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1199 SEIU Professional & Technical Newsletter AUGUST 2013
1199 Professional Delegates: Dedicated to their Profession and dedicated to their Union. IN THIS ISSUE:
· On Bein g a Dele ga t e , by J o an Ca ns a no · Ebele B r yan , S o cia l Wo r ker D el e g a t e f r o m Br o o k d a l e H o s p i t a l · Phyllis S m ith , M ed i c al R ec o r d s C oder D el e g a t e f r o m V N S · Malind a M o r ga n, E M T D e l e g a t e a t J a m ai c a H o s p i t a l · Maria Diaz , Lab ora t o r y D e l e g a t e a t L u t h er a n M e d i c a l C e n t e r · Profes sio na l HC A 1199 M em ber s on t he M ov e i n F l o r i d a · Academ ic C a len da r The Monitor is available online at www.1199seiu.org. Point on “Media” and then click on “Periodicals.”
On Being a Delegate By Joan Cansano
Pharmacist Delegate at Franklin Hospital In 2002, the Pharmacy Department at Franklin Hospital voted to join the union and they needed a delegate. In the past I had served as the “voice” of the department, never feeling intimidated to address issues, so I fell into the position of delegate. Being new to the union, I had no idea what to expect – What was a union all about? Does a professional department need to be in a union? What can the union do for us? As time went on, not only did I find the answer to these questions, but I became more and more involved. At first, I had to learn what it meant to be a delegate. Under the guidance of veteran delegate Sheila Powell and union organizer Kenton Wynter I began my education. I became part of the contract negotiation committee and attended delegate training courses. I learned what my constituents were entitled to, what is available to union members and how to defend our rights. I found that the union had so much to offer. Intuitively, I have always felt that the way to improve patients’ outcomes and satisfaction is to have satisfied employees. Front line employees are the most important resource a hospital or business has, and only when management realize this do they get the positive results they are looking 2
for. I became the Co-Chair of the Labor-Management Project Committee at my institution, which gave me the opportunity to try and change the way labor and management feel about each other. I work with other delegates and management who see what can be accomplished by working as a team together – collaboration is the way to go. Management saw that when this process broke down, things did not run as smoothly. It takes a great amount of effort and a huge commitment to make changes. In addition, I became a member of the 1199 Pharmacy and Pharmacy Tech Committee and the Interdisciplinary Educational Committee. The union offers so much in the area of education for Professionals. The Pharmacy and Pharmacy Tech Committee gave me an opportunity to meet with other pharmacists and pharmacy techs who work in different institutions and settings. We share ideas, processes, and information, which can be brought back to our own institutions. I also learn of any changes that will be occurring within my profession. The union has a great influence on legislation that is brought about at the state level. As a committee, we discuss what our thoughts are concerning new legislation. The Interdisciplinary Educational Committee gives me an opportunity to meet with Professional and Technical members from various disciplines. We work together to develop the Continuing Education Programs which are necessary to maintain our professional licenses. Thousands of professionals benefit from attending these programs every year. By being an active part of these committees as well as a delegate, I am able to bring the latest information back to my institution that will affect the future of our profession. (Continues, page 4)
“The union offers so much in the area of education for Professionals.” - Joan Cansano
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Joan Cansano, center, with co-workers, from left Paul Kauefati, Martin Bilz, Linda Dimascio, and Mary Denise.
(continued)
“The union has given me a means to help make changes for individuals, for my hospital and ultimately for the patients I serve.� As a delegate, I also get a chance to interact with many individuals throughout the hospital and union. By listening to various people your own ideas change and you grow. And you never know when someone will come up with a unique and constructive new idea. One important thing I have learned through my role as a delegate is to embrace diversity.
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As part of my delegate role, I try to be a source of information and a mentor for the members. A pharmacy technician that I work with, Mary, always had a passion to help people. I would listen to her speak and felt that she would be a great social worker. After a few conversations, and seeing how she felt about the idea, I encouraged her to take advantage of the scholarships that are available to union members. She did and now she is well on her way to be becoming a social worker. The road has been hard, but with one year left, she can begin to see the doors that will be opening for her. Watching Mary grow into her new profession is a testament to the educational opportunities available to union members. Seeing how education can improve a person’s life has been a fulfilling experience for me. The union has given me a means to help make changes for individuals, for my hospital and ultimately for the patients I serve. It has allowed me to meet a diverse array of people, and to hear their stories and struggles. I feel that as a delegate, wherever your passions lie, there is something to become involved with to help your profession and others.
