AFSCME Labor Management MSH

June 17, 2021 1230PM

Administration Building

Attendance: Adam Castle, Ryan Cates, Eric Manriquez, Annie Jakacki, Scott Melby, Becky Robinson, Derek Harstad, Denise Considine, Carol Olsen, Michelle Chalin, Kristen Hiner, Alli Kuhlman

Reflection/Celebration: Michelle-We have had success of hiring HSS to Grove A and had minimal movement from the nursing home. Job fairs were also a success. Carol-Staff participation in the videos was also appreciated. Michelle-Minimal COVID cases recently. Derek-last vaccinations were last week, and we had a good showing.

Standing Agenda Items:

1. Osha Information: Handouts from Alli.
2. 2.      Overtime Information: Handouts from Alli.

Old Business

Management-None

AFSCME

1. 1.      COVID Issues: None
2. 2.      OT Increase: Carol-Overtime has been going down according to the graphs over the last couple of pay periods.  Scott-We have had inversing almost every day. The last day with no inversing was Tuesday the 8th of June. Carol-Really successful hiring HSSS but having difficulty hiring FSS. Reminder that there is a 500-dollar referral bonus for the current staff if the referred person makes it through probation.  The Interviewee must indicate who referred them. Denise-this has been in effect the whole time. Carol-It must be in the same classification as the staff that referred. The hired person must identify at time of interview. Example is MNA to MNA. AFSCME to AFSCME. Cates-Walmart distribution center is starting new hires at $26.30 an hour and they also give a sign on bonus of $3,000. There is downward pressure on our state insurance and upward pressure in the private sector. Carol-Yes, but people also don’t want to come and work every weekend. Many people have turned it down after realizing this.
3. 3.      Grove Reorganization: Becky-With Aspen, Birch, and Cedar, we are waiting on the certificate of occupancy. We will then begin tours, drills, etc.
4. 4.      Not Backfilling Units: Scott-Our intent is to backfill units. Let us know if there are issues. A lot of times they say they are good with the staff they have. Becky-I will be talking to supervisors about this also. Staff ask me if there is any way they can be relieved after 8pm on inverses. If there is an assessment and it is determined the staff is no longer needed. I would like to talk more about this related to if you are inversed. If you get the opportunity to talk to your people and then I can gather more information. Cates-It does feel like that sometimes but if you are needed, you are needed. Becky-We want to balance it, so we aren’t overly staffed and if staff feel they aren’t needed. Maybe we can come up with an instrument to decide this. Jake-We were thinking it may end up always being one unit, so you would have to move people around to make it fair. Becky-I agree. not touching level 1 care and we don’t want to burden the AODS so much either. Cates- it may always be the same staff due to least seniors.
5. 5.      HSSS Cleaning Tasks: Cates-We brought this up last month about the same people having to clean for everyone. We never see clinical doing any of the cleaning. Becky-I haven’t been able to follow up yet, but I will get back to you.
6. 6.      Grove A Vacation Slots: Cates-With increases in HSSS we would like to look at this. Carol-Jodi said she will look into it.
7. 7.      LPNs in Grove A Being Able to take OT in other Groves: Derek-I put out an email to some people so the staff who are interested can train if they want to. We will then be able to allow them to pick up overtime on each other’s units once this is completed.

New Business

Management

1. 1.      Schedule for NOCs Grove B: Derek-Schedule change for nights. We had to recruit and only had a couple of them interested. Those moved to grove A. There are no longer LPNs on ECD nights. They can relieve RNs from an inverse if acuity allows for it. Cates-With subsequent overtime language, does this reduce LPN overtime on the late shift? Derek-no, if an LPN shift is open, it will be offered to LPNs first.
2. 2.      Ending SSL: Carol-Ending of SSL on 6/23.
3. 3.      Becky-I will be communicating with supervisors to talk to staff about reviewing duties in work areas. We want to add consistency to how we verify staffing on our units. In the Main Building, SS has done this.  Bartlett Hall has been difficult for SS to assist with this task, as there are two employee entrances.  In Grove A, It has been the charge nurse.

