July 2014 newsletter: Keck USC News & Views
Know your rights
Job Bidding
PREFERENCE ORDER – Preference order among those bidding shall be given in the following order among bidding employees from the same preference level. Among bidding employees from the same preference level, seniority shall govern. The prior sentence is subject to the provision that:
1. the bidding employee must meet all reasonable qualifications of the job established by the Hospital (the Union has the burden of establishing that the Hospital’s qualifications are unreasonable), and
2. ability and performance must meet minimum qualifications in the Hospital’s reasonable judgment, and if the Hospital’s judgment is disputed, the Hospital has the burden of establishing that its judgment was reasonable.
Scheduling and seniority
Some union members feel scheduling in their department is not being done fairly. Union seniority as defined in our contract is very important to fair scheduling. Union seniority means how long you have worked at USC KECK. Regular employees should be scheduled according to their requests to the greatest degree possible. Full-time workers and then part-time workers are prioritized, then per diems are added to the schedule.
Steward elections in all departments
In NUHW, the workers elect their stewards. The most effective way to enforce our contact and hold management accountable is for workers in all departments to chose co- workers they trust to function as a union shop stewards. Ideally, we should have one shop steward for every department. Each shop steward must have the support of a majority of the department/work area. Start thinking about co-workers in your department/work area who would make good stewards.
Shop steward training
NUHW provides training for new stewards and ongoing training for all stewards in all aspects of their responsibilities to the members, including contract interpretation, grievance, organizing, etc. The next shop steward training is scheduled for July 19 in our Glendale office. Sign up with your NUHW Representative.
What should you do if you’re told about “investigations” or discipline?
You have the right to union representation when you believe a meeting could result in discipline. You must be given reasonable time to arrange union representation if you are being investigated. Often such investigations or fact finding do not result in any discipline. If you are being disciplined, get a shop steward or call your organizer/representative to be represented at the disciplinary hearing. Then the steward, the member, and the organizer will discuss how to further represent the member, including possibly filing a grievance against the discipline. The most important thing to remember is – don’t go in alone!
Get involved!
On Wednesday August 20th we are holding our next Steward Council Meeting at the Cardinal Room (First Floor). All Members are invited. Please see monthly meeting schedule:
August 20, 4 p.m., Cardinal Room
September 17, 4 p.m., Cardinal Room
October 8, 4 p.m., Cardinal Room
November 12, 4 p.m., Cardinal Room
Keck Medical Center of USC NUHW Stewards
Pulmonary Basil Nasir bazznazz@gmail.com
Pulmonary Darren May dmayrcp@gmail.com
OR Nicole Ambris Nick_e6@hotmail.com
OR Miguel Valdivia N/A
OR Debora Springer leftiedeb@hotmail.com
Imaging Creight Fontenelle FontenelleCreighton@gmail.com
Radiology Matia Cajina N/A
CT Imaging Mark Bosteder thegosteders@msn.com
Laboratory Traci Mills tmills3688@aol.com
Laboratory Diego Cordero Duhast201@msn.com
Laboratory Anjila Sharma N/A
Laboratory Akena Scotland riggl71@hotmail.com
Laboratory Cruzberto Salvador gambit5200@yahoo.com
Laboratory Sal Guillermo sguillermo108@yahoo.com
Materials MGMT Gerry Valadez jeresuno@gmail.com
BioMed Carlos Gularte cgularte21@hotmail.com
Respiratory Julio Estrada Jcestrada45@yahoo.com
Respiratory Adela Rea adelarea909@yahooo.com
Respiratory Alex Corea Alexcorea73@gmail.com
EVS Oscar Mata mata76@tmo.blackberry.net
EVS Elvira Compos N/A
Facility Manuel Ramirez N/A
Facility Otis Leonard otisleonard30@yahoo.com
Outpatient Shirley Calderon scalderon04gmail.com
Central Sterile Joel Carino N/A
Our Union Representative: Audel Contreras can be reached at acontreras@nuhw.org or (661) 444-4039.