Ebele Bryan
Social Worker Delegate from Brookdale Hospital
Ebele Bryan is an 1199 Social Worker with several years of clinical experience ranging from domestic abuse counseling to infant patient and educational services. Currently, she is a discharge planning social worker at Brookdale Medical Center in Brooklyn. Ebele takes great pride in providing excellent patient care and safe discharge planning through an integrated team approach. She also takes pride in her membership on another team: Brookdale’s 1199 Delegate Body. Ebele recalls when her department recommended her as their delegate: “It was an issue with rotation of assignments in difficult units and caseloads that started my role as a delegate.” Shortly after, Ebele was elected social work department delegate. She recommended a need for constant clinical supervision to help with caseload management and permanent assignments. Today she continues to work on improving communication between management and workers, and remedying on-going issues. “As a social worker I understand advocacy – giving a voice to patients. I thought we also needed a voice,” Ebele said. “The union is all of us. I represent the social workers as an educator, and as a facilitator of resolving issues at work and at home.” Ebele highlights her advantage as a social worker which helps her being a delegate. “Social Workers ID trauma people go through – our education helps us understand people.” She explained how this allowed her to be aware of her coworkers’ human needs in the work environment. Social workers at Brookdale work in teams alongside RNs. She characterized the high pressured work environment at Brookdale as “Grand Central Station on crack,” adding that it can cause any professional team to break down. “As registered nurses and social workers work between the lines, being a delegate helps advance the team’s efforts of
“As a social worker I understand advocacy—giving a voice to patients. I thought we also needed a voice.”
patient care needs.” Ebele believes that social workers are important to the medical team, as they can help solve problems both within and between professional teams, providing an understanding of the hospital’s needs, and educating fellow members. Ebele understands that the responsibilities of being a social worker and a delegate can be a challenge. She gives the following advice: “Give time to empower your department. Holding departmental meetings, sharing information and providing a plan of action can help organize the members’ voices so they will be heard. The work environment can be overwhelming, but empowering your department can make it manageable to wear two hats. Everyone can use a delegate in their department. Every title has unique needs and having a delegate in every department can only help.” She adds that delegates can help with a huge range of issues outside of contractual language. Ebele emphasizes working on self-awareness to achieve dignity, respect and great pride in the work 1199ers do as delegates. She recommends to other delegates, “Know your gifts, grow and strengthen your life and the world around you. You have to know your passion and how it impacts your patients and coworkers.” 5
Phyllis Smith Medical Records Coder Delegate from VNS Phyllis Smith is a Medical Records Coder at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. She has been an 1199 delegate since 1997 and a member of the 1199SEIU Executive Council since 2011. When the 1199 Medical Records Member Committee was formed, she was one of the first to sign up. In addition to being active in her shop as a Delegate, Phyllis is also politically active. “Politics have always been important in my family. As soon as I turned 18, I registered to vote. It is important to get involved to help make a difference.” When she was young, Phyllis wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for a career. She was in college when an idea struck her: “I like outdoor activities and need an adventure, so one day I just decided to join the Army. My mother thought I was crazy.” Phyllis remained on active duty for eight years, and then devoted another twenty years to being a reservist. While in the Army, she was a Patient Administrative Specialist working on the paperwork side of the medical field. Phyllis then married and had two children. When her children were young, she took advantage of the Educational Opportunity Program and enrolled in Bronx Community College to study Medical Records Coding. She graduated, did her internship at Roosevelt Hospital then became a temp at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. She went from a temp to a full time permanent employee a month later. Phyllis was approached by her 1199SEIU organizer and an 1199SEIU Vice President who recruited her as a delegate. “At first it wasn’t my intention to become a delegate. Keith Joseph, who was my organizer, kept approaching me. What finally convinced me was that I saw things at VNS that were wrong. I wanted to find a way to assist and change things. I wanted to have my voice heard. I like being a delegate because I like helping people find their voice. I once had a case where a quiet co-worker was being bullied by a supervisor. The member and I were able to address the issue in a professional manner, and the bullying stopped.”
