We introduced Bargaining Team members Kathy Parlevliet and Karen Pelone in our last leaflet. Feel free to introduce yourself to team members and let them know what you would like to see in our upcoming contract.
There is still time to get your bargaining survey turned in. Our Bargaining Team needs your help to determine our priorities for our new contract. If you don’t tell our team what you need, it will be up to the Bargaining Team to decide. We all have other commitments, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to participate by turning in a bargaining survey.
2013 Bargaining Team
Jim Owen, RN, PACU Karen Pelone, RN, L&D Sandy Thompson, RN, ER Joanna Tan, Clinical Lab Scientist Kathy Parlevliet, Charge RN, CVICU
Alternates Sue Stephens, RN, NICU Julia Clare, RN, Float
Jim Owen, PACU Jim Owen has worked at Tarzana since 1976 and says he volunteered for the Bargaining Team because he wants to ensure that all employees are treated fairly. “Since the turnover of managers far exceeds that of workers, we want to make sure that all the rules are clear and equitable and not subject to a new manager’s opinion,” Owen says. Owen is an experienced negotiator having participated in several contact negotiations under both Tenet and Providence. He is married with two grown children.
Sandy Thompson, ER Sandy Thompson is also a returning member of the Tarzana Bargaining Team. She has worked at Tarzana for more than 30 years. “My goal is to make Tarzana a fair place for everybody to work. Our Union is a team effort and everyone in the hospital should be working together to get a fair contract, improve working conditions, and ensure a fair and secure environment.”
Joanna Tan, Clinical Lab Scientist “I joined the Bargaining Team because I want to represent my co-workers and make sure the non-RN professionals’ issues are addressed in our new contract. Some of us are not involved in direct patient care, but our services impact patient care and must be taken into consideration.”
Patient Care Committee Notes
PCC is a monthly meeting in which Union stewards and activist talk about patient care issues or ongoing concerns related to the hospital. In our February meeting, we discussed:
- Placement of patients, patient flow, concerns regarding medications that are needed but are not routinely stocked in the Pyxis, recurring issues with the lab including blood orders being lost, and unit-specific issues raised by RNs in Peds/PICU, CVICU and L&D.
- Concerns about accessing patient charts when the computer system goes down for routine maintenance or other reasons.
- Reinstituting IHR because of chronic staffing shortages, the charge being given a patient load, and missed meals and breaks.
- Cleanliness — Sodexel, the new janitorial company, has had a rough start. The hospital is working closely with Sodexel to address hospital cleanliness. If you continue to have a concern, talk with a committee member.
- Security — We discussed security concerns, including staffing of security on weekends or holidays. Remember, if you don’t feel comfortable walking to a parking lot alone at night, ask a security guard to accompany you.
- Parking — We asked the hospital how to handle parking for night shift employees who work overtime.
- New health insurance card — We outlined the difficulty employees are having with the new card and the hospital says they will get back to us on this. Make sure you tell your doctor to bill under Providence Health Services and not Blue Shield.
- The ER Acuity meeting has been rescheduled.
PCC meets on the last Friday of the month. If you have a workplace concern and would like it to be addressed, contact: Jim Owen, PACU; Karen Pelone L&D; Linda Epstein CVICU; or Sandy Thompson, ER.
Know Your Rights:
Kin Care Leave
Kin Care,” or Labor Code section 233, allows employees to use up to half of their annual accrued sick leave (Cash Plus & Reserve Sick) benefits to care for a sick family member, including a child, parent, spouse or registered domestic partner. All California employers providing sick leave to their employees must follow these rules. The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement administers Kin Care and accepts discrimination complaints when employers have failed to allow employees to take “Kin Care” leave.
Additionally, employers may not discipline, discharge, threaten to discharge, demote or suspend an employee for using half of their sick leave to care for ill family members.
If management has not allowed you the time described above as per state law, or has discriminated against you for utilizing “kin care” leave, contact your shop steward or Union Representative.
Also, if leave for care of a family member has been counted as an occurrence, contact your steward or Union Representative.