AFSCME Labor Management MSH

December 19, 1230PM

Administration Building

Attendance: Adam Castle, Emilio Florez, Ryan Cates, Steve Wilking, Kurt Crosby, Lisa Vanderveen, Crystal Kreklow, Denise Considine, Scott Melby, Emilio Florez, Roxanne Portner, Elizabeth Trandum, Michelle Chalin, Carol Olsen, Marvin Sullivan

Reflection/Celebration: Lisa-good teamwork with vacating the Aspen Unit. 23 moves took place. It went very smoothly. Carol-people were so positive during my weekend rounds. Safety committee meeting today and showed a decrease in incidents and staff injuries. Scott-happy we got an agreement in our interest based problem solving meeting on our subsequent shift overtime. Excited to give that a try.

Standing Agenda Items:

1. OSHA Information-Handouts from Alli.
2. 2.      Overtime Information-Handouts from Alli.

Old Business

Management

 AFSCME

1. 1.      AODS Pool: Marvin-back several meetings about contacting AODS to help you out….a week ago we had staff not show up who thought they had vacation. OD knew about it at 635. At 715 we called to see whom he was sending, he said “figure it out yourself” We were sitting with one staff on the unit with 25 patients due to having a trip. They are not filling needs that are known. We hear they are busy but then we hear about them sitting in a nursing station an entire shift talking, it’s difficult for us to swallow. I won’t quote on exact hours but it was several hours. Kurt-several requests from members because it is ongoing, we come back with several answers. We have request from members asking what their job duties are so we can hold them accountable. We don’t know what they have to do, they know what we have to do. Inversing has also been done improperly lately. We would like to have these in writing. All of the AODS seem to have different directives on what they are to be doing. Cates-it comes down to consistency, they understand the directives differently so they do things differently. Scott-I will follow up. I have the information and I will look into it. I am working with AODS to get out and know people. I don’t want anyone sitting in an office doing nothing. A lot of hassles are on weekends when we are busy. When there are two, we want them to work together. Carol-continue to let us know. Scott-we had staffing issues recently at nursing home so it feels urgent.

New Business

Management

1. 1.      Organizational Changes: Carol-we have a lot of closures. Aspen came quickly, if we could vacate aspen it could move up the timeline to complete. I went to Lisa and the team and said I would like a plan within three weeks. Team is still a team. Displaced right now but in February, aspen will be brought together on OAK. We didn’t disband the team. Will move to oak. Hoping to have completion on 4. Lillydale, Maple, Pine, Oak at end of December. Then we have to get licensed. Hope to open in February. Then vacating birch and cedar for remodel. Keep communicating as it changes. Seaquist working with ICS coordinators. Upon substantial completion and ownership, we will run drills before we move patients in. Questions about the property on aspen. Carol-patty and TC went through and took FFNE that is salvageable and moved it. Putting up a wall when turning to aspen.
2. 2.      Use of Security Company: Carol-sent communication. When we have nursing home patients in hospital and inversing, we will reach out to the company to see if they can cover. We invoke the contract until the patient comes back. We said we would let you know if this happens. Kurt-SCs were getting overtime for this, which in turn created overtime. Several people like to go to Rochester for these. It worked well. There were people here inversed because a person form the nursing home. Some staff overtime was cut short when the company relieved them. Cates-told to leave all paperwork that comes from us. Told by AODs to leave it but concerned if they should. Crystal-always make sure if its work we do, it’s offered to us first. Carol-that’s the plan. The company doesn’t come back and cover when not asked. They do one coverage and then done. We only use them if it causes inverse to cover hospital stays but I will check in. Cates-they are being called for dialysis. Are you going to use the company for that too? Carol-no. We will send some clarification on the expectations for this. Scott-staff did the right thing by calling the AODS.
3. 3.      Update on Schedule Change for Grove E: Lisa-go into effect January 22nd. Looking forward to that change. Marvin-staff were happy to see it also but disappointed it hadn’t happened yet.
4. 4.      Announcement Regarding Winter Weather and Late Arrival of Staff: Carol-sent out the communication on that as well. Some felt it came across as punitive but it was not the intent. Can use vacation or comp. I believe the staff whose time books were changed incorrectly changed was fixed. There was an announcement from MMB whether you are essential or not, I clarified for the essential employees. That you can use comp or vacation to cover that time. Kurt-there has been conversation with supervisors on who can or can’t make it in depending on what conditions were at the time. Carol-we expect people to make effort to come to work. If you can’t make it in to work, don’t risk your life but also if you are playing games, you affect your peers. Denise-MMB really speaks to if the state declares an emergency and who is considered essential.  When you call in for weather, call in to the AODS and say “I cannot make it due to weather.” Carol-if you can make it in at any time for your shift, you are relieving a peer.
5. 5.      MNOSHA Contestation: Emilio-you should get the request in the next week to be part of the process.
6. 6.      Kitchen Construction Update: Scott-kitchen has partition wall to separate construction zone is going well. Really cold the other day due to exhaust fan failure. It is fixed and now going well.
7. 7.      Roxanne-requesting contacts. We talked to developer and she is looking into a fix. Split shifts: couldn’t find where that is happening except in inverse. Jodi couldn’t identify where it was occurring, nor could the AODS. LPN to HSSS-has happened 3 times in the last year. I don’t know the specifics. Add On: schedule will be posted on Monday instead of Tuesday.