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Phyllis Smith right, with co-workers Teresa Rivera left, and Jessica Davis center.
“I also like working with my fellow delegates. We discuss cases and issues. We support each other, and help to develop new delegates. When you have the support of your fellow coworkers, it makes the stressful times more manageable. Sometimes members do not want to stand up for themselves, and this frustrates me. I tell myself that it takes a while to develop people. I don’t take it personally, and most of the people really appreciate the help you give them.” “Some of the things I have the opportunity to do came about as a result of my being a delegate and a member of 1199. As a result of our involvement with the Medical Records Committee, my colleagues and I have developed and taken courses to prepare for the CCS Certification exam. I am happy to report that I and two of my colleagues have taken and passed the test!” In addition to Phyllis, Carita Ebanks and Elena Goltsberg from Visiting Nurse Service passed the difficult exam. Congratulations to all!
Malinda Morgan EMT Delegate at Jamaica Hospital Malinda Morgan is an EMT at Jamaica Hospital, where she has been employed since 2001. Malinda became a Union delegate in 2010 because “Frankly, there was a lot of nonsense going on in the department. Management was getting away with too much. They were being unfair, unreasonable and unsympathetic.” Once Malinda got involved in the union, she became involved in many projects, and things started to improve. Many of the projects Malinda is involved in are not grievances, but are projects aimed at improving work safety, working conditions and the environment at work for herself and her co-workers Malinda is a member of the Wellness Committee at Jamaica Hospital. “The Wellness Committee works on health issues, and tries to find ways to improve the health of employees,” she explained. “We created a survey which asked employees to identify some of the health issues they need help with. We had a great response to the survey, and identified three main issues to tackle. The issues were: Weight loss, smoking cessation, and stress relief. We did fundraisers and had a weight loss competition, complete with prizes. We formed a lunch time walking program, which we named the Power Hour. We hope to have the second annual weight loss competition this year. We are working on smoking cessation and stress relief. This year we hope to get a grant through the wellness department at 1199SEIU Funds.” Malinda also keeps very busy working to further her profession. She is an EMT instructor, a CPR instructor, and an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) instructor, which is a course to teach or improve the
“As delegates sitting on committees… we are able to address policies without having to always file a grievance.”
driving of ambulances. She is also on the Crash Review Committee at Jamaica Hospital, as well as committees in her department. “As delegates sitting on the committees in the department, we are able to address policies and issues without having to always file a grievance. One of the most recent issues we addressed was the placement of cameras in the ambulance, which recorded and taped us. We had major issues with this, and were able to at least get the audio removed. Working with our organizer, we went to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), and discussed this as a HIPAA violation. “I will continue to take on new challenges and tasks because I am a delegate, and eventually I hope to work directly for the Union.”
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“Knowledge is power. We need unity and knowledge to keep moving forward.� - Maria DIaz
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Maria Diaz Laboratory Delegate at Lutheran Medical Center Maria Diaz has worked at Lutheran Medical Center as a Laboratory Technologist for over 14 years, and has been a union delegate for about one and a half years. Why did she decide to be an 1199 delegate? As is often the case, it was through a struggle at her workplace. The hospital was proposing closing the microbiology lab, and one of the laboratory delegates had recently retired. “I knew that the lab techs had to be involved,” said Maria. “We needed a line of communication with the union. Being a delegate was important to convey information, to have people know what the union could do for us.” She added, “I could inform people about what the union had to offer us, and how to defend ourselves.” Under Maria’s leadership, the laboratory workers came together to try to stop the closure. They engaged in a number of actions, including circulating a petition opposing the closing of microbiology. Unfortunately, in the end they were not successful, as the microbiology department eventually closed. And yet, the members did not get discouraged. “Our activity brought people together,” stated Maria. “We had our voices heard.” Maria added that the unity formed in that fight remained among the lab workers. Maria considers conveying information to her coworkers one of the most important things she does as a delegate. She holds regular departmental meetings in the lab. She also often stays after her shift to speak with the evening shift, and will leave written information for the night shift. She says that everyone knows who she is and where to find her. She is also trying to start a laboratory labor-management committee. Recently Maria has been involved in a wage re-opener for the Lutheran Laboratory workers, and is currently working on a wage re-opener for those who work in the Blood Bank.
Maria with her 1199 organizer, James Tucker.
Maria spoke about the particular importance of the union given that the lab in Lutheran was managed by an outside company. “The union is very important for lab workers. The union helps assure that all the rules and laws are followed. It helps us understand our rights to assure fair employment.”
Maria also speaks of the importance of the union-wide 1199 Laboratory Committee, where clinical laboratory practitioners from all over the union meet regularly and discuss common issues. “I can absorb information from members in other hospitals. We learn from each other’s experiences. I bring this back to my members at Lutheran.” Maria made special mention of Debora Hunte from the Professional and Technical Department who runs the 1199 laboratory Committee, and her organizer James Tucker, as people in the union who have been a great help to her. “Mr. Tucker makes himself available to me all the time,” says Maria. Maria considers herself a humble person. She says that one of the great things for her about being a delegate is helping people, which she enjoys. But she makes the point that the most important aspect of being a delegate is keeping people informed. She says, “When I don’t know the answer, I make sure to find out. Knowledge is power. We need unity and knowledge to keep going forward.”
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Angel Cardenas, Cat Scan Technician and delegate from Osceola Regional Medical Center.
Professional HCA 1199 Members on the Move in Florida Professional members who work in HCA facilities in Florida came together on Saturday, May 4, for a Pro-Tech Summit in Tampa, where they exchanged experiences and started looking ahead to their contract which expires one year from now, on May 31, 2014. People were realistic about the challenges ahead, and had a frank discussion about the difficulties they have faced under their first contract. “Implementation is 10 times harder than bargaining,” said Angel Cardenas, a CAT scan tech and union delegate from Osceola Regional Medical Center. “Enforcing the contract is tough.” Yet despite the difficulties, the members shared some of the many impressive victories they have won in the past couple of years, showing the potential and power of working in unity with a union contract. The HCA contract has call-off language, which gives management the right to send someone home if the census is low. This is supposed to go by seniority within the department. But the union understood the department to be broadly all of imaging. Management 10
was using the term “department” very narrowly, claiming each individual modality was a department, even though many of the technologists are multi-certified in a number of modalities. The union filed a grievance that the spirit of the contract was being violated, and had the backing of the entire department. These 1199SEIU members won their case. A more difficult case was one where an employee had transferred to the CT Department. She was very open that she needed help with a particular imaging protocol, and this had been acknowledged in her evaluation with management. Yet management never developed any action plan to help her with the exam. When a mistake was made, management responded by punishing the employee. In response to this case, Cardenas asked management: “How could you expect her to do her job when you failed to do yours?” He framed the issue as a patient care issue, and a failure of management’s responsibility to properly train, and went to the outside to get accrediting agencies involved. Management eventually conceded.
Dan Kinsley, Surgical Technolgist at Largo Hospital, center, with organizer Loretta Blauvelt left, and co-worker Chari Christie right
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“Once you get people to act, they have more power than they think.” - Stephen Sikora, Respiratory Therapist, Blake Medical Center
FL O RIDA
Dan Kinsley, a surgical technologist delegate from Largo Medical Center, had to fight for the surgical techs to get their proper breaks and lunch. After winning that fight, he took on the more difficult issue of fighting against the abuse of mandatory overtime for regularly scheduled cases. Now, there’s only mandatory overtime for a true emergency. Kinsley’s next battle was against supervisors doing 1199 tech work. After researching, he was able to go all the way to the CFO and show how much overtime the hospital was paying out to supervisors. The result? Four more union tech jobs were created in the O.R. Perhaps it’s no surprise that while HCA is an open shop, meaning employees choose whether or not they want to join their union, Dan’s department is at 80% membership. Victories have been won at other places as well. Tom Powell, a CT technologist from Central Florida Regional Hospital, told of how a supervisor struck a worker, which initially management tried to sweep under the rug. Tom and the members continued to press the issue until the director was finally fired.
