Present: Jenn Frew, Meghan Goodrich, Tom Christensen, Rita Olson, Carol Olson, Shannon Pech, Andrew Jones, Molly Kennedy, Scott Grefe, Chuck Carlson, John Knobbe, Melissa Gresczyk, and Tudy Fowler
Management Agenda Items
1. Follow-ups from last meeting a. Vacation Availability at MSH: Tudy Fowler met with Chuck Carlson and John Knobbe earlier this week and presented them with a guide to how management will intend to grant vacation for MSH Security Counselors and MSH Security Counselor Leads going forward. See attached memo for complete communication. The Scheduling Office is beginning to grant vacations pursuant to the attached memo and a communication will be prepared to all employees that will be distributed through Carol’s Friday Communication. Carol’s communication will serve to clear any questions arising from the effective date language within the memo. Labor stated that the NOC would not be granting 4 spots until next year and requested notice be given before going to 4 spots to ensure employees had proper time to put forth their requests. b. Vacation Availability @ FNH: A meeting has been scheduled for management next week when Colleen Ryan returns from vacation to discuss labors concerns regarding vacation availability at the FNH. More information will be shared with labor after this meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to first determine what adjustments may need to be made and then management will communicate with the union on next steps. Labor stated that the scheduling office needs direction from management on the process for days off during vacation days. Management will take this concern and make a decision on the process. When vacation time butts into days off, according to Labor, MSOP honors employee’s prior days off. Managements stance is that employees should include their days off in their vacation request to ensure they receive those days off should their days off change between the request and the time vacation is taken. Managements intent is not to mess up employee’s vacation time and stresses the need to work on a case by case basis should this issue arise. Labor does not believe that our system allows employees to keep their vacation requests. Labor requests a communication to employees asking them to ensure that their schedules are correct. Management will include in Carol’s communication a statement that employees should check their schedules and bring any issues forward to HR or their union representative. Management directs that this point forward, employees should include their days off in their vacation requests if they want to ensure that they have those days off at that point in time. c. Staffing Plan Rollout: With some employees on the day/evening shift moving to the night shift we need to determine what is considered a day off. Per contract language, employees need a day off in between moving to a new shift as described. Is the time between the two shifts considered a day off? Labor’s proposed solution was that we agree to be reasonable people on a case by case basis and determine how this affects capable and qualified. Management’s proposal is to ask the affected employees what they want to do and asks how many cases of this issue truly exist. It is believed there are only 5 or 6 affected employees. Agreed Solution: Management will communicate to only those individuals impacted and will ask what they want to do and then will determine next steps. Rita and Stu will contact each employee and then will follow up with an email to John and Chuck, cc’ing Meghan and Jenn, with each employee’s choices. Labor asked why the scheduling office was referring to an “intermittent schedule” in a meeting held earlier in the day and wanted to know what this was. Management explained that they believe the scheduling office was referencing a calendar within the system that allows intermittent employees to log when they are available to work. Rita will double check on the purpose of this “intermittent schedule” and provide that information to Labor. Labor asked if they could see this tool and management agreed. d. WC return to work meeting: This meeting has not yet taken place as it originally began as trying to include all bargaining units. The language regarding this meeting is only within the AFSCME contract and is therefore no longer going to be held up by waiting for the other bargaining units’ participation. The meeting will be offered to other units and they may attend this if they wish. The meeting will begin between Chuck and Meghan to establish. Tudy is also working on other work comp issues. Tudy has met with Susan Thibedeau-Coilan and Neil Doughty, to share the work that a prior committee had done to prepare work comp folders for distribution to injured workers. Susan and Neil are in the process of reviewing the information and talking with Senior Management to determine whether something should be implemented across all of DHS. Melissa will be emailing some 1-page helpful information sheets to the group. The intent is that these 1-pagers will be added to the packets that will be given to the employees. Currently staff can go online to obtain information, but management acknowledges the need to get paper into the hands of employees at the time of injury. Susan has also now been made aware of a survey that is in place that allows injured employees to share their opinions on the process. Susan is now collecting and reviewing all survey responses. e. Meetings Minutes: Management requests the minutes from the May meeting from Labor. f. Investigations: Mel provided an update from Anne Barry to Labor regarding upcoming investigations. The facility has recently been in the paper regarding an incident where a patient was dropped off at a homeless shelter upon discharge. A communication will be coming shortly to all employees regarding the fact that an investigation will be occurring into this situation. This investigation is not a misconduct investigation, but instead is a root cause analysis into our policies and practices. An outside firm will be conducting this investigation; however the contract is not yet in place. There will also most likely be a separate licensing investigation.
2. General Distribution a. Payroll Reports: The Hours Report for PPE 07/16/2013 and 7/30/2013 was distributed to all present. b. OSHA Log: The OSHA Log for 2013 including all incidents occurring in July was distributed to all present. In July there was 1 injury at the Nursing Home, which met the OSHA criteria for logging. 3. Spot Light Article Feedback: Carol asked if Labor had heard anything in regards to the new employee spot light article. Labor indicated they are not hearing anything but think it is a good tool, especially for new staff. Management states this tool was made after employee survey relieved employees felt they were not seen for the good work they are doing.
