Union promotes joint L-M training

Problems, pests haunt Bronx

By DEBORAH A. MILES

At the Bronx Psychiatric Center,

employees wonder if they will get punched when they go to work, or bitten by a bedbug. Council Leader Darlene Williams said

the severe level of violence against staff at Bronx PC remains high. The facility was cited for not complying

with the Workplace Violence Prevention Law. It is battling a reoccurring infestation of bedbugs. And there was a problem of staff being exposed to the H1N1 virus. “The biggest

happening.’ I think management cares, it just doesn’t know what to do.” PEF supported the Civil Service

Employees Association’s (CSEA) filing of a Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) complaint with the state Labor Department when management didn’t come up with a workplace violence prevention plan.

problem is we need to get labor- management training. The union wants management to listen. We have been bringing forth really good ideas,” Williams said. “The problem is management doesn’t hear what we are saying. A lot of problems could be avoided if we could just sit down and really listen to each other.” Williams described what happens at a

facility when people turn a deaf ear. For one, the physical assaults on staff

remain a serious problem. Even though the Workplace Violence Prevention Law was enacted, the facility did nothing. “There was no key person to hold

accountable to make sure the facility was in compliance with the law,” Williams said. “We keep saying, ‘Let’s find out why the assaults and accidents are

not the enemy. We are here for the betterment of the facility. We want to work with management to

“We are

fix the problems.”

— Darlene Williams, PEF Council Leader

“PEF’s support

pushed it through,” Williams said. “We have a strong coalition among the unions. It is a triangle with PEF, CSEA and NYSCOPBA (New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association). We all work together. “Since the facility

has been cited,

management said it will do its best,” she said. Bronx PC has 90 days to get a plan

together. By law, the facility is required to involve the union in the planning process.

Cleaning house

Another PESH complaint was filed

months ago when bedbugs took over the facility. Williams said the pests have been a problem for more than a year. “I’ve been working at Bronx for 30

years. When patients were admitted into the facility, their clothing would be washed. They would get checked for head lice and get a full-body inspection to

Member input vital to OCFS training

PEF members who work for the state

Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) will be receiving a survey during the next two months to assess the training needs of members. OCFS training coordinators will be

distributing the surveys. Members are being asked to take five minutes to complete the survey. You can respond either electronically or in paper form.

PEF leaders said this survey is an important tool for realizing the training needs

at OCFS. If you do not receive a survey, contact the training coordinator at your work site.

Page 12—The Communicator May 2010

BAKER

Preventative medicine

Bronx PC also was cited for not

providing staff with necessary equipment to protect them from contracting the H1N1 virus. Williams said a patient in the Thompson building contracted the virus. PEF Vice President and

Labor-Management Coordinator Pat Baker said the Bronx PC management has been uncooperative in the past and disrespectful of the staff. “We are trying to get

joint labor-management training at the Bronx PC

to open the lines of communication between labor and management,” Baker said. “For things to improve, there must be some common ground where people can listen, find solutions, and implement them. Bronx PC has almost hit rock bottom with all its problems, so the only way to go now, is up and forward.” “I’m hoping the training will teach us

how to work together,” Williams said. “We are not the enemy. We are here for the betterment of the facility. We want to work with management to fix the problems.”

PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445

make sure they weren’t bringing in any parasites,” Williams said. “Short staffing and budget cuts have

changed that. Some homeless patients come in from the street where they have slept. They don’t get inspected or a change of clothes. They are sent to the wards with whatever is crawling on them.” The state Labor Department inspected

the facility in February and found that Bronx PC did treat the infested ward. But the problem didn’t go away. A few days later, bedbugs were found in another ward, and more were discovered in March in yet a third ward. Now, the facility is giving patients an

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