Present:
Carol Olson, Michelle Chalin, Meghan Goodrich, Jennifer Frew, Scott Melby, Chuck Hottinger, Scott Grefe, Amanda Mathiowetz, Ryan Cates, Molly Kennedy, Mike Homer, Eric Hesse, Connie Anderson, Colleen Ryan, Tom Christensen, John Knobbe, Rochelle Fischer

Management:
1. Overtime and OSHA Log Review
a. No questions or comments
2. Bartlett 2 South Work Climate Study
a. Scott Melby is working on this. It seems that the staff on Bartlett 2 South are struggling to work together as a team. EAP provides a service called a Work Climate Study. This study will identify the possible root cause, things that are causing the problems, and what can be done to improve.
b. This is a safe place for staff to talk. It will be anonymous and confidentiality DOES apply to this. Scott Melby stated that he would “seriously reconsider ever using the process again if confidentiality is broken.” It will not be mandatory for staff to participate.
c. When information is compiled it will be shared with the supervisor. AFSCME ask that when this study is done that it be shared at the following Labor Management Meeting.
AFSCME:
1. Abatement Plan posting
a. There was a citation received from OSHA. A final plan that all parties have agreed to went to the Department of Labor and Industries. There is a signed copy. The signed copy needed to be posted for 10 days. The 10 days gave the opportunity to all employees to object the plan. There was an objection so the plan will be on hold. Now there will be a meeting with the person who voiced the opposition. This could take up to 2 months to assign someone to that process.
b. Management talked to the Safety Committee and will move forward by looking at action steps that were agreed to. This is shared on the SharePoint site.
c. Roll out training this week on a few safety ideas like the sleeves to protect from biting and wearing hats to shield. Both of these items can be worn starting February 15th. This training will address how to dress for safety.
d. Management will work with patients to develop a code of conduct. The plan is to engage patients across the units. Also, they will be working on defining imminent risk better.
2. Forensic Nursing Home contracting MN Security Company (Rochester)
a. A FNH patient moved from the Mankato hospital to Rochester. This got very hard to staff because it was getting to inversing staff to 12 hour shifts. The Nursing Home is not fully staffed so it was very challenging to cover all shifts. Transition picked up a few shifts but not many. No Security Counselor’s took the OT. The information was sent to the SOD’s to share.
b. There was already a contract in place with this security company. They were able to start the 24th which was the first day management would need to begin inversing. With the distance, wear and tear on vehicles, this seemed like the best thing to do. No idea how long this patient will be in Rochester. This is not a contractual issue.
c. Person Centered Training will begin at the Nursing Home this upcoming month as well. This caused a lot of OT up on the hill.
3. Forensic Nursing Home 6-2 Rotation, Scheduling
a. Is there any way to communicate or prepare employees? Employees used to have set weekends off and now they do not. There have been reports of employees also having set days off in the schedule and management changing to accommodate training. Staff feel they were promised days off would not change and then they did. Management will be looking further into this.
4. NOC schedule/filling positions
a. Part time employees are being scheduled set days off. Management stated that part time status days off can change. Set days off was part of the decision day package. They did not know there was the ability to change contractually.
5. Scheduling Dept. vacation requests reviewed once a week
a. It is coming close to 9 or 10 days before vacation is reviewed. Contractually a supervisor needs to review this. How is this impacting short notice vacation? That is more of a courtesy for employees.
6. MSH/SPRTC staff capable and qualified
a. Is there a standard on what makes a Security Counselor capable and qualified to work units? At one time there was and there was a certain amount of days per month needed. Will try to look for these documents. If there is a standard and an employee wants to stay capable and qualified, can that employee get scheduled an X amount of days in order to be eligible? Management stated that this is a double edged sword because then they will need someone to cover the work area that employee bid to. Management stated that they would like time to work together to figure this out.
b. This may be a licensing issue also. We need to ensure that we are meeting those requirements and this falls right into that. We are putting ourselves at risk by placing coverage that are not around for some of those actions often like ancillary meetings. AFSCME asked about the ½ hour overlap to relay information. Staff that work on residential units are very involved with getting their ancillary meeting and so many things that have been added. Security Services have not had to be so in tuned to it. Capable and qualified go with bidding rights then. AFSCME mentioned that CBT’s keep employees qualified.
c. There will be a smaller group of AFSCME and management meeting to figure this out.
d. Reminder: There will be CRP training available to SC’s who would like to pick up shifts.
7. MSH Kitchen
a. There have been a lot of issues in the Kitchen recently. Members have been told that they can only contact a union steward on their breaks or outside of their shift. This is not correct. Another example was that an employee was told to plan their bathroom breaks inside their break time.
b. There is a fulltime employee who does not have a schedule. This employee began in April but the supervisor stated that they have not had time to make a schedule.
c. There will be a meeting with Meghan Goodrich to get more information on what is going on.
8. MSH bid award/reassignments
a. Security Counselors have been awarded a bid but then reassigned shortly after. They may only work in the area that was bidded to a month out of the 6 month bid ban. This is not contractually correct. The contract provision on reassignments does not supersede the bidding contract language. This will be a class action grievance because there are already 17 grievances.
9. Transition/FNH Scheduling
a. Scheduling office just posted CRP. The next step is the Nursing Home and last is Transition. Management stated that they will probably post one more schedule and some hiring in the scheduling office. They are looking at the scheduling office assisting the OD’s with sick calls so the OD’s can focus more on patient issues.
b. Is there any truth to CRP moving? Management stated that they are looking at options per the abatement plan.
10. MSH Unit 300 wants a 4 staff minimum on the weekends
a. Scott Melby talked to staff on this unit. He stated that he needs to know what time of the day additional staff are needed. The Unit probably does not need 4 at 6am on a Saturday. Scott asked all Unit Directors to look at their units in half hour increments during the week and weekend to determine where staff are needed and when. The Safety Committee has determined that there is a higher rate of incidents in the evenings. This information could possibly be noted at the bottom of the shift report.
11. MSH Admissions Unit
a. Floors are done, walls are painted, waiting for electrical outlets to come in; furniture is all in but needs to be bolted to the floor. The goal is to have it done and schedule staff on February 25th. Bids have been offered. There are 2 nursing positions open. One is on overnights and the other is day/evening. Somewhere there will be a dead bid and then hope to hire off of the street when that happens.
12. Supervisory Files
a. Things are being placed in SC’s Supervisory files without them knowing. AFSCME voiced concern that this is not sending the right message to staff and has a direct effect on staff morale. Contractually management can do this. AFSCME requested that the supervisor let the staff know when something is placed in their file. Scott Melby stated, “Supervisors do take notes and that is something they should do if they are doing their job right.” Management stated that this is just a way to track stuff and that they think they have been pretty lenient. If an employee is continuously late it impacts the facility and other people. If you are late, talk to your supervisory. Unforeseen emergencies are authorized all of the time.