Present: James Hemshrot, Amanda Mathiowetz, Matt Stenger, Mike Homer, Tim Headlee, Ryan Cates, Katie Gleason, Michelle Chalin, Jenn Frew, Shannon Pech, Cindy Jungers, Colleen Ryan, Rochelle Fischer, Scott Melby, Tom Christensen
Follow up Items: 1. Vacation Audits a. Scott Melby and Tom Christensen discussed a template that they had laid out for how the audit would be conducted with Matt Stenger, Tim Headlee, and James Hemshrot. The disagreement is with an employee’s days off being counted in the audit. Since the audit done previously did not work, a change needs to be made. The idea to have a formula was discussed. For every 56 hours of vacation, an addition of 16 hours would be added to the total amount accrued possible. Management stated that they would like to put a cap on the amount of hours added to the accrued because someone, for example, with 481 hours vacation requested would gain an additional 96 hours possible to accrue. This would make the audit meaningless. AFSCME did not agree with this. TC talked with the scheduling department and Scott Melby about conducting a unique formula and they feel it will make the situation worse rather than help. Management stated that they would like to keep the audit simple, understandable, and meaningful for everyone. If it were left to individual supervisors there is room for a lot of different interpretation. b. AFSCME asked why there is no way to not count people’s days off. People ask for vacation on those days to guarantee that they will have those days off. Management stated that they could not hold days off as vacation. Matt Stenger stated that they would not be able to do that. It is contract language. If vacation is granted, it cannot be taken away. Management stated that that is why it is counted against the audit. They have to honor it so they have to count it. Matt Stenger stated that they are asking that the audit be a snapshot of that very moment. Not the chance an employee’s days off could change. An audit on that employee with their current days off. c. From management’s position they would like to leave the audit process alone. Matt Stenger that from here a class action grievance will be filed with their suggestion as the remedy. Management stated that they would like to get to an agreement on the audit process. Ultimately management owns the audit. d. This will be a follow-up item for next month’s meeting.
2. OSHA incident review a. OSHA was going to have a closing but the meeting was cancelled to be rescheduled. Management stated that they did not think a new date has been set.
3. Private Security Company Usage a. CRP has not used this company in the past month. b. The Forensic Nursing Home has had no usage in January, 108 hours in December, 128.25 in November, and 159.75 in October. One reason they have not been used this month is because they have not had a patient be hospitalized. This company is utilized when they are at the point of inversing. c. The FNH also contracts AMV to transport a patient who receives dialysis 3 times a week. With this they only need 1 staff to cover dialysis. AMV picks up and drops off only. In October this company was used twice, November 8 times, and December 32. Previously employees on light duty did the pick-ups and drop-offs but those employees are all back to full capacity. Tim Headlee stated that the will look into this more and that he does not like contracting out to anyone.
Management: 1. Provide Union Leadership Updates after Elections a. Management asked to please be kept updated on the outcome of the AFSCME elections.
2. Specify grievance remedy requests a. There are a lot of generic remedies on grievances like “hours owed.” Human Resources requested that these be more specific. Katie Gleason stated that this is to avoid knit-picking. For example a situation occurring where it could be HR is stating 4 hours are owed and then AFSCME responds that it should be 6 hours. b. AFSCME stated that when they put the remedy resolve, most come back denied. AFSCME has been trained by Council 5 to leave the remedy open ended in Step 1 so there can be a conversation. AFSCME said that they are recognizing a pattern where all Step 1’s and 2’s are being denied so they would like to keep it generic. AFSCME also stated that sometimes to meet the grievance deadline, the steward filing the grievance does not have time to look up specifics like overtime hours owed. HR stated that that is completely understandable and that from a documentation standpoint it would help to put that information on the grievance and initial it. Katie stated that they do not need to be doing the work for AFSCME and that this could assist with the process. Tim Headlee stated that sometimes there are discrepancies with what the employee states and what HR comes back with. Tim stated that he got the feeling the remedy would need to be discussed. Katie stated that they do not want to take that away; on the front end this would give a jumping point.
3. CRP Decision Day a. 5 employees decided to stay part time status, the rest went full time. The night shift chose this morning and the day/evening shift will decide this afternoon. In CRP everyone received what they wanted.
AFSCME: 1. Lot Draws a. AFSCME would like to bring this back to employees physically picking the card that is their seniority. Matt Stenger stated that we could have HR come into the room for the last 5 minutes to do the draw. Matt said that they would like to have this more face-to-face personal so the new employees do not think we are arranging their seniority. AFSCME has been accused of such things before. b. Jenn Frew stated that the problem with this is with those who are not on campus but in the same class (Rochester CBHH and Anoka). Jenn asked about the idea of doing this via Vidyo. Matt Stenger stated that they would not be in favor of this because they want to have that personal connection with the employees and be able to explain what seniority means. Jenn stated that not everyone is in the system on the same day. Matt mentioned possibly leaving every other spot for an employee that is off campus.