Into the future I would like unit staff to help verify that base staffing has arrived for the shift. This isn’t peer monitoring. It is simply to verify that we have safe staffing where we need it, and if not, to ensure that the AOD is aware, so they may address needs as they occur.  Jake-An issue may be a unit running short and may get into trouble? Becky-Would it be better to just call saying “I have 3 but we need 4?” Jake-yes, then it doesn’t put people in a bad spot. Its also possible a person hasn’t showed up yet.

AFSCME

1. 1.      Kitchen Vacation Slots Being Given to New Employees outside of contract: Cates-There is a report of new employees given vacation that has been denied to current staff and being given vacation out 6 months. Scott-No one was given vacation spots when hired. We are struggling to find kitchen staff. When we hire new people, we ask about vacations they may have planned. We did agree to not have that person count on the vacation calendar. Becky-That is universal around other contracts also. Derek-We do this for nurses as well if we can accommodate.
2. 2.      Denial of Rescinding OT: Cates-There is an email chain where someone was denied rescinding overtime. Scott-Our stance is that when accepting an assigned shift, you can’t rescind. In times of high overtime, it helps everyone. If something happens with that staff where they can’t take the overtime, we have the supervisors assess. Generally, we have allowed people to give back overtime. There are times that we can’t. It’s not a hard and fast rule but it’s what we have been doing.
3. 3.      Are FSS taking hospital Coverage from Grove A: Cates-This came from grove A where a patient was sent, and staff weren’t offered the overtime. Carol-An HSS? Cates-Yes. Scott-nothing is automatic, and I need to check on this. On 2 south we have an SC class. If FSS covered that, it would make sense. If its HSSS side, then it would be an HSSS. Do we offer inverse from there and then go to FSS? I wasn’t sure what this was. Cates-They are just wondering. Scott-It could be, but we aren’t doing it automatic.
4. 4.      Chairs: Cates-When chairs were taken, it was stated by someone when they took them out of the chart room, “people stand in a factory for 8 hours, counselors can stand for 15 minutes to do a chart note.” Also stated, “there are too many 300-pound counselors using them as rocking chairs.” This is why counselors feel they are being targeted. Scott-Those details would have been nice at the time. This is not why we are doing this. The chairs are designed for heavy use for 24 hours. We want to make sure we have the right chairs in the right place. We also want to standardize where we have chairs, so we know which chairs they are for replacing parts. I don’t want people talking like that about any staff. If there are chairs in wrong areas, reach out to supervisors. The standard was just developed. Cates-I took it to mean standardized where they were, not that they would be taken. Scott-At the start of construction, people went to get them when they needed them. Now that construction is completed, we must go back and get them. Becky-Send us more information on those comments.
5. 5.      Are FSS going to be required to run programming: Carol-I believe FSS have always had to do activities and other things. Becky-I believe it has FSS staff on it. Our effort is to build in structure for patients when they learn and engagement opportunities. We are proposing on who can assist based on the topics. I am not seeing it being much different from what people are doing now on evenings and weekends. With the sanctuary model, it has already been being facilitated by any staff. Not just by education. I don’t think it would go beyond just touching base and establishing activities for the day. If there is additional training people would like and for a broader led activity that we can provide, we would look at that. Jake-Instead of instructing people to always do it on the unit, should also offer to BAs and social workers floating. If they are interested, as opposed to those not interested. Becky-That could be considered. My mind goes to therapeutic rapport. Centralized service impacts relationship development. Here to foster and build relationships, patients out of rooms, etc. Cates-I foresee problems. Like RTs having activities there for SCs to run. RTs are sitting there while we run activities. Becky-I see direct care leading and developing it. Most staff in FSS role are meeting quals for mental health practitioner. It may be different than what we are used to. I would like to work on service delivery plan first. As I get recommendations, I will bring to the planning project. Then I can get into the nuts and bolts of it.
6. 6.      Changes in conditions of employment or work environment and expectations for FSS direct care staff: Becky-I am hoping it isn’t a surprise. With the service delivery project. Think about delineation between leads on who does what in a work area. Talked about how to give feedback to peers and how it may be better from a lead instead of a supervisor. Hopefully we can come up with specific tasks and talk about those. It is so different across the program. Scott-We want to collaboratively let you know of any changes. We get better results when we are collaborative. Jake-I hear they are worried about new units opening. Inversing will be very bad right away. The more notice we have, the better we can plan as well. Becky-We are trying.
7. 7.      Forest View north orange levels with one staff: Becky-They will be going up in the future. Direct care compliments of nursing and LPNs is higher than other areas. We need to think outside of specific role and more about what we have at the moment. There are more nurses available also. If people feel the number available is uncomfortable, let me know.
8. 8.      Aspen, Birch and Cedar: Cates-When can we see them? Becky-We also want temporary wall to come down. This will happen shortly. We don’t want to mess with it when we do drills, etc. Carol-We have to occupy north campus first. We will have time for tours, drills, etc. Becky-Note that we share concerns with overtime and inversing also. Silver lining is it may be toward the end of summer to occupy anyway. In the fall, overtime goes down a little bit. Carol-Every timeline seems to change.

Add Ons:

1. 1.      Patient Walking Path: Cates-Does it run along FMHP? Becky-I know there was a group working on the map. Carol-I think it does. There was a request for money to put in a sidewalk. Cates-Patients are making comments to staff and possible damage to vehicles. Becky-Have staff consult with their supervisor. Scott-I reviewed cameras also. It’s hard to look at video for 16 hours. To say we will never do it, isn’t true. Scott-Sometimes you can’t tell by video. Jake-I have had a patient talk to me about my vehicle also. Carol-A reality is that we drive on campus and we are driving close to Tamarac and willow. They can see us. Scott-If clients are reaching the level, we can trust them on campus, we need to get comfortable for them to see us.
2. 2.      Cable TV: Cates-Why no announcement? Scott-Intent was to communicate ahead of time. Vendors thought it would take 2 days to install. It took longer than they thought. They couldn’t get ahold of me and just turned it on to see if it worked. They went to different areas and found it working. There wasn’t a need for an announcement. I will get a channel listing up for everyone soon. People were working fast, and I wasn’t available at the time. Bartlett isn’t losing anything. It’s a different cable. Bartlett will be going up to north campus anyway, they will have it when they move. It would have cost more to run it to Bartlett also.
3. 3.      Lead Leveling: Becky-I am on a workgroup for the questions. Meeting rescheduled for next week. Denise-It was rescheduled due to attendance for next week. Continue to work through that. We want to get to a place to review the questions. I had no concerns before, but I haven’t seen it since. Cates-At MSOP there were questions. HR said they are no longer accepting input from labor. Denise-We never really said it was up to labor. Cates-Can we put forth questions? Eric said we are excluded. Denise-When the three of us met that day, that wasn’t discussed. Union doesn’t have a right to those questions. We aren’t against it, but we can talk about it when it gets to that point. Annie-There were samples put out there. Our input was requested for that. We then find out it is moving forward without discussion. Now we are not. Denise-We agreed that management would develop questions and once we get into that more, they can be reviewed or shared with labor. It wasn’t that you were removed but that no one would be on the team to develop the questions. Annie-Just to be part of it. If there is an issue, then we don’t have to start over. Easier for everyone to be involved throughout the process. Denise-We can have more discussion also. Cates-Can we look at opening up the list again? Denise-Alli brought that up last week. I want to talk to MSOP management also. I am not opposed to opening it up.
4. 4.      MMB Announcement: Cates-Recently rescinded the memo on investigations. Carol-Just yesterday we put out communication to AOD office. Becky-They should know now. Go back to past practice of stewards sitting investigations for AFSCME only.
5. 5.      GMW overtime: Carol-We drew the line there because they don’t work direct care. WTAs just don’t do the same kind of role.
6. 6.      Demobilization masks: Carol-Comes from DCT who follows other organizations. Michelle-They are still doing a weekly phone call. Still not backing down on masks right now. Congregational facilities were highly affected by COVID-19. It’s something they aren’t willing to touch right now. There are also variants out there.

Meeting Adjourned at 140pm