Public Employee Press
DC 37 has your back
Member promoted with $7,000 back pay
Coney Island Hospital agreed to settle an out-of-title grievance with a promotion and $7,000 in back pay for a Local 375 member after management assigned him supervisory duties beyond his Assistant Chemist title.
For over two years the hospital had no night supervisor in Pathology, so management assigned Patrick Lindor to run the lab from April 2016 to December 2017, and delayed filling the supervisory post. They dumped on him the responsibilities of review and oversight of the Chemistry and Hematology departments, which fall under the Pathology unit.
“Lindor was responsible for lab standards and equipment, supervising and scheduling six other chemists and compiling reports — all supervisory duties,” said Samantha Rappa-Giovagnoli, the grievance rep who took the case to Step 3. The lab tests patients’ tissue samples for drugs or poisons. Pathologists rely on the accuracy of test results to determine the outcomes of patient autopsies.
“For Lindor it was more about the mission than the money,” she said. “It was unfair for management to expect so much from him without offering any additional compensation or a promotion.”
In March the case was decided and NYC H+H finally paid and promoted him in May.
“Further complicating this case,” Rappa-Giovagnoli said, “Assistant Chemists in mayoral agencies have no career path, they have one grade and one salary.” The Lindor case, she explained, was an opening for the union to address equity and compare the titles of Assistant Chemist to Associate Chemist, which has three levels and salary bump-ups.
Associate Chemists crafted a petition to create promotion opportunities. With assistance from the union’s Research and Negotiations Dept., they are examining options for salary increases and career advancement.
“This grievance pressed NYC H+H to recognize Lindor’s hard work,” said Chris Wilgenkamp, administrator of Local 375. The hospital promoted Lindor to Clinical Lab Tech 4, a supervisory title represented by SEIU 1199.
“I’m lucky I have a union that stood up for me,” Lindor said. “Samantha worked hard to prove all the details of my case. I’m proud that DC 37 never stops fighting for good causes.”
