May 01, 2008  
Bargaining – 4/29/08
 
Come put your two cents in. We need more involvement. Nothing happens by sitting back and waiting for others to do it. If we all did that, guess what…nothing. If you want it, it’s there for you, but you’ve got to come get it.

Today, management presented its counters to Change of Ownership and Field Reps/Stewards Visits.

On Change of Ownership their proposed changes were as follows:

Paragraph one was left the same.
A. Was accepted with 60 days notice for layoffs, and 120 days for closures. They changed 4 months to 120 days; same same.
B. Administration rejected our changes and kept their original language. They are OK with putting buyers on notice to recognize and bargain with the union and no further. The union wanted them to make sure the new buyers guaranteed jobs and seniority of members.
This is the same language that management proposed before.

Administration said if there is loss of jobs due to transfer of ownership they will bargain over effect of, say, lost jobs, etc., as dictated by law. I don’t know how far that goes, but Charlie, our chief negotiator, said, “We’re reassured…!”

On Field Rep Visits and Shops Stewards their changes were as follows:

1. Rep was agreed on with one change. The rep will notify the VP of Human Resources instead of administration.
2. Was accepted.
3. Was rejected and original language put in!?
4. Administration said the Rep could meet with members during off time in non-working areas such as the cafeteria. The union had asked for access to locked unit break rooms like behavioral health after giving advance notice. Admin insists there is no such area inside behavioral; that it is outside the area. Some bargaining team members said there IS an area inside, though.
5. The union proposed no reps access to patient rooms. Management said this was too severe; that there could be times a rep would need access to patient rooms.

B. Union Shop Stewards.
The union proposed providing a list of Stewards to the administration. Admin accepted.
Functions of Stewards: to settle problems, resolve grievances and for Weingarten meetings. Admin accepted.
Steward activity done during time off with reasonable notice to the supervisor added. Admin agreed.
Stewards won’t interfere with normal operations of Enloe. Admin agreed.
Employer-rep meetings with union reps on grievance. Admin accepted.
Employer to provide 3 days a year unpaid for stewards to get union training. Same as union’s.
Release for shop steward meetings. Admin stuck to their original language. No pay for union business was their response.

Employee Reps to Union Negotiation Comm. Admin countered with original language, rejecting union’s.

After lunch the bargaining team countered on Field Reps and Stewards with few changes. We dropped A.5: No rep access to patient rooms as management had done the same; easy choice.

Charlie maintained that there’s a locked break room in behavioral health and still wanted rep access with advance notice. Team members James and Patty agreed and confirmed the point. Admin insisted it was outside.

Administration then broke for caucus returning pretty much holding to its language from earlier, and still insisting no locked break room inside behavioral health, and team members still stating to the contrary. Admin said even though it will not block access to any area if the process to gain entry in advance is followed. They also would not agree to language in E.7 and C’s second line about pay for union and bargaining team meetings. They don’t want to pay for these and held on their language. The union would not move on their need for pay to stewards for meeting and bargaining. We want them, just as they want them for themselves.

There were no TAs today.

Admin then asked about the proposals on the Training Fund and Committees. We said we’d look into the proposals.

Charlie requested the hospital policy on meeting room access protocol. Carol Linscheid said she would look into the matter.

We ended then.

The next meeting is on 5/9/08 at the Oxford suites. Any members who want to see and support this bargaining process can come on down. The contract is for all of us, and we won’t enjoy the rewards until it’s done. The less participation, the longer the wait, and the less the outcome. Come put your two cents in. We need more involvement. Nothing happens by sitting back and waiting for others to do it. If we all did that, guess what…nothing. If you want it, it’s there for you, but you’ve got to come get it. No action from members; no reaction from administration.

There will be an action team meeting Monday, May 5 at 12:30 and 5:00PM at the Labor Council on Sycamore between 9th and Humboldt Streets.