American Red Cross (ARC)

Oregon Nurses Association National Bargaining Update Bargaining Unit Newsletter July 7, 2015 In this issue

National Bargaining Update – Pages 1 - 2 ONA ARC Officers Red Cross Union Coalition – Pages 2 - 6 President Supreme Court to Hear Case that Threatens Public Rich App, RN Health and Undermines Workers’ Voice – Page 6 Vice President Eduarda One Step Closer to a National Agreement DaSilva-Winterburn, LPN Secretary American Red Cross Union Coalition – July 6, 2015 Carolyne Kituyi, RN Our Union National Bargaining Healthcare Coverage with lower Treasurer committee continued meetings with deductibles. Jackie Armovit, RN American Red Cross in Washington DC We still have some outstanding issues to and came very close to reaching a Membership Chair continue negotiating over and your Lynn Sivaivai, LPN Tentative National Contract. When we committee will give fuller updates as we do, we will be creating a powerful, united Grievance Chair come closer to a Tentative National voice to enable us to tackle more and Matt Clark, RN Contract with National Red Cross! more issues together. Professional Nursing If we reach a Tentative Contract Care Committee We made significant progress on some Agreement, you will have the opportunity (PNCC) Chair – of our core issues including Wage Ann Marie Kessi, RN to vote to adopt the Agreement as an Increases Across the Board, Michelle Clembury, RN addendum, or addition to your local Ratification Bonus, and better Eduarda union contract. DaSilva-Winterburn, LPN Barb Tucker, RN Linda Wallace, RN

ONA National Labor Relations Representative: Tresa Cavanaugh, JD 503-293-0011, ext. 312. [email protected]

American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees (AFSCME) American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Communication Workers of America Oregon Nurses Association International Brotherhood of Teamsters 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 200, Tualatin OR 97062 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon United Auto Workers (UAW) www.OregonRN.org United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) United Steelworkers (USW) Page 2 AmericanPage 2 Red Cross National Bargaining Update

Red Cross Union Coalition

We represent unions, job titles, regions, and President/Business Agent at Teamsters Local 332 in experiences from across the country to fight for 1996. In 2000, Nina became the President of a strong national contract at the bargaining table. Teamsters Local 332 and in 2007, she became the We are united to fight for the same issues of Principal Officer of the Local. In addition to her workplace respect and safety to make the Principal Officer duties, she was appointed to the American Red Cross a better place to work. Michigan Teamsters Joint Council #43 Executive Board in 2013 as the Healthcare Advisor. Most recently, Nina Committee Leaders was appointed in April 2015 as a Trustee to Joint Mark Richard: Mark is a Council #43. Also in 2014, Nina was appointed as the nationally recognized labor Central Region Director of the International attorney. His union career Brotherhood of Teamsters Public Services Division started in 1973 when he under the leadership of IBT Director, Michael Filler. served as an organizer for American Federation of State and County Cesar Chavez on the farm Municipal Employees workers union inspired boycotts. He has helped AFSCME represents drivers and collection staff in negotiate hundreds of union Connecticut, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, contracts including industry Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. leading agreements at

American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. His law firm represents over 60 local unions and Internationals Scott Soares began including those from AFT, SEIU, AFSCME, IBT and working with AFSCME TWU. He was recently was involved in the ground Council 4 as a student employee negotiations arising out of the UsAir – AA at Central CT State merger and negotiations with the 100,000 member University and since Coalition of Unions with healthcare giant Kaiser. then he has worked On top of this, Mark is a college professor of Paralegal with AFSCME for 16 Studies and he is proud to serve as the president of years leading political the AFT local professors union at Miami Dade College. and organizing campaigns with Nina Bugbee, members in Connecticut. Scott began working with International Red Cross members in 2008 through many contract Brotherhood of campaigns, including three strikes. Scott also Teamsters: Nina earned represents 25 locals of education workers, municipality a Bachelor of Science in workers, paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, Nursing from Olivet and linesman across CT. Scott is a leader in his Nazarene University in community as he has served on his Democratic Town 1981 and she has been a Committee since 2008 and the Board of Education licensed Registered Nurse in Newington CT. in the State of Michigan for 33 years. She became a Teamster member in 1982, RN Union Steward in 1988 and became the Vice Continued on page 3

Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org Page 3 AmericanPage 2 Red Cross National Bargaining Update

Red Cross Union Coalition Continued from page 2

Dalia Thornton footsteps of her mother who was a proud UAW is the Assistant Director of the Department of Research member who worked at Wayne State University and Collective Bargaining Services at AFSCME. in Detroit. At AFSCME, Dalia’s core job function is assisting Ellen Wallace has been a UAW member since 1986 affiliates in all aspects of collective bargaining. She and held various leadership positions in her union has led public sector negotiations for the union in including shop steward and local union president. homecare, higher education, transportation and K-12 She served as a union officer for nine years before schools as well as emergency medical responders becoming a member of the International UAW staff as and the American Red Cross in the private sector. the Sub-Regional Director of UAW Region 9A in New Dalia also conducts collective bargaining and contract England. Ellen has bargained hundreds of contracts campaign trainings for affiliates nationwide. Dalia and has extensive experience with contract earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics with a enforcement, organizing, and advocating for worker focus on Labor Economics from the University of rights legislation. Recently, Ellen assisted Patrice Colorado. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Shaw, UAW Local 2322 unit chair for the Red Cross Political Science with an emphasis in American and members in Manchester during contract negotiations International Politics from Colorado State University. with the Red Cross. This contract fight cemented their United Auto Workers (UAW) commitment to work with the National Coalition of Unions to win a strong national contract. UAW represents Red Cross drivers, collection staff, donor representatives, and lab technicians in American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Manchester, NH and Detroit, MI. AFT represents healthcare workers in the Pennsylvania Crystal Isaac -New Jersey Region as part of the Health Professionals is a Donor and Allied Employees (HPAE) and nurses in Oregon Representative with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). for Red Cross Ann Twomey in Detroit and is a Registered a proud Nurse, bargaining President of committee the HPAE, and member for Vice President UAW Local 771. on the (Left to Right: Patrice Shaw, Ellen Wallace and She joined the Crystal Isaac, UAW) Executive UAW in 2003 Council of the when she began working at the Red Cross in Detroit (Left to Right: Ann Twomey, Judy Merkowsky AFT. Ann and has bargained the last three contracts with the and Renee Conyers, AFT, HPAE :local 5103) began her Red Cross in Detroit. Crystal brings a unique lifelong career fighting for healthcare worker rights as a perspective as the only Donor Representative on the nurse at Englewood Hospital, where she led the drive National Bargaining Committee. She comes from a by Englewood's nurses to unionize in the early 1970s. strong union family where her father was a union Under Ann's leadership, HPAE has gone from a small member with a meatpacking company and then worked independent health care union into New Jersey's for the railroads for 42 years. She also follows in the Continued on page 4 Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org Page 4 AmericanPage 2 Red Cross National Bargaining Update