Labor Agenda Items
1. Bidding/Return to Work: With the MOU gone, Labor believes there is no way to ensure an employee’s return to their prior position upon being deemed not capable and qualified for a role the employee bid in to. Management has typically returned employees in this situation to work by placing them into dead bid positions. Labor would like clear direction on the process when there is no probationary period and a person becomes not capable and qualified as the contract language does not support this process. Management has not seen a situation where a dead bid was not an option up to this point. Labor would like management to tell employees that if they do not meet competency, “x” will occur. Management agrees to start conversations with Labor in an effort to develop a formal process. Possible solutions discussed include adding language within the postings which will be discussed at a management staffing call.
2. Weekly Communications: Chuck was reviewing the weekly communications and requested more information on the MI&D Stakeholders Group. Carol explained that this is a push from Senator Sheran and the purpose of the group is for people within the commitment process to question what should change in the statute, if anything. The group will review what is required for a permanent MI&D commitment and then what is required to determine eligibility to leave campus. The second communication Chuck requested more information on is the BWBR User group announcement. Carol shared that the BWBR project can be found on the Forensics SharePoint site under “projects” and because a Pharmacy is being added to the project they are establishing user groups. These are cross functional groups, that include direct care staff who bring forward suggestions on the building project. Each user group has only had 2 meetings and we have already made a lot of changes to the building design based on the feedback coming from the user groups’ suggestions. Carol’s intention is to put minutes from the meetings on to the SharePoint site and also needs to update the building design. Carol encourages all employees to look at the site and talk to the people listed on the groups if there are suggestions that employees want the groups to bring forward.
3. Labor Relations: Labor states that a lot of employees are not happy and that they are bringing the issues forward in an attempt to partner with Management. Labor understands that these items will need to be researched and is not expecting answers today.
4. New Lead List: Employees are asking for this list. Can this be handed out to employees? List contains name and seniority date. Management believes the list contains classified personnel data which would be confidential and not able to be distributed to employees. Management will obtain a data privacy determine and report findings to Labor. Labor asks that if this cannot be distributed, that management changes how we inform people where they fall on the list.
5. Grievance Responses: Labor asks that management remind the supervisors about partial/full shift calls. If supervisors are able they should call out when people request a full shift. c. Inclusion: Labor asks that when emails are sent to employees regarding personal changes that the email includes John and Chuck. d. Surgery after retirement: Labor believes a supervisor in the lab told an employee named Judy that she should wait to have her surgery after she retires. Labor requests training for supervisors on the proper use of handling this situation.
6. Intermittent employees: Intermittent employees are requesting how rules work. John provided his recommendation for review by Management. Melissa is reviewing.
7. MSH LPN vacation denials: Labor believes that multiple LPN’s are having their vacation denied. Labor requests to see what we are truly offering. 1 spot per day? There is believed to be a work rule around the amount to offer. g. Blood borne Pathogens Statute: Labor would like to know if we are following the current statute regarding consent and blood borne pathogens testing.
8. Licensing Investigations: Labor would like an update on whether the Commissioner’s Office has gotten back to management on Labors concerns expressed at the last meeting surrounding the amount of time licensing investigations take. Management informed Labor that they have asked to be told what licensing has as outstanding and to establish a process to discuss ongoing communications on open items. To date, management has not received the list of outstanding cases but agrees to share with labor when received.
9. VA Investigations: After being out of work for an extended time, John reported to work on Sunday and was told on Wednesday that a union representative was needed for a VA investigation. Labor asks that the supervisors call John or Chuck on their cell phones and not wait for them to return to work to make such requests. j. NOC: A MOU was presented that Labor does not believe is in effect, but the night shift may be using. Labor asks for Management’s review.
10. Fidelity Instruments: Rita is working with the supervisor regarding the mission/vision he presented to his team and his mention of fidelity instruments.
11. Electronic night vacation: Labor discussed the possibility of being able to email vacation requests from home and informed management that the scheduling office informed them that Schedule Anywhere would work for the NOC. Meghan is meeting with Rochelle Fischer and Luke Pherson in the morning to determine next steps.
12. Reassignments: Labor requests a process around reassignments and changing days off. We have 28 day language regarding when someone needs to be moved, and the union has agreed to not push this forward in the past. Labor feels reassignments are becoming a tool for management more often and Labor does not like this; they have become routine. Employees are being reassigned for 4-5 months.
13. Attendance at Meet and Confer: Employee was not able to attend the Meet and Confer today because supervisor would not accommodate attendance due to short staff. Labor argues that employee was not put on the early shit as we should have in order to accommodate. TC requested to hear about this issue before today. o. NOC 40/7: Labor requests meeting p. Union Availability: Chuck and John are available on Thursdays from 7-3 for any management meetings
14. Grievance meetings: Shannon is typically scheduled for grievance meetings in the afternoon when he is NOC shift employee. This type of schedule does not accommodate the union and Labor feels this is intentional. Management reminded Labor that Shannon latest meeting was in the morning. r. Email/Sharepoint: Labor suggests that Management does not put links into emails but instead puts the news directly into the email. Management’s intent is to eventually stop sending emails so we want to encourage employees to follow the links and use the sharepoint site as the communication tool.
15. Work Comp: Labor contends there is a Stillwater female corrections officer who every month starts a 1 month administrative leave. Labor requests that management find a way to work outside workers compensation for employees when denied work compensation. Labor argues that management would be slapping employees in the face if we do not do something to accommodate.
16. Thank yous: Labor thanks management for the work on WC files and the ability for CRP to borrow at PCN from MSH.