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Photo Submitted Betty, a rescue cat for Trumbull County’s Commissioner Niki Frenchko, roams the Commissioners’ hearing room during a meeting this week. A county employee filed a complaint about the cat, saying it had an allergic reaction to the cat.
Warren – An administrative assistant to a Trumbull County agent filed a union complaint Tuesday alleging a health and safety violation was committed when a county agent brought her cat to work.
Dawn Gedeon, a member of AFSCME Local 2493, filed the complaint and left work early Tuesday when the cat appeared to be causing an allergic reaction. The complaint is that removing the cat is the necessary adjustment.
A call was made to Gedeon but was not returned on Tuesday.
The cat belongs to Commissioner Niki Frenchko.
Frenchko said the cat had been taken to work three times in the past few weeks.
“Betty, my newest rescue cat, should bring a smile to everyone in the office and I think it has been successful on recent visits.” Frenchko said. “If anyone responded to them, it wasn’t known until a formal complaint was filed. I’m surprised it didn’t show up before when she was there – maybe because the air was working at the time. “
Frenchko said the employee was there at other times, the cat was there and didn’t know that an employee would react badly to the cat. She said problems with the county’s heating and cooling system on Tuesday could have affected the employee.
“Since (Tuesday) when the air conditioning compressor failed and the internal temperature was between 85 and 90 degrees, we have been bringing in 100 percent outside air.” Frenchko said. “The staff opened windows so as not to compensate for the air conditioning, and our air quality was not optimal. I had trouble (Wednesday) because of pollen with eight open windows in our listening room. “
Frenchko said she could bring Betty back in when the air conditioning is working or on a cooler day. However, she will keep them in her private office area, she said.
She said the cat brightened the mood in the office and was generally well received.
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