Public Employee Press
DC 37 has your back
45 temps get full-time New York City H+H jobs
By DIANE S. WILLIAMS
Forty-five Coney Island Hospital aides and technicians in Local 420 were converted to full time employees after the union filed a group grievance demanding upgrades.
“For too long these Health and Hospitals employees were part-time and per diems that management assigned full time work schedules,” said Local 420 President Carmen Charles. “The union is taking steps to correct this injustice by organizing and filing grievances to protect workers’ rights.”
Senior Council Rep Felicita Creque, who retired in May, filed the group grievance for 100 workers last October after Chapter Chair Norma Ochoa said that management assigned part timers and per diems at Coney Island Hospital full-time work schedules but failed to upgrade their employment status.
“Management was treating these workers unjustly and taking advantage of them,” Charles said. “These employees worked longer hours than they were hired for and were assigned hours beyond their four-day work schedules. This grievance stops an unfair practice.”
The group grievance went to Step 2 before Labor Relations finally agreed to upgrade 45 Dietary Aides, Service Aides, Nurses’ Aides, and Patient Care Techs to full time status.
Full time NYC H+H employees get full pension credit, annual and sick leave, and other benefits that part time employees don’t accrue at the same rate. Per diems also do not get 100 percent dental coverage and are ineligible for full union benefits.
“The city has to contribute more to the pension system for full-time employees,” said Creque, “and so they drag out the process of upgrading a worker’s status.” Recently, the union surveyed the bargaining unit members to determine the extent of this problem and whether any federal or state laws have been violated, especially regarding timely payment of overtime. The union has reviewed survey results and identified several NYC H+H facilities where part-time, per diem and hourly employees are assigned full time schedules.
Union leaders said they will press NYC Health + Hospitals to convert the remaining grievants to full time status. If NYC H+H refuses to cooperate, the group grievance remains in effect and the union may initiate additional litigation. Charles said, “The union is working to make sure H+H offers full employment to everyone it assigns full-time work schedules.”
