Public Employee Press

Grievance hits a homer for hospital clericals

As baseball fever burnished the age-old rivalry between New York’s hometown teams, the Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549 team at Metropolitan Hospital scored two big wins.

The union crossed home plate for grievants in the telecommunications and ambulatory care departments. At issue was management’s perennial effort to low-ball costs by assigning out-of-title work to Local 1549 members.

As a result of filing grievances, six Local 1549 members in the Telecommunications Dept. won upgrades as well as back pay for the salary differential between Clerical Associate II and III. In the Ambulatory Care Dept., Ingrid Paulino won the upgrade and back pay.

“It took a while, but it came through,” said Ms. Paulino. Her winning payoff was timely, since it arrived just when she was set to move to another Queens neighborhood. “The extra money came in handy,” she said.

“It’s important that the members come to us,” said Assistant Clerical Director Renee Gainer. “They are doing the extra work and they’re entitled to the compensation and promotions,” she said.

“It’s our job to enforce the contract,” said Division Director Ronnie Harris.

“Our local is on-the-job every day to enforce members’ rights,” he said. Any Local 1549 member with a problem should see their shop steward or rep or call the local ofice at 212-815-1549.

“Public sector workers are constantly under attack,” said Grievance Rep Efrain Perez. “When they stand up and fight, they have a chance to win.”