Opinion ID: 778407
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The September 26 Grievance Meeting: Resignation

Text: 29 Following Otero's September 13 discharge, her union filed a grievance on her behalf, asserting that her employment had been terminated without just cause. A meeting was held on September 26 to discuss the grievance. At that meeting, attended by Craig, Mellow, Otero, and her two union representatives, Craig stated that he would, in consideration of Otero's years of service, allow her to reconsider and resign in lieu of being discharged. He stated that by resigning she could preserve her BHA pension. Craig gave Otero five minutes to decide. 30 Otero had two daughters, was responsible for several recurring mortgage, rental, or installment payments, and, as of September 13, had no job. Carrafiello and Johnson advised her to resign in order to preserve her pension and improve her ability to find another job. Otero decided to resign. She did not admit stealing the toilet. 31 Otero testified that at the September 26 meeting, as at the meetings held on September 11 and 13, she was not given copies of any of the employee statements collected by Mellow; she was not given a copy of Mellow's report to BHA; and no one informed her of the nature of the substantial evidence that underlay the accusation. Otero was never given any of those documents — or even told that they existed — until she filed the present action.