Public Employee Press

Grievance gets $30,000 for hospital clericals

A grievance and persistent union follow-up produced about $30,000 for a half-dozen clerical workers at Kings County Hospital who were not getting their pay differentials for their more difficult assignments in the Admitting Dept.

The awards ranged from $2,000 to $8,000 for Local 1549 members Arlene Alvarado, Janeen Arrington, Oscila Augustus, Jennifer Inniss, Michele Peterson and Keith Phillips, said Grievance Rep Linda Bullock, who handled the cases. Chief Shop Steward Rosalind Hardy played an important role in the victory by putting together the information that showed the members were entitled to the extra money.

After an arbitrator decided for the union in one case — which also involved management’s failure to upgrade a per diem worker after two years — the rest “fell into place like an avalanche,” said Bullock, as the other workers filled out salary review forms demanding their assignment differentials.

After a few cases like these, “You would expect management to do the right thing and make sure they are paying everyone correctly,” she said. “Our members work hard for their money. Not paying these differentials is like robbing them without a gun.”

Bullock checked and found more members missing the ASD (assignment differential) indication on their pay stubs. Claims are now pending for unit and registration clerks in the KCH Emergency Room who have not been receiving the differentials for their vital 24/7 work. Their assignments can include getting information from sick and injured patients, handling specimens, and coordinating with doctors and nurses to make sure beds are available when they are needed.

“The union stuck with us and really showed we were not forgotten,” said Keith Phillips, whose back pay award is going toward tuition at Medgar Evers College. “Rosalind Hardy and Linda Bullock did a wonderful job for us.”