Present:
Carol Olson, Michelle Chalin, Meghan Goodrich, Jennifer Frew, Scott Melby, Chuck Hottinger, Scott Grefe, Amanda Mathiowetz, Molly Kennedy, Mike Homer, Colleen Ryan, Tom Christensen, Rochelle Fischer, Tim Headlee, Shannon Pech, Stacey Mueller, Ryan Cates, Cindy Jungers, Tom Kolstad

Management:
1. Budget
a. Continue to look closely at the budget. It has not shifted much since the last meeting. Luckily we have been given the 10.4 million to offset the overage. This is a one-time thing. We are still 6 million over budget going into 2016, if we are granted the 6 million we have requested from the legislature.
b. The facility currently runs at about 12 million over the base budget. There has been a request submitted to increase the base budget by 6 million raising it from the current 74 million to 80 million for 2016. We operate at about 84-86 million. The request seems to be moving along without much opposition. Scott Grefe asked the question of why we are only asking for an increase of 6 million then. Carol Olson stated that that is a good question and she is unable to answer that.
c. All of DCT has been asked to take a critical look at staffing patterns and coverage everywhere. This has been the directive given to Carol. There have been a couple of different meetings and she stated that she has not been involved in all of them. This is not just affecting AFSCME. All areas will be looked at on campus.
d. The dietary area was discussed yesterday, April 15th. Staffing patterns and how many full time employees were needed to run this area were looked at. Have to evaluate the amount of work that needs to be done. Management stated that they will not staff to meet the budget; they will staff to meet the area’s needs to run properly and safely. The kitchen is currently budgeted for 14-15 FTE’s. The kitchen is inefficiently running at 26 FTE’s. Management is proposing that the budget cover 22 FTE’s based off of taking a look at what this area needs to operate effectively. Carol stated that they have and will continue to share specifics with Mike Homer (the Chief Steward for that area) and Tim Headlee. AFSCME asked if there is any talk of patient workers in the Kitchen. Management stated that they do that already and that they cannot replace staff with patient workers. This type of evaluation will be done in every area. The Kitchen is an example.
2. Vacancies
a. There is a hand out attached of the vacant positions that have been submitted. This list will be provided at each Meet & Confer moving forward. AFSCME asked that the completed entries be deleted from the form. HR said that they would remove this. An updated report with the completed entries will be emailed to Chuck Hottinger. No other questions, comments, or change requests made.
3. Meeting Minutes from March 2015
a. Management did not agree with the piece regarding changes to the policy and staff being responsible to look at SharePoint. This was in the meeting minutes from March. Tim Headlee and Meghan Goodrich will be looking at this.
4. Nursing Home Contract with Security company
a. The Nursing Home will be utilizing their contract with a security company for a patient that will be at Rochester beginning April 16th. When management there looked at staffing through Monday, there were 8 vacant shifts. This is why the contract is being utilized. AFSCME asked if they thought about utilizing MSH or MSOP. Since this is not an MSOP patient, they did not consider MSOP. MSH was talked about but they have a significant amount of OT already. MSH management did offer to help at the point of inversing a nursing home staff.
AFSCME:
1. MSH Vacation Audit
a. The deadline given was for the supervisors. The supervisor was to have a discussion with the employee and come up with their own deadline and plan to get back within their accruals. This process is almost complete.
b. What management discovered through this audit is that there were more people who were over because that is how they thought it was done. This gave management the opportunity to talk about the process. It was a rocky start but now it is going well. No one has been uncooperative.
c. Management will be taking a look at how the audit was conducted and how they can improve for the next one. Holidays and days off will be some of the items looked at. AFSCME pointed out that a 7 day block should be counted as 5 vacation days because of having 2 off within a week. Would like to clean it up. Would like to talk about how to lay that out. Management stated that they get the report and then contact the supervisor of the employee who is showing over their hours on that report. Any questions about the process should be brought to Scott Melby or Tom Christensen.
d. About 50% of staff were a reasonable amount over their vacation accruals for the year. Some reaching the point of 700 hours over. Management stated that they will work with the employee to a certain extent. We do not think this will be as big of a problem from here on out.
2. MSH filling vacancies/positions
a. AFSCME asked if the plan is for us to adapt with what we have. Management stated that they have asked each area on campus to look at what they need to cover their area based on needs. Tom Kolstad and Kim are primarily working on this. They are looking at all employees and lining them up with the area they work in. The business office is then going to take a look at how it pans out, what we need to correctly staff this campus, and how it lines up with budgeted FTE’s. From there we can see if we are over, if we are in line, where there are too many staff, where there are too little. This process is just starting.
b. AFSCME stated that if we are not re-hiring, it appears we have created a world we grow accustomed too. Client care is impacted. Management stated that they started with program directors. They asked them to put together a staffing plan that meets the department’s needs and the client’s needs. Then it will be looked at how it matches up with the FTE’s. Directors were also asked to look at what their department needs on an hour by hour basis. This was done with all staffing templates, all 854 employees on the payroll. This will provide a much clearer picture. Management stated that this is a work in progress and it is hard to answer where we are going right now.