The members discussed how to build upon these victories. Jaime Rodriguez from Westside Regional Hospital said that it’s important to share these victories to help recruit new members. He added that it was crucial to go into negotiations with strong leadership, and that would come from developing members into delegates. Dan agreed, saying that it was important to identify new leaders, and use the feedback from the members to develop the priorities. A few realistic demands specific to technical workers were formulated, such as having to post schedules four weeks in advance in respiratory therapy, and shooting for a certification differential for those imaging techs who are multi-certified and utilized in multiple modalities. This is just the beginning, and everyone knows there’s a lot of work ahead. But despite the challenges, there was an optimistic sense at the meeting. In the words of Stephen Sikora, a respiratory therapist for 30 years at Blake Medical Center, “Once you get people to act, they have more power than they think.”
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1199 SEIU League Training & Upgrading Fund Institute For Continuing Education
2013 CONTINUING EDUCATION CALENDAR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
Wheelchair Assessment
Youth Health Issues
5:30pm – 9:00pm (EST)
8:45am – 4:30pm (EST)
3 hrs, Rehab Therapists Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
6 hrs, Interdisciplinary Program** Location: The Times Center, 242 W. 41st Street (Btwn 7th & 8th Aves.), NYC ONSITE, LIVE VIDEOCAST, LIVE WEBCAST (INTERNET)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Substance Use and the Family
ICD-10: What Else Do You Need to Know?
5:30pm – 9:00pm (EST)
5:30pm – 9:00pm (EST)
3 hrs, CASACs Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
3 hrs, Medical Coders Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Disaster Preparedness
Emerging Careers in the Imaging Profession
8:45am – 4:30pm (EST)
5:30pm – 9:00pm (EST)
6 hrs, Interdisciplinary Program** Location: The Times Center, 242 W. 41st Street (Btwn 7th & 8th Aves.), NYC ONSITE, LIVE VIDEOCAST, LIVE WEBCAST (INTERNET)
3 hrs, Imaging Techs Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7
Update on Robotic Surgery and the Management of Male and Female Cancers
7:45am – 3:30pm (EST)
7:45am – 3:30pm (EST) 6 hrs, Surgical Technologists, Central Sterile Techs, Anesthesia Techs Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
Thyroid Disease 6 hrs, Interdisciplinary Program** Location: The Times Center, 242 W. 41st Street (Btwn 7th & 8th Aves.), NYC ONSITE, LIVE VIDEOCAST, LIVE WEBCAST (INTERNET)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 Ventilation Challenge: Improving Asynchrony 5:30pm – 9:00pm (EST) 3 hrs, Respiratory Therapists Location: Cherkasky/Davis Conference Center 330 W. 42nd Street (Btwn 8th & 9th Aves.), NYC ONSITE ONLY
Register today. Call: 212-894-4390
** Interdisciplinary seminars are usually accredited for Physicians, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Techs, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Respiratory Therapists, Radiologic Techs, Dieticians, RNs and LPNs, Social Workers, Clinical Laboratory Practitioners, Rehab Therapists (OTs and PTs), CASACs. Please call for specific professions.
Please call for specific location on each seminar. Email: Institute @1199Funds.org www.1199Funds.org - click “Training & Employment,” and then on “Continuing Education.”
1199SEIU Professional & Technical Department Staff Listing and Areas of Responsibility: Dolores Chase - Imaging, EMS Workers, Medical Records Coders -- 212-261-2385, DoloresC@1199.org Joseph Chinea - Social Work, Respiratory, Substance Abuse Counselors, OT/PT/Speech -- 212-857-4302, , joseph.chinea@1199.org Farah Hargett - LPN’s, Physician Assistants, Dietitians -- 212-261-2246 - FarahH@1199.org Debora Hunte - Laboratory, Pharmacy, Surgical Technicians, Central Sterile Technicians -- 212-857-4398, debora.hunte@1199.org David Kranz, Director - All other professions not mentioned above -- 212-261-2494, davidk@1199.org