans to continue to picket until department leaders begin to make changes and hire more people.
"These caseworkers have the ultimate responsibility of maintaining the social safety network. Here in Michigan, and you're talking about food security, you're talking about child abuse, you're talking about the most basic services that's required to keep the state healthy and running," Holman said.
MDHHS released a statement regarding Wednesday’s picket, saying they value their team members and have been successful in hiring more staff.
"We will continue to make improvements in partnership with UAW Local 6000 and all our other world-class unions that represent hardworking Michiganders in MDHHS," the statement read.
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