RICHMOND, Va. -- Former Richmond finance employees, who took their jobs only a few months ago, said they were confused and upset after they were fired this week under what they believed to be unfair circumstances.
Janice Bishop, Deshawnda Johnson, and Jasmine Osborne all worked in the Finance Department's business unit, despite being hired as regulatory auditors. They started their jobs in June, May, and February respectively.
Bishop and Osborne became employees through a city job fair, and Johnson transferred from the Department of Public Utilities.
Their responsibilities included processing meals taxes, personal property taxes, and business license applications. But they said they were subjected to chaotic working conditions and antiquated systems.
“It was the worst experience coming in," Bishop said. "[I] was not trained in the position. I constantly asked to be trained."
“I was completely astonished with the unorganization, with the lack of training, with this system," Osborne said. “Just to see the amount of paperwork that was just there and there was no rhyme or reason to it, and you were just given a bin of paper, and they were like, 'alright, get this processed.'"
The workers came on as the finance department was already being criticized by restaurant owners across Richmond who complained about meals tax issues and unknown late fees that piled into the tens of thousands of dollars with no notification.
“With you guys having an inside look at all of that, do you feel like the citizens on the outside should have confidence that their taxes are correct?” reporter Tyler Layne asked.
“Absolutely not," they replied.
"Do you feel like they set you up with the proper training and processes?" Layne asked.
"Absolutely not," they responded again.
"There's something not right going on in the City of Richmond," Osborne said. "If you don't have your employees trained well enough to help the businesses, then they're getting the short end of the stick as well."
Not only did they say they were not given the proper tools to succeed, they claimed the work environment was toxic and hostile.
Two weeks ago, they said their desks and cabinets were searched and personal belongings were seized without an explanation.
“It’s a management and leadership issue, but the big problem is, everybody's new. I've had customers come into the front and say, 'What? There's nobody here that I know anymore,'" Bishop said.
These workers, too, are no longer with the city.
On Tuesday, they said Finance Director Sheila White informed them, along with at least two other employees, that they were being fired. The workers claimed an explanation was not given.
“Why they let me go yesterday? I have no idea. They would not give me any reason," Bishop said.
Their termination letter, which they showed CBS 6, stated the city had the right to fire them without cause since it happened during a probationary period. Further, they cannot appeal the termination to the personnel board.
The workers were members of the union SEIU Virginia 512 and said they were not allowed union representation as they were being fired.
LaNoral Thomas, the union's president, said she was "disappointed with the City of Richmond and their union-busting tactics, as five union members were terminated without due process and denied union representation."
The employees said they were never disciplined prior to their dismissal.
“I’m also a great worker. I came from another department. I didn't have write ups, I didn't have complaints," Johnson said.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney Responds
CBS 6 brought their concerns to Mayor Levar Stoney during a Wednesday press conference at City Hall.
“They believe the city should be addressing the finance department’s issues from the top down, rather than the bottom up. What’s your response?” Layne asked.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing," Stoney responded. "The director we have at the Department of Finance is a fixer, and I'm grateful for the work of Sheila White. Let me tell you why. For years on end, there were some who saw the fires in the Department of Finance, and instead of putting the fire out or running into the fire, they turned the other way. I'm grateful for her work, because she's willing to run into the fire for the fix."
Stoney described White as the best director in over a decade and said this is not a leadership issue.
WATCH: CBS 6 questions Mayor Stoney about Richmond finance department layoffs
During a forum earlier this week, every city council candidate publicly said they do not support White as finance director, including current sitting councilmembers Ann-Frances Lambert, Ellen Robertson, Cynthia Newbille, and Nicole Jones.
But Stoney dismissed their positions as "trying to win an election."
"Some of these members of council have been on council for eight years or more, haven't said a word. But now, when asked the question at an event, what do they do? Capitulate," Stoney said.
Stoney maintained he stood behind the recent finance firings.
"But those lower-level employees, you believe deserved to lose their jobs?" Layne asked.
“If they weren’t meeting the standard of excellence, you’re not going to be working here," Stoney answered.
When CBS 6 met Bishop, Johnson, and Osborne Thursday afternoon for an interview, they had already watched the mayor's press conference through a live stream.
They said they were "deeply hurt" by his remarks.
“I think Mayor Stoney should take accountability if he's going to speak on situations and circumstances," Johnson said. "Now you've got somebody that's standing on a podium pointing the finger at people who didn't have the proper tools to do our job."
“If the mayor thinks that I deserve to be let go because I didn't know how to do my job, then he also needs to take a look at who he's hired and he's elected, because they too don't know how to do their job, and that's who I turn to for my answers," Osborne said.
"For the mayor to say that we deserve to be let go, he needs to give us an explanation of why we deserve it," Bishop said.
In March, the city entered into an agreement with consultant Anne Seward through December of this year to address policy and procedural solutions in the Finance Department.
According to the city's contract with Seward, obtained through a public records request, Seward is to work on-site with White to assess the efficiency of operations and execution of services and give "specific written findings and recommendations" for implementation.
CBS 6 requested all written findings and recommendations made by Seward, but as of August 5th, the city said there were no responsive records.
Seward is being paid $200 per hour for her services.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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Watch Tyler Layne's reporting on CBS 6 and WTVR.com. Have something for Tyler to investigate? Email him.
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