In Attendance: Jerry Roseman, Louise Carpino, Mario
Ferrari, Kathy Black, Barry Scott, Kendall Banks, Tim
Lutz, Keith Freeman, Jamila Abdur-Rahman, Roderick Washington,
Erin Daly, Prudence Rembert, Diana Rivera.
* IOD-Related Issues
Kathy raised the questions about how mental/mental evaluations
are/will be handled. She stated that a more formal agreement
is needed than the protocol that has been used in the
past.
Kathy asked about the MEU -
will their work be contracted out? Kathy asked for
a formal, written response from
the city. Diana Rivera and Prudence Rembert agreed to
speak with Dr. Korevaar and Barry will provide a response.
Barry said that he didn't know if there was an easy way
to officially "formalize" the way in which
mental evaluations re: IOD claims are done but that Risk
is committed to working jointly with the union on this
issue. Kathy responded by saying that this was an important
issue to pursue because she/union feels that there is
a real connection between this situation and workplace
violence.
Kathy raised the issue of members
who have a large number of dependents and who are out
on IOD and therefore losing
a lot of takehome pay, making life quite difficult for
them and their families. Barry understood the issue and
said that the "intent of the 75% language" with
regard to those in this situation was to get these people
as close to their take home pay as possible. Kathy suggested
a change in the Civil Service language to specifically
accommodate and protect those people in this situation
and asked for a joint commitment from Risk Management
to help modify the civil service regulation language
as necessary. Prudence agreed to speak with Delia Gorman
and Hillary Cornell about this. Kathy further recommended
that proposed language such as "75% worker's comp.
or usual take home pay, whichever is greater" should
be considered and she asked Risk to join the union in
formally stating that this is the intent of the current
law.
* Memorial in the Park
Kathy wants to get 3 new names
onto the Memorial in the Park for non-uniformed employees
killed on the job.
There was an agreement to "make it happen" and
there would be contact with Chris Palmer of Fairmount
Park to move it forward.
(The following notes began after Jerry Roseman and Kendall
Banks left to work on the asbestos abatement project
at EPPI/YSC and were recorded by Louise Carpino).
Problems with the Airport Safety Committee Audit have
not been corrected yet. Barry said Kendall will respond
at later date. (Corrective letter was received shortly
after this meeting.)
Ergonomic Training at FJD – Tim
Lutz is trying to work with the FJD to get hands-on
observations going.
First attempt will be with the Court Reporters. This
has not really started yet and will be prioritized
for October.
Emergency Response Program – Emergency preparedness
is done out of OEM. Checking out where City and Region
is on Emergency Preparedness and a prioritized list was
developed. Number one is the emergency generation for
power that has been added to City owned and leased buildings
(eg. police district buildings). OEM came up with evacuation
plan for the region and coordinated plan for center city
evacuation of buildings (appropriate “muster areas”).
Not completed yet – probably soon.
IAQ/ Mold Investigation @ 34 S. 11th St.. Tim Lutz says
glue was used on carpets according to Shanda Holloway.
Clayton Carter (maintenance at 34 S 11th) was notified
by Mario Ferrari and they are trying to exterminate at
night for bugs and mice. Workers will be instructed to
cc Tim Lutz on all complaints at this site. Barry will
follow up on mold investigation..
Tugs at Airport – Barry
said there was an on-going OSHA investigation at
the Airport involving tugs. A tug
killed an airline worker at the airport and Kathy
personally experienced being hit by a tug.
Committee Work – Current Status of Health and
Safety Committees – Health and Safety eEmployee
Initiatives protocol has been approved. Dr Schwarz agreed
in Health Department to form a Health and Safety Committee.
No response from Jack McCourt at the Airport yet about
reviving the H & S Committee. Some small departments
will not have committees. Barry said Jack has been real
busy at the Airport –OSHA investigation going
on.
• Kendall is back - BI
Environmental and Jerry will determine how old
asbestos samples were collected
at EPPI/YSC (was it ASTM testing method?) If collection
was not done by ASTM method, new testing will be
done. Also tried to get Marty Liberman, City Asbestos
Program
Director, on board.
Jamilah Abdur-Rahman will be
contact for H & S Committee
for Health Department. Jamilah is liaison for Health
Department, DBH, Office of Supportive Housing. Bobby
Coyle will be a H & S contact for the Union in the
Health Department.
FJD H & S Committee will be attended by Tim Lutz
and will have a flexible membership that may need to
be tweaked in the future. Board of Revision of Taxes – Veronica
Daniel – has she been straightened out about other
employees being trained besides her and one other? Erin
said she did send some other people to training sessions.
Commission on Human Relations is halfway through the
training.
Other employee H & S initiatives
- (for departments without committees) The only
agency which is participating
in this, so far, is City Council.
Workplace Violence – Renee Vargas said his office
and Risk are setting up meetings to get the new WPV pilot
program off the ground in Recreation, DHS and Libraries.
Kathy doesn’t want to combine H & S and WPV,
except in Recreation. Kendall said it might be better
to keep them separate to not diffuse or subsume H & S
into WPV. Renee said he would like to talk to Risk
about it.
We revisited the discussion
of the Airport Audit. Kendall says there is no new
Airport assessment report. Kathy
calls it a “novel”. Kendall responds to the
union’s objections:
1. By his statement that he ”interviewed key members
of the committee” Shreve meant he had a formal
interview with Jack McCourt and talked to others in a
less formal way.
2. Only shop stewards and Kathy & Rita are on the
committee.
3. Accused DC 33 of refusing to meet in combined meeting.
Kendall feels that Shreve was wrong in saying this. Kathy
countered the other points – i.e., there were no
less formal interviews with anyone; union health and
safety membership is not restricted to only official
union representatives, and it was the Airport, not either
union, that refused to meet as a joint committee.
Barry and Kendall will put
out a memo to correct the misstatements in Shreve’s
report.