Red Cross Union Coalition Continued from page 3 largest health care union of 12,000 workers. Ann has in Milledgeville where he was part of a successful been recognized for her fearless leadership over the union organizing drive with the USW in 1991. As a years, receiving the NJ Governor's award for representative for the USW, Darryl has negotiated Excellence in 1996, the Labor Leader of the Year by NJ contracts for over 10 years and leads contract Afl-Cio in 2013, and she most recently appeared on the negotiations for USW workers at a marble mine a 2015 NJPoliticker nd galvanize company. Darryl comes from a strong Labor Power List. Steelworker family as his father was a USW member for 30 years with U.S. Steel in Cleveland OH. Sandra Lane works with HPAE Communications Workers of America (CWA) healthcare workers CWA represents Donor specialists, MUAs, and to fight for strong collection staff in Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo NY, contracts and public Wilkes-Barre and Johnstown PA, and Norfolk VA. policy across NJ and PA. She worked with Bill Ratajczak has worked for Red Cross in Buffalo for Red Cross Local 36 years, where he (Left to Right: Renee Conyers, and 5103 presidents was part of the Sandra Lane, AFT, HPAE :local 5103) Renee Conyers, union organizing Judy Merkowsky, and other dedicated members during drive with CWA in contract negotiations including a three-week strike in 1980. He started 2011. Sandra started union organizing at the University out working in the of California in Santa Cruz and went on to conduct components union research through the UC Berkeley Labor Center. laboratory and She then served as a political organizer for IFPTE became a blood Local 21 in San Francisco before moving to the east collection (Left to Right: Eric Horne and Bill Ratajczak) coast to work with HPAE. technician in 2000. Bill has served as a chief shop United Steelworkers (USW) steward for about 15 years, and served on the negotiating team for many contract fights. Growing up, USW represents Mobile Unit Techs (MUT), Blood Bill's dad was a union firefighter in Buffalo and his Collection Technicians (BCT), Collection Techs, sister now works as a union nurse. Bill is also involved Mobile Unit Driver Assistants, and lab manufacturing in improving his community in Buffalo, where he has in Georgia and Alabama. served as the Neighborhood Block Club president, a Darryl Ford has worked delegate to the Buffalo Afl-Cio labor council, and for the Red Cross in currently serves as a Democratic Committee member. Macon, Georgia as a Eric Horne: Before working in union healthcare, Eric Mobile Unit Technician had a full career holding various jobs in the restaurant for 17 years. He served industry. He attended the Culinary Institute of America as a shop steward before in Hyde Park NY, and then worked at various hotels, being elected as the local restaurants, and resorts throughout the country before president in 2005. Before opening his own restaurant and catering business in working at the Red 1991. Cross, Darryl worked at an air conditioning plant After a life changing incident, he Continued on page 5 Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org Page 5 AmericanPage 2 Red Cross National Bargaining Update

Red Cross Union Coalition Continued from page 4 decided to attend Luzerne County Community college the difficult negotiations that lasted over 14 months with to became a Phlebotomist and EKG technician to work the Red Cross to achieve Central Ohio Region’s first for the Red Cross. Eric has worked for the Red Cross contract along with rank and file member Jay Johnson for three and a half years as a Double Red Cell (MUA). Jay has been instrumental in representing Technician and Charge Nurse. He became Steward for UFCW during committee meetings and at bargaining CWA Local 13500 and was instrumental in getting a sessions. contract with the northeast PA region of the Red Cross Service Employees International Union (SEIU) after working without a contract for over three years. SEIU Represents Red Cross workers in Northern United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) California Local 521, New England Local 1989, West UFCW represents collections, administrative, hospital Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio Local 1199 WKO, services, stockroom clerks, maintenance workers, and Massachusetts Local 1199 UHE, Southern California drivers in Toledo OH. Local 721 and 221 and Michigan HCMI.

Dale Parker has Marge Robinson is the president of SEIU Healthcare worked for Red Michigan. She first became a member of SEIU while Cross for 13 years in working as a unit secretary at Hackley Hospital 32 Toledo as a lab years ago. She then moved

technician. In 1991, to Mercey Hospital for 15 Dale was part of the years before returning to union organizing college to become a drive and first Registered Nurse. Marge contract victory at worked in the Critical Care Red Cross with the Open Heart Unit and went UFCW. He then on to hold various leadership (Left to Right: Dale Parker and Monica Belcher, UFCW ) served as a union positions in the union, shop steward and including bargaining team executive board member before becoming a staff member, chief steward, and a member of the Local 79 representative with UFCW in 1998. Dale has led Executive Board with the Hospital Division Director negotiations for ARC members since 1998 and also before being elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2002. In leads contract negotiations and enforcement for retail, 2008, Robinson became the first member and woman manufacturing, and nursing home workers in the president of SEIU Healthcare Michigan and was re- Toledo area. Dale grew up in a strong union elected in 2013. She is a member of the SEIU National household where both parents were UAW members Nurse Alliance Leadership Board, the Healthcare who worked in auto car plants in Toledo. Division Leadership Board, and the SEIU International Executive Board as well as president of the SEIU Paul Smithberger is the Collective Bargaining Director Michