Public Employee Press

Back from maternity leave with a check for $10,000

Jocelyn Maquiran began her career at Elmhurst Hospital Center in February 1987. Her job as a Clerical Associate in the ambulatory care department gave her great satisfaction. Then another source of joy led Maquiran to take maternity leave, and in May 2002, she gave birth to her first child, Melody.

By June 2006, Maquiran was ready to go back to her job. She followed the proper procedure and sent in her letter of intent to return to work. But her lullaby turned to a lament as management failed to respond.

She turned to her union, Clerical-Administrative Employees Local 1549, for assistance. In November 2006, Elmhurst Chief Shop Steward Olivia Crum and Council Rep Eddie Douglass took Maquiran’s grievance up with management. At a Step 1-A hearing, they convinced management to do the right thing. The September 2007 settlement brought Maquiran back to work with a check for $10,000 to replace the salary she lost waiting to be rehired.

Maquiran spoke from her new perch in the cardiology department, where once again she is singing a joyful tune. “I’m happy and very thankful,” she said. “It took a year to resolve this, but I love my new department. Everyone is very friendly. The union did a terrific job!”

“We want to encourage the members and let them know that we are here for them,” said Crum. “We will fight for them, no matter how long it takes to win.”

“And be sure that once you file a grievance, you stick to it like Jocelyn Maquiran did,” said Douglass. “Although it took time, she pursued it to a happy ending.”

“It’s a victory,” said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez. “Without a union, this woman would have been out of a job. But she had everyone behind her. She worked through the process and it worked for her.”