JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Some City of Jackson workers voiced their concerns after receiving word that they would be fired in the coming weeks.

Workers at the City of Jackson Water Maintenance and Distribution location gathered Friday morning, seeking answers as to what will happen in the next two weeks.

The U.S. Department of Justice appointed Ted Henifin as the head of the Third-Party Management in 2022 to assist the City of Jackson with its water crisis.

Employees said they’ve reached out to the city after they were informed that the new company would be taking over and terminating all of the current employees. Supervisor Jerry Scott said they just want answers.

“I know it’s hard, I guess, for everybody, but they were wrong for what they done to us and for my crew and my my guys. I know all of our families. Just a lot of guys on my crew have a lot of time, like 26, 27 years, and now they get kicked out the door for nothing. You know, and it’s wrong, so you just want them to try to straighten things out the best way they can,” stated Scott.

JXN Water released the following statement about staffing.

We are grateful for the people and staff who have worked as best they can to maintain the water utility system over many years with very few resources. Moving forward, our goal is that they have the opportunity to continue their work, receive adequate training, and access better resources throughout the rehabilitation process.

In this, improving water service for Jackson customers is the first priority for JXN Water. To accomplish this very urgent task, outsourcing is necessary to overcome the very challenging working conditions that, over time, reduced the effectiveness of the many dedicated and hard-working employees.

As the Interim Third-Party Manager, JXN Water is working with local contractors to find placement opportunities for City employees whose functions will be outsourced in the near future, which includes the call center, water maintenance, meter reading and maintenance, and some of the billing and collection functions.

The current employees in these departments will have the opportunity to work for a well-resourced private contractor with strong wages and benefits. Others will be reassigned to other positions within the City to the greatest extent possible.

JXN Water

Current City of Jackson employees are set to meet with the third-party on Monday, April 24.