AFSCME

1. 1.      SIP Process for nursing: Cates-issues with 2 calling in. want to leave at 4 and 6pm. 6pm chosen but told they have to leave at 4. Roxanne-that was the direction. We don’t know the availability at 6. So if we do the evaluation at 4, something can happen in those 2 hours. A group is looking at this. Scott-Shawn smith will reach out to afscme to hear concerns or questions about this. You can also reach out to him. All of the processes are being reviewed and analyzed. Roxanne-contractual language around this too. Steve-it’s ok to leave at 4 but not 6? Carol-things can happen in those two hours. Scott-no matter what we do, someone will be unhappy. We aren’t making people leave.
2. 2.      Aspen Unit Dissolution: Cates-Concerns with this. When moved to Elm, Birch, Tamarak. Split them up. Still same number in building but increase most by one. So now you use less staff in building for same number of patients. Scott-is there an area understaffed? Patients moved to different environments, better environments. Lisa-AODS is aware we may need to reassign people to different areas. Scott-we are monitoring that. It has gone better than expected. One person says we are fine, another says we have too many. If we are missing in areas, let us know. The team is still a team. Not dissolution. Staff need to know we are maintaining that team.
3. 3.      Weekend bonus for HSSS’: Cates-when they accept shift Friday NOC through Sunday evening shift. Carol-there was a glitch with the code but that has been fixed. Kurt-on any of their days off too. Denise-intermittents are eligible for weekend bonus but not during the week because they are not scheduled. Crystal-why aren’t we calling them to ask if they want it? Roxanne-we are. Denise-they would get straight time and the bonus. In the bargaining unit only (204). Intermittent LPN also.
4. 4.      FNH Targeting: Kurt-HSSS with us for a long time. Targeting issue in past that has been addressed. Investigated for ETL usage. Stewards bring issues to us then we bring them to you and then feel targeted. Crystal-I witnessed this personally when a staff was talking to us. Carol-when did this happen? Cates-last month. Cates-now stewards being investigated multiple times. Carol-We have been dealing with this and I just want to know if this has happened again recently. Kurt-we will look into it and let you know. Crystal-this person had a conversation about it and then the supervisor went in and changed it. Comes across as targeting. Roxanne-so you know, it is routine for us to initiate investigation on ETL.
5. 5.      15 Minute wellness checks on high Acuity units: Kurt-ideas for 15 min check. People on unit quite often. These checks pull staff away from doing escorts, etc. if there is someone needing the checks. We get busy and when rooms are filled, you are going from side to side and doing documentation and then doing it again. Can this be revisited? Shouldn’t it be more purpose based? Can we revisit this? I do know that this has decreased our incidents. It has had a good result. Reduction in patient incidents in Bartlett and aspen. Staff presence and visibility. Intervening quickly.
6. 6.      Vacation Process: Cates-next summer, people taking large spans of vacation. June July August. Other people put in then the original person rescinds. They should never be granted before posting is done nor rescinded before the posting is taken down. Carol-we talked about this being done. I didn’t know it was this in particular. Scott-I don’t have an answer, I am interested in your ideas. I didn’t anticipate someone would do that and then rescind. We need to do something that is acceptable to all of us. Crystal-putting in chunks jus to open up. Carol-rescinded before posting was finished. Kurt-staff told by supervisor that union agreed to change the way it is practiced. Union did this months ago. In relation to all of it. The union didn’t change anything. She said the grievance was lost and this is what happened. We got emails on this asking why we did this. Carol-perception is reality for them. Roxanne-there was a practice change right? Cates-allowing them to go beyond 6 months. Came back with it and I said we can do an MOU and that never happened. We didn’t change a process.
7. 7.      Anti-Union Activities while being paid by the appointing authority: Cates-a person is going around to units trying to convince people to drop dues while on the dime of the appointing authority and on overtime doing this. Carol-what do you hope? Cates-just bringing it to your attention. Carol-we should all hold each other accountable for work time. Scott-happening anywhere else in the state? Crystal-I have no idea. Scott-I think we focus on people doing their work. Carol-when your reps are wanting to talk to people, you are. Cates-it’s a contractually guaranteed right for us to do that. Carol-freedom of speech as well. Carol-I support unions, they are important. Cates-just bringing to your attention.
8. 8.      Inversing our members prior to calling the OT list: Kurt-direct them to call a list out. Roxanne-it’s a call? Kurt-no, it’s an email. Roxanne-would it help for when you come in it’s on a list? Kurt-it would but what about sick calls? Marvin-better than sending an email. Roxanne-I don’t know if it’s possible. Crystal-they do the list in corrections listed most to least senior.

Add Ons:

1. 1.      Mutual to doubles coding: Marvin-people don’t know how to code if you mutual to a double. So when sent to payroll, it got changed to overtime. Scott-I learned of this a couple of weeks ago. Marvin-alli said a memo got sent out to management. Clarification across the board. The code is SFX.
2. 2.      Spruce patient cast: Cates-1 to 1 with abusive client. Asking to do something that when orders are written, they think how this could affect staff. Carol-this only lasted until the next morning.
3. 3.      Staff coverage and needing an escort: Cates-the staff needs to be with another staff that came back as coverage but this leaves the unit short. Elizabeth-it’s a work comp thing. Carol-I will look into this.
4. 4.      Kurt-Noc shift days off allotment: staff compete with vacation. Elizabeth-there has been discussion on how to deal the NOCS scheduling. Lisa-it is time for us to look at. We have MSH nights and CRP. Now we need to decide how to define work areas for overnights. Scott-we need to come up with a solution. It’s on the to do list. Send us recommendations.
5. 5.      Schedule being switched without notice (late to an Early): Kurt-happened to me and I was late. Marvin-this has happened a lot. My late shift I was switched to an early on my Friday. Scott-there is usually a reason for these switches. I anticipate it was posted 14 days out for that. Kurt-I’m sure it was. I get there are business needs, but show us.
6. 6.      Scott-Outside 14 days and inside 28 days we are looking at adding vacation spots in kitchen for weekdays only. We are looking at it and we will let you know.

Meeting Adjourned at 205PM