Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself – Part XXVII

Before long, FEL and its divisions and subsidiaries around Monmouth County added over 100 new employees to its payrolls. Among those taking the busses to work were skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers; some already up to speed in their craft and others needing a great deal of training. Overall, work was getting done and the company was beginning to see many of its contractural obligations with the U.S. Navy, IBM and other clients fulfilled. Management was satisfied, but not so all of FEL's long-term employees.

There was an immediate cultural change at the company - a shock to the system. You see, most of FEL's core group of production employees were older white men from the local area.  The majority of incoming new hires were young black men and women. Many came from urban backgrounds, having grown up in the streets of big cities like New York, Washington, Detroit and Newark. A good number of them came to Asbury Park to be closer to the social services the State of New Jersey and the County of Monmouth placed in this small city.  And, frankly, a percentage of these folks also came to Asbury Park to take part in the rampant drug and related crime culture it had become known for in the eighties and early nineties.

Upon their arrival at the company, there were some actual "human resources" issues that had to be dealt with resulting in a higher level of terminations than the company had ever experienced in its past. But, there were also a higher level of bogus complaints from core employees about the newcomers.  These included false reports of drugs and weapons on the premises. There were also reports of stolen property, blamed on innocent individuals.  There was lots of resentment towards the people we hired, who would ultimately save the company and most of the jobs the complaining employees were - themselves -holding.

In actuality, there was only one major incident that lead to mass police involvement. One of the new employees did hijack one of the busses that delivered the employees to work and home. It seems that this particular employee was a criminal on the run.  He thought that he was recognized and reported by another employee to the authorities and just happened to see police officers at the company for an unrelated reason. Thinking they were there to arrest him, he felt cornered on the bus and ordered the driver to travel to Lakewood, at knifepoint.  Upon arrive in that city, he was immediately arrested without further incident.

Over time, things settled down at FEL and the new employees began to be tolerated, if not embraced.  The union was a big help in making the adjustment.

With the transportation hiring model working well, the Asbury Park Press and other media news outlets began writing about our success and other local companies called to learn more about it.

All of this attention resulted in the County of Monmouth approaching me with interest. They had been considering setting up a ridesharing program under the management of a Transportation Management Association (TMA), similar to what other counties around the state already had.  Ours was to be different.  It was to continue a focus on employing those from the county's urban towns at companies in the more suburban and rural areas.

The County needed someone to found the TMA and they came to me. FEL had no problem with me doing this on their time.  It made us very visible and put us in good stead with County government.

An impressive steering committee comprised of local business leaders, employment experts and transportation officials was formed and Freeholder Theodore Narozanick was give liaison responsibilties.  Ted was a former Mayor of my original hometown, Englishtown, and a long time family friend.  It was a good situation for me.

In the fall of 1988, I chaired the first meeting of the Monmouth TMA. There was much work to be done to get the TMA really rolling. I was up for that challenge.