FMHP Meet and Confer 02.16.23

Agenda

AFSCME Labor Management

February 16, 2023

Facilitator / Chair

Sarah Alli

Membership:

AFSCME  404 & Management

Brian Wills, Becky Robinson, Scott Melby, Matt Stenger, Rick Pitts, Erin Wiederich, Ryan Cates, James Kibler, Eric Manriquez, Allison Kuhlman, Sarah Alli, Annie Jackaki, Michelle Chalin

Topic 

Discussion

Meeting Called to Order

Approval of Minutes

 

Reflection / Celebration

  1. Union is celebrating the appearance of lots of legislative support during this past lobby week.
  2. Management celebrating that FNH received approval to be a CNA training site and that will be more cost effective and will get training done more efficiently. The CNA classroom training is separate from OJT and NEO.  The training will be about 2 weeks.  It will be more concentrated at our facility. Normally the training is a couple days a week for several weeks.
  3. Management was happy that there was a lot of staff forum attendance yesterday; 188 logins and heard that there were multiple people able to be at each login if time allowed. The forum was recorded and will be posted along with the Q&A’s that were posed during the forum as soon as they can get that completed.
  4. Management would also like to celebrate the amount of de-escalation that is happening as there were low numbers of restraint and seclusions reported at the safety committee meeting this week.

 

Standing Agenda Items

 

 

Old Business

 

Management:

 

AFSCME:

  1. Cameras and monitors in Grove A
  1. Lack of vacation
  2. Process for covering- Atlas does not work- Counts mutuals as days covering
  3. Days off for Day on the Hill on March 28th
  4. Holiday day off process
  5. Update on generic login for when patients need to use the computer without staff supervision
  6. Short staffing
  7. N95 fit testing and staff being told they have to shave

 

 

  1. Cameras and monitors in Grove A- The contractors are here this week, and they are in process of getting the cameras and monitors put in Grove A as well as the nursing home. 
  2. Lack of vacation- Labor brought up there is still a need for 5 more vacation slots to accommodate all the accruals. Management said they can’t really add anymore in good conscious with the inversing forecast.  Union field rep was requesting the numbers of what the accruals are just in case the need to get an MOU in writing so that members don’t lose vacation or comp time they have accrued.
  3. The process for covering different units has been addressed in Atlas this week.  Let management know if hasn’t been fixed.
  4. Day on the Hill March 28th -Union requested more vacation slots for members to attend day on the hill.  Management said to get specific names to Jodi and Becky and they’d try to accommodate. Management stated when they recently checked there was open slots available still.
  5. Holiday day off process-Union will check in with Jodi to see if the process has been followed.  
  6. Short staffing-Management is working on a platform to start disseminating information on different types of staffing actions, recruitment, and wage increases.  Management did some debriefing after the forum yesterday and are trying to get Direct Care and Treatment and Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) to get wage increase.  They also welcome suggestions on how to show appreciation to labor.  Labor feels like MMB are waiting for negotiations for Security Counselor/Leads wage increase and it’s dire to get a fix sooner than a year out.  Leadership attempted to empathize with labor saying they have been where we are and are trying to advocate for our campus.  Labor market has changed significantly with remote working, and baby boomers leaving the workforce.  Labor also attempted to empathize with management saying we understand the issues that management faces but we’ve been advocating on the pay inequity for at least 6 months.  Labor was told that nobody from Department of Human Services has contacted MMB.  Union is asking for DHS to go to MMB and has asked for a timeline on when they will talk to MMB. Emergency inversing, there has been more of that, and labor asked if we could find a way to give the employee something extra.
  7. Update on generic login- The generic login was deployed in Grove D for WebEx on devices.  The deployment of the devices and logins seems to be going well and the workgroup will be meeting in March to then address the virtual visit policy.  
  8. N95 fit testing- Labor brought up the requirement of having to shave or facing discipline.  Management is trying to work with everyone.  The policy states that the employee must be prepared to don an N95 mask.  If the employee would like to try to pass the fit test before shaving, management will support that.  

 

New Business

 

Management:

  1. Open to interest-based problem solving-controlled contraband that’s come about/pat searches being trained and audits

AFSCME:

  1. Staffing minimums being cut-
  2. More drills on responding to lower campus
  3.  A supervisor mistreatment of staff-
  4. A supervisor active anti-Union activities-they are telling new staff that not to sign union cards. Management will address this with the supervisor
  5. FMLA FMR coding for refused overtime-account for those hours to be added to FMLA then can deduct the hours,
  6. FNH hospital coverage with 1 staff-policy contradicts itself about where staff need to be.
  7. FMHP hospital coverage with 1 staff- same as above
  8. Transport team scheduling- being moved back to 6-2/2-10.
  9. Patients in hallways at shift change
  10. Staff forum-
  11. Rescinding overtime-
  12. Two members to testify in safety legislation

 

New Business

 

Management:

        1. Interest based problem solving-                     controlled contraband. Management would like to discuss controlled contraband and pat search training. Labor has agreed to discuss it in a future meeting(s).

 

AFSCME:

  1.  Staffing minimums being cut- Management said they are trying only to cut minimums when emergency inversing is coming into play or repeated inversing.  They are also trying to keep a pulse on the units’ volatility as to not short staff units that may be dealing with a high acuity. They are not doing it to save money on overtime.  When NOC shift is being run with one staff, they are getting notifications.
  2. More drills on responding to lower campus- Since bartlett closed there hasn’t been too many drills on who responds to lower campus or what that might look like.  Security director will work on getting the information out and doing some drills.
  3. A supervisor asking for labor to check on his employees-Management believes that was a misunderstanding and the supervisor was just trying to make sure the employees had adequate footwear.
  4. A supervisor active in anti-union activity. Management will address the supervisors about activity.
  5. FMLA FMR coding for refused overtime. Any foreseen overtime must be added to an employees FMLA hours so they can’t go against the employee’s need for the hours.  Labor requested to get a record of all the employees that this coding may affect as it may need to be a class action lawsuit.  Management is not intending to drive FMLA hours down. 
  6. FNH hospital coverage with 1 staff- Labor brought up that the hospital coverage policy contradicts itself about where staff need to be when doing coverage.  Abbott/Alina policy says they will not sit for us to take a break.  Mayo has supported our practices of using them for breaks in the past but don’t seem to be willing now.  Management will investigate it.
  7. FMHP hospital coverage with 1 staff- same as above
  8. Transport team scheduling- Labor asked if making the transport team go back to the same hours as residential staff if it will eliminate med trips over shift change.  Management replied probably not but they are trying to make sure the units are covered first.
  9. Patient movement during shift change- The policy is that no unescorted movement between 1:45pm-2:15pm.  Management is willing to expand that timeframe to include nursing shift changes as well.
  10. Staff forum- Management said that contracted Security counselors are for hospital coverages only. Work Out Of Class security counselors are for the staff that would like to help in the security counselor capacity. 
  11. Rescinding overtime- Labor would like management to take into consideration the totality of the circumstances when people are rescinding overtime if they’re considering discipline.
  12. Members to testify in safety legislation-Labor asked for two members to get the day off to testify in some safety legislation.  Management asked for the names to be given to scheduling department.

Roundtable:

 

 

 

 

Communication

What Items/Points need communication:

1.

2.

3.

 

To Whom (groups/level):

How (method): 

Who will initiate/responsible?

Adjourn

1430