Washington Hospital Center Union General Membership Meeting

Saturday, November 20, 2010.  Come and get an update on the Union position on the "Mandatory" Influenza (Flu) shot, and the disciplines received during the recent Snow Storms. 

The contract expires in approximately One Year.  Now is the time to start getting ready for the negotiations.  The Membership Meeting is the place to start.  The fights still go on. Click for flyer

National Action Network "Reclaimed The Dream" is
now available to view online

View the  National Network
Rev Al Sharpton, Martin L King III, Tom Joyner & Many more    Saturday, August 28th 2010
Dunbar High School

To See the video of the Rally click here

SEIU 722 Members ratify Contract Agreement with Children's National Medical Center by an overwhelming 85% approval.

To View Agreement by and Between CNMC and SEIU 722 click here (updated 9/21/10)

To track updates and changes to the 2010 agreement click here.  (last updated 7/03/2010)

To review the process of the negotiations from 2009 click here.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT
By Daniel Fields, Jr.
June 17, 2010

Healthcare Division Leadership Board

Just recently I went to Denver Colorado to attend the Health Care Division Leadership Board (HDLB) meeting. At these meetings, which are usually held every two (2) months or there about we discuss the direction of the healthcare division and possible organizing campaigns that we can assist with across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. We can assist by sending funds to other SEIU Local Unions that have an organizing campaign in action or send some of you to the area to help in the organizing campaign. Any of you that may be interested in being a Member Organizer, please let us know. We are able to get some of you off work on Union Business Leave to assist in some campaigns.

Secondly, this meeting took on an added importance , because it was the first national meeting since the induction of Ms. Mary Kay Henry as the new International President. Mary Kay, as she is called, replaced Andy Stern as the International President. Prior to becoming the new International President, Mary Kay held the position of International Executive Vice President. Many of you met Mary Kay at last year cookout. She took time out of her busy schedule to attend. Hopefully, we may be able to get her to attend this year’s cookout on August 28 2010.

Thirdly, as an added surprise, Dr. Toni Lewis was appointed by Mary Kay to be the Chairperson of the HDLB. What is so important about this appointment are the facts that Dr. Lewis is a female African American and is also the first actual physician to head our division.

One thing that was discussed is the effect that the new healthcare reform will have on our relationships with our employers as it relates to contract negotiations and organizing opportunities. On this front, it was recommended that we engage in a discussion with our hospitals and healthcare providers to gain input on how they are dealing with the new reform’s rules and regulations. There may be collaborative actions that we can participate in that may both benefit them and us. We will keep you up to date on the reform and our interactions with our employers on this issue.

Any  Washington Hospital Center is at it again. After making front-page news a few weeks ago for summarily firing more than a dozen nurses for

failing to make it to work during last month’s record-breaking blizzards, the hospital has suspended or disciplined about 80 other hospital workers who also failed to get to work during the snowstorms. "While local governments were telling people to stay off the streets, our members were digging out their cars and tried to get to work," an outraged SEIU Local 722 President Dan Fields told Union City. "The commitment of these workers is being measured by this one snowstorm and that's not right," said Fields. "If you want to talk about commitment, talk about Aaron Anderson, who has worked at the hospital for 39 years and was suspended for being unable to get to work." Anderson, who is legally blind and had a bilateral hip replacement, relies on Metro Access to get from his home to work. Because Metro was closed during the storm, Anderson - who resides in Greenbelt, Maryland - called WHC notifying them he was unable to make it to work. After the storm, he was suspended. "It feels like they have no loyalty to you,” said Anderson. “I'm unable to get a grasp on what's happening to me and my coworkers. It's put a lot of stress on the people here. People don't know where to turn and what to do." Fields is calling on the community to get involved and to encourage WHC President Harrison Rider to stop bullying their workers, particularly ahead of contract negotiations next year. "President Rider is talking about commitment and devotion," Fields told Union City. "Rider doesn't have any commitment to the hospital or its workers. People should call the hospital, call the president, and tell them to stop treating their workers so badly." 

READ COPY OF LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN VINCENT C. GRAY TO Washington Hospital Center - March 29, 2010

Click here for a copy of the letter that we have submitted to WHC on this issue.