2. Oral reprimand/Lead Scores a. With new contract language stating that an oral reprimand cannot be grieved, AFSCME would like to see oral reprimands not be something that could hold an employee back from receiving a Lead score.
3. LPN’s mutual language a. Tim Headlee stated that he is fielding a lot of concerns about floating nurses into different areas and programs. Management stated that this is because it is needed. We are short staffed in the nursing department. This is being done between units 200, 300, 600, South, and Bartlett. b. Because fulltime LPN’s are not receiving consecutive days off they would like to utilize the contract language to mutual. They are not being allowed to mutual currently. Colleen Ryan will follow up with this and get back.
4. Admissions Unit (No nurse) a. There is concern over a nurse not being present on weekends. Colleen stated that there is a nurse assigned but they are sharing their responsibility with another assignment. They do have parameters in place to ensure the patients are getting nursing attention. Management stated that this is only happening because they are short staffed. Management had to make the decision to inverse more when they are hearing nurses are burned out or go this route. b. Nursing and SC’s on the Admissions Unit work closely. Sometimes nurses perform SC duties. Scott Melby stated that that should not be happening. Would like to make sure staff know what to do if they need assistance. c. AFSCME mentioned that there were altercations when nursing was sharing CRP and Unit 100 coverage. They did not have the necessary tools in a crisis situation. Overall there is a concern. d. A member mentioned that if nurses do not need to be present on weekends, the same should go for Security Counselor Leads. Scott Melby stated that Leads are important and we need them here to make sure we have experienced personal here along with inexperienced. The reason the nurse has off weekends on this unit is in response to being short staffed. e. Colleen Ryan stated that they are actively recruiting and hiring. There are two nurses who just ended their orientation and another nurse starting in February.
5. Vacation-Days off counting against the unit vacation pool a. When an employee takes 7 days as vacation, all 7 days are counted against the unit’s vacation pool. Their scheduled days off are not open. This is eliminating vacation which is not contractual. This was brought up the end of last summer. AFSCME was told by Melissa Gresczyk that we would discuss this when the new supplemental language takes effect to get a better insight. b. CRP staff are getting their vacation request denied when it is for their scheduled days off. To clarify – employees should attach 1 working day to a vacation request when it covers their scheduled days off. That one day can later be rescinded but please do so early enough for another employee to put in for that date. This has been a huge issue in CRP because of their schedule changing. Their schedule is changing again and many employees did not know to attach 1 working day. Now these employees have gaps in their vacation. c. Jenn Frew stated that CRP employees did ask her about this and Jenn did say that yes, they should put in. If the vacation is taken a part time employee could work with Carrie Archer to have that specific day be their scheduled day off. When it comes to full time employees this would not work. Full time employees do have the option to mutual days off. Shannon Pech stated that that is not always a realistic option. d. Vacation is extremely personal and important to all. Management stated that they understand this. We have several different labor groups and different understandings among the programs when it comes to vacation. Management stated that they do have an organization to run but do sympathize with what is going on. A common understanding will not be easily accomplished but the conversation needs to happen. Scott Melby stated that they are more than interested in coming to an understanding and figuring this out. If we had one process that would solve a lot of problems. The piece of language that complicates it is that days off shuffle. It helps that with new language they now can only shuffle every 2 months. AFSCME asked why count days off within the 2 months? This is because when taking a different position, you take the days off of the previous incumbent. e. Cindy Jungers asked if vacation has been brought up with the BMS group. Scott Melby stated that because of the group dealing with other issues it has not come up yet but he anticipates that things like vacation will be discussed down the road. There is going to be the same issues, same Schedule Anywhere, and this is being recognized. Scott stated that we owe it to people to figure something out. Something needs to be put out explaining current practice and the expectations of what happens with vacation and what needs to happen if days off change. This will be added as a follow up item. If you have any great ideas, Scott is interested.
6. FNH: LPN shortage scheduling only 2 LPNS a shift instead of 3. a. This is not true. It should be switching from 3 med carts to 2. Management stated that they are talking with licensing staff about redistributing meds. They have been talking about this the past couple of weeks. This is driven by the shortage of licensed nurses. RN’s also pass meds at the Nursing Home. They don’t schedule 3 LPN’s for meds, it is 3 licensed staff. They are doing this more than ever have because of the schedule change. RN and LPN shortages is a state wide issue. Cook County’s unemployment is at 8%, ours is 2% so we have less people. Colleen Ryan stated that they continue to recruit and that filling the vacancies is their intent.
7. “Work Areas” Definition a. In Transition the day/evening shifts are considered one work area and the overnight shift is considered a different work area. The Nursing Home is the only area that is considered one work area. The problem with Transition is that OT on the day/evening shifts is first being offered to those working days/evenings before overnights even though someone on the overnight shift may have more seniority. AFSCME stated that their remedy on this one is to define the work area as the building so OT is seniority base. Management stated that it is something they can look into. Some of the people it would involve are not at this table so there will need to be follow up. Management will talk to the program leaders.