c. AFSCME stated that their biggest concern is safety. We have added SC’s and hope we do not start reducing again. The rest of direct care and treatment can alter their census to fit what they have for staff. MSH does not have that option. What if MSH gets numerous new admin’s? Is that part of the conversation? Management stated that they did not tell people to look at staffing to meet the budget. Staffing should be looked at to meet hour by hour needs. Management stated that we need to safely staff that unit and provide treatment. AFSCME asked if they are using some sort of acuity tool to make these decisions. MSH has not implemented that because the work are is constantly changing.
d. Stacey Mueller stated that 3 times in the last month staff have been dropped down because of activities. She gave the example of when there was an ICS at the same time of an Ancillary Meeting. This left 1 staff available so no one was able to attend the meeting. The unit as a whole got into trouble because no one attended the Ancillary Meeting. The ICS was not taken into consideration. There have also been times when a unit has asked the SOD for extra staff to cover activities, the SOD has said to make due. Scott Melby stated that he will follow up with this. Chuck Hottinger stated that the biggest complaint he has heard and experienced is at 5pm when it is dinner time and numerous activities going on. At that time the only person on the unit is A-Team. Carol stated that this is the first she has heard of that. The answer in the past has been to call the BA or Social Worker to help. AFSCME stated that historically they have not always been responsive to that. AFSCME also stated that there is a problem with creating the illusion that this is actually happening.
3. MSH Bartlett Hall (environmental study & staffing)
a. AFSCME asked why the point person went away. Staff there feel liable. Management stated that this was not a budget driven decision. The decision was made after evaluating how we can use staff for several months. B2N is the only place with a point person and that caused the evaluation. The supervisor and the employees of that area came up with a plan to back off of having to have a staff sit point. It was decided that with staff presence and rounds, enough supervision is provided to meet safety and security needs of the unit. All staff were involved with this decision. It was well thought out.
b. Scott said that he does not have the environmental study yet. Todd Kohl is working on this. Scott stated that when he has the study he will share with staff.
4. MSH State vs Class Seniority for GMW’s
a. Some workers wanted clarification on this. It goes by state seniority. This is in the contract. Having it go by class seniority has been a contract proposal but has never passed. Management and the union will be scheduling a meeting with this group to answer any questions and to provide this direction. Meghan Goodrich will schedule this meeting with Mike Homer and Chuck Hottinger.
5. MSH least seniors done via email
a. AFSCME has received reports of members getting told they are least senior via email by the SOD. TC stated that he was not aware this was happening. Scott and TC requested that Tim Headlee share with them the emails he has received of this happening. If things like this happen Scott requested that you let him know before Meet and Confer so that items can be corrected quickly. Scott will be taking this back to the supervisors.
6. MSH discipline letters/dates
a. Management is not obligated to let AFSCME know but it is nice to touch base with that employee and let them know their next step. Management stated that they would look into that. In the meantime Meghan Goodrich gave the employee who was getting non certified a print out of the contact information from Local 404’s website. Molly Kennedy stated that she would still encourage that management let the union know so they can try to touch base before the employee leaves campus.
b. Dates on letters: they are being issued two weeks later. The President is also not notified right away. An example would be when a Laudermill was scheduled two hours after the letter was received. HR stated that that was one that slipped through the cracks but is not normal practice. HR asked AFSCME to send them names of the people they should contact in each area when providing discipline letters.
7. CRP Scheduling/OT Roster
a. Shannon Pech talked to TC about it appearing on the schedule that they were not being granted vacation. Vacation is not being granted on currently scheduled days off. TC assured the group that scheduling would make every effort to not have future such occurrences, but made no guarantees.
b. CRP was recently included in the OT roster for MSH. There were several errors found in a matter of minutes looking this over. Three CRP staff are in the wrong positions, 3 NOCS staff are not in the roster. Shannon will be taking this to the scheduling department. Meghan Goodrich no longer puts together the list. CRP has never been on the OT roster before. Not sure why they got put on this time. Meghan is talking to Julie to figure out what happened.
8. MSH Learning Program about imminent risk
a. Ryan Chukuske is taking the lead on revamping the training for new employees. He will be drawing story examples across this campus to add into the new classes scenarios. Also, new employee orientation will be re-grouped so there is a better flow. The same scenarios will be used throughout the whole training process. For example: classes on handling the situation will be before classes on paperwork. Management will be looking at when seasoned staff can be made available to attend these classes and critique/put in their two cents. This will begin with the May orientation class.
b. Imminent risk is not so clear cut. Everyone’s perception is different. This is a process rather than a formula and people want a formula. Management stated that they need all staff to engage in this. Debriefing after every incident, even if an ICS was not called, will help. Scott encouraged staff to talk about defendable decision making and also the documentation that goes with it. We need to help each other get comfortable with the process. We need to prepare for imminent risk of self or others (i.e. taking a hospital bag with on long trips). AFSCME and management agreed that the tools that are coming back are better than what we used to have; more effective.
c. FIRST is the program the campus is in the process of developing. It will be a program/process where specific staff are going to be trained in how to offer support to those who have been injured. It is a spinoff of a program that is nationally known.
9. Term 9 Completion
a. The first meeting will be either the last week in April or first week of May. Management will be meeting with 3 people from licensing. Licensing has requested that this small group form before pulling the larger group back together.
10. Interest bids between programs
a. Cindy Jungers stated that we are not doing this right now but would not say that it is off the table forever.