SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Members of Local 400 picketed outside Syracuse City Hall for the second straight day on Wednesday, saying staffing shortages and mandated overtime are stretching Department of Public Works employees to their limits.
The union says the city is currently down 32 trained and certified CDL drivers, forcing many workers to take on extra routes and longer hours to keep city services running. Those workers handle everything from trash collection and snow plowing to leaf pickup and moving barriers for events across the city.
DPW sanitation driver Joe Figueroa said employees are often forced to take on significantly heavier workloads because of the shortage…