FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT Elex Tenney

2045 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214 www.ofnhp.org 503.657.9974

In This Issue:

OREGON FEDERATION OF NURSES AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

May 2013

Vote for 2013-14 Union Leadership

Special Elections in Many Oregon

Districts this Month

Union Updates

OFNHP Member Anna Benefiel Helps

Local Teens

Kaiser’s Periodontal Hygienists Targeted

for Elimination

Recent Grievances, Mediations and

Arbitrations

Welcome to Our New Members! On May 16, hundreds of members of OFNHP reported to training events at Westside Medical Center; the majority of these are new to Kaiser and most of those are new to membership in a labor union. OFNHP welcomes you not only to a new job but to membership in OFNHP/Local 5017/AFT Healthcare. You are joining with a workforce of frontline healthcare staff that numbers 1.4 million strong when combined with our parent union, American Federation of Teachers. That is a significant voice for Labor in the workplace, a voice that can and will change the course of healthcare in this country.

The benefits of union membership don’t stop at the workplace. In addition to having a crucial voice on the job, influencing how the work is done, your union membership also has a significant impact off the job: higher weekly earnings, employer-provided health insurance, a guaranteed (defined benefit) pension, short-term disability benefits and regular wage increases in the form of bargained across the board (ATB) wage increases annually.

As a member of OFNHP you have all of this as well as a protected voice at the workplace. Our communities also gain for every represented worker because your security influences others’. Your good job and income security influence the grocery store at which you shop, those bills you can pay on time, the medical care that prevents the burden of non-care on our society. All of society benefits when the workforce is made up of members of a labor union.

The benefits of membership in a labor union also carry with them a responsibility. A union cannot survive without engaged, activist members; OFNHP must have your voice. You are this union, you are our strength. You make the difference in how the work is done, you make the difference in how Labor impacts wages, pensions and health care for all.

Welcome to Kaiser Westside and welcome to OFNHP. We look forward to working with you to build a better place to give and receive care, better working conditions in which to give that care, and a more sustainable economic base from which to support our communities.

In Solidarity,

Elex Tenney OFNHP Executive President etenney@ofnhp.org 503.887.5781

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Nominations for this year’s slate of Local leadership positions were due on March 28. Your Election Committee, led by TECH Bargaining Unit member and Contract Specialist Karen Austen, has verified the nominations, collected biographical information on the candidates, and created the ballots.

Ballots were mailed to members’ homes on May 9, and they need to be mailed back in time to be IN the Post Office Box where they are collected by the Election Committee no later than May 29 at 4pm. Postmark date will not be sufficient—so make sure you mail your ballot a couple days in advance to be sure it is IN the PO Box on May 29. Ballots MUST be mailed to the PO Box, and will not be accepted at the union office.Ballot counting will begin on May 29 at the OFNHP office at 5:45pm. All members are welcome and invited to attend the ballot counting. Positions up for election this year are: Executive Vice President; Executive Secretary; Vice President of External Organizing; Vice President of Retirees; Bargaining Unit Presidents (7); Bargaining Unit Vice Presdients (7); Oregon AFL-CIO Convention Delegates (8); Washington State Labor Council Convention Delegates (2); and Northwest Oregon Labor Council Delegates (8). If you have any questions about the voting process, or if you have not received your ballot by the time you received this newsletter, please contact Mindy Bartlett at the OFNHP office, 503.657.9974.

It’s Time to VOTE

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Special Elections This MonthOFNHP Endorses Portland Fluoride Campaign, Measure 26-151 With Strong Support from Our Dental Hygienists, Executive Board Approves Endorsement of Fluoride Measure in the Interest of Stronger Public HealthOne in five children in the Portland area suffers from untreated dental decay, which leads to long-term health problems, poor nutrition and loss of confidence and productivity. Research shows that the health of the mouth affects total health. According to the Surgeon General, recent research links chronic oral infections with heart and lung diseases, stroke, and premature births. Untreated tooth decay can cause tooth loss, oral diseases, abscesses, bone loss, blood infections, speech problems, and low self-esteem.

Every trusted major health organization, including the Centers for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association, agrees that fluoridation is the safest and most effective way to address this crisis. Fluoride also saves money. For every dollar we invest in prevention, we save $38 in dental treatment.

According to thousands of peer-reviewed studies, fluoride produces no negative health effects at the level used to fluoridate drinking water. It is also not deemed an allergen, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. The opposition is using scare tactics. If you’ve heard them, please don’t be fooled, get the facts at www.fluoridefactsportland.com.

If you are a Portland voter, please consider voting YES on Measure 26-151.

AFT Members Running in Local School Board Elections

The decisions made by School Board members can have tremendous effects on our communities. These boards guide the direction and policies of schools and can make decisions regarding staffing and program changes. They also allocate funds and approve budgets. School employees, whether teachers or classified employees, often have a perspective that is missing from many school boards. To bridge that gap and bring an on-the-ground perspective to local School Boards, some of our fellow AFT members are running in the following elections:

Amity School District Board of Directors: Trish Stephens, OSEA, AFT Local 6732https://www.facebook.com/VoteTrishStephens

Hillsboro School District Board: Jaime Rodriguez, AFT-Oregon Local 2277 (PCCFFAP)https://www.facebook.com/JaimeRodriguezforSchoolBoard

Multnomah Education Service District Board: Frank Acosta, AFT-Oregon Local 111 (PFSP)

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Professional Bargaining Unit Prepares for a Campaign to Fight “Work Creep”Members of OFNHP’s Professional Bargaining Unit have been standing up to management’s unreasonable requests over the last few months, and they are now putting together a campaign to continue their push-back. Our primary care Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners have had to work to get regular meetings reinstated, many units have had to fight to get and keep their contractual lunches and breaks, and now the bargaining unit is pushing back on “work creep.”

Members of the Professional Bargaining Unit are not paid hourly. They are “exempt” employees, meaning they are salaried and are not paid for overtime hours. The professional understanding between an exempt employee and the employer is that the employee is expected to work as needed to get the job done. That might mean some longer days upon occasion. The employee is expected to manage their own time and get the work done.

Over the last couple of years, however, management has piled on more and more work for these employees, without allowing adequate time to get the work done. Many Professionals (Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Certified Nurse Midwives, Health Educators, Mental Health Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists, Physical and Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Dieticians, Audiologists, Medical Social Workers) stay late every day to finish charting, work through their meals and breaks, and are feeling the effects of management’s systemic abuse of the exempt employer/employee agreement.

The Pros have finally had enough, and are preparing a campaign to fight “work creep.” Keep an eye out for the little guy in this picture in coming months, and please stand strong with your brothers and sisters in the Professional Bargaining Unit as they fight for fair treatment and respect!

OFNHP Health Educator Named Total Health Labor Lead for NW RegionProfessional Bargaining Unit member Cynthia Beaulieu, a Health Educator, has been named the Total Health Labor Lead for Kaiser’s NW Region. She is a longtime UBT co-lead for a high-performing UBT (Unit-Based Team), and has a wealth of experience helping others set and reach health-related goals. Congratulations Cynthia, and thank you for your great work to help us all get healthier! Mental Health Labor Partner Steps Down, Moves to Westside HospitalMental Health Therapist Martha Wilson is stepping down from her position as Labor Partner for Mental Health. She has spent countless hours helping the Mental Health department work through a tumultuous time, and her dedication to helping fellow members and developing a system to provide the best possible care at a good cost has been invaluable. We’re sorry to see you leave that position, Martha, but so happy that you’ll be continuing your great work as a Steward at Westside Medical Center!

Union Updates

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OFNHP is Moving!This summer, OFNHP will be moving to a new, larger, more flexible office space in Portland. Our lease at the current location was due to expire, and the Executive Board made the decision to search for a space that better fit our needs. After an extenuous search over many months, the board has signed a lease for a new space. To remain equally accessible to as many of our members as possible, we are remaining centrally located in Portland. We will be on the top floor of 1500 NE Irving Street in Portland. The location is MAX-accessible, close to the freeway, and has ample parking. We expect to complete the move by July 15, and will have an open house for all of our members as soon possible after we’re in! Mortgage Benefits through AFT+/Union PlusThe AFT Union Mortgage Program, through our parent Union, is available to all OFNHP full members. It is one of the top three most utilized benefits in the AFT+ Program. Recently, there has been a change of banks supporting this wonderful program. Wells Fargo is now the only bank that can provide the benefits of the Union Mortgage Program, which provides a $500 gift card upon closing on a new home or a refinance, as well as interest-free loans to members who are facing a hardship, and up to 6 months of your mortgage paid for you in the event of strike. Members with a current mortgage through the program (previously with Chase) will see NO changes and still have their benefits intact.

If you have any questions, please call: 1-800-848-6466 or visit: unionplus.org/AFTmortgage.

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OFNHP Member Helps Local TeensGetting “All Dressed Up,” Anna Benefiel Makes Prom Dreams Come True For the last two years, OFNHP member Anna Benefiel has been making local girls’ dreams of prom a lot brighter. Benefiel, an Optometry Assistant and member of the Technical Bargaining Unit, founded All Dressed Up, a nonprofit organization that collects prom dresses and donates them to local girls.

“Every girl deserves to be a princess,” says Benefiel, “no matter what circumstances she and her family are facing. I started this nonprofit as a way to help teens in my community with dresses, shoes and accessories for their prom. Times are tough and just being a teen is hard enough. Girls leave with confidence and greater self-respect because they look fabulous inside and out for their very special prom night.”

A Kaiser employee for 14 years, Benefiel says she worked out the details of her plan on her hour-long commutes from her home in Stayton, Oregon, to the Beaverton Medical Office. With her family and friends behind her, Benefiel collected more than 800 dresses for the first giveaway. Local businesses also pitched in, and donated accessories and gifts to help round out the prom dress packages. At the first giveaway, 70 young women found dresses, and the very first recipient ended up being crowned Prom Queen. Last August, All Dressed Up officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and at the second annual giveaway this Spring, Benefiel doubled the amount of dresses given away. For information about how you can help or donate to All Dressed Up, visit Benefiel on Facebook: www. Facebook.com/All-Dressed-Up.

Registered Dental Hygienists Stand Strong to Preserve Perio Care, Protect PatientsKaiser Permanente recently announced their intent to eliminate Periodontal Hygienists within the Kaiser dental system. Perio Hygienists are the professionals who work in conjunction with Periodontists to provide treatment of advanced gum disease to some of our population’s most at-risk patients. While this plan will without a doubt reduce labor costs and boost company

profits, it will also have a negative impact on the quality of care provided by our professional Hygienists.

The Dental Hygiene contract currently has two classifications with two rates of pay. Kaiser intends to have all hygienists provide all services for the lower classification. While all hygienists are licensed to perform periodontal care and do perform these services every day, our Perio Hygienists currently serve the more complex and advanced cases.

OFNHP has attempted to negotiate with management and demonstrate that eliminating the Periodontal Hygienist classification is a superficial cost solution which will negatively impact patient care and will actually cost more money long-term. We have also demonstrated publicly and attracted media attention. Management, however, remains resolute. We are elevating the issue to arbitration and will continue to fight for our members’, and our patients’, rights.

Kaiser’s Periodontal Hygienists Targeted for Elimination

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Date Category Topic Department StatusMay 2013 KP Policies Compensation/Differential Pay SYB Surgical Services Grievance Step 1April 2013 Wage & Hours Reduction of Hours RKW Professionals Resolved Step 1April 2013 Postings &

VacanciesVacancies AWL Lab Pros Grievance Step 1

April 2013 KP Policies Behavior SMC Critical Care/Med Surg Float

Grievance Step 1

April 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule AWL Lab Pros Grievance Step 1April 2013 Wage & Hours Compensation/Differential Pay SMC Recovery - PACU Grievance Step 1April 2013 KP Policies Behavior Professionals Grievance Step 1April 2013 Wage & Hours Compensation/Differential Pay SMC OR Techs Grievance Step 1April 2013 KP Policies Behavior CIN Oncology Grievance Step 2April 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule SMC OR RNs/Techs Grievance Step 2April 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule SMC Critical Care/Med

Surg FloatGrievance Step 2

April 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule SMC Respiratory Care Grievance Step 2April 2013 Postings &

VacanciesPostings RN Float Pool -

TravelersReferred to Issue Resoluton

March 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule BVT Optical Resolved Step 2March 2013 Corrective Action Corrective Action RKW Resolved Step 2March 2013 Wage & Hours Compensation/Differential Pay SMC CVPCU RNs Resolved Step 1March 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule SMC OR Techs Resolved Step 1March 2013 Floating Backfill SMC Critical Care/Med

Surg FloatGrievance Step 1

March 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule EIN Mental Health Grievance Step 2March 2013 KP Policies Work Environment INT UCC Grievance Step 2March 2013 Wage & Hours Compensation/Differential Pay SMC 3 South Med/Surg

Unit 2Pending Mediation

Feb 2013 KP Policies Behavior Skyline Case Mgmt Resolved Step 2Feb 2013 Wage & Hours Compensation/Differential Pay SMC Emergency Dept. Resolved Step 1Feb 2013 Wage & Hours Schedule SMC CVL Resolved Step 1Feb 2013 Working Conditions Rest & Meal Periods CPK, Interstate and

Salem UCC NPs & PAsPending Mediation

Feb 2013 Floating Schedule SMC 2 North Pending MediationFeb 2013 Staffing Unsafe Staffing Levels SMC Critical Care/Med

Surg FloatPending Mediation

Jan 2013 Seniority Seniority SMC Labor & Delivery Pending MediationJan 2013 KP Policies Benefits CPK Addiction Medicine Pending MediationJan 2013 Wage & Hours Job Classification Dental Hygiene/Perio Pending Arbitration

Recent Grievances, Mediations and ArbitrationsFollowing is a sample of just some of the grievances, mediations, arbitrations, issue resolutions and corrective actions our union has been working on this year.

American Federation of Teachers AFL-CIOOregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, AFT Local 50172045 SE Ankeny Street Portland OR 97214-1663

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE

PAIDPORTLAND ORPERMIT NO 816

Heartbeat

Mail: 2045 SE Ankeny Street Portland, Oregon 97214-1663

Phone: 503-657-9974 Toll-free: 800-OFN-5017

email: itsmyunion@ofnhp.org

Web Site: www.ofnhp.org

A Union of Professionals

Con

tact

OFN

HP

Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals

“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all

hang separately.”

—Benjamin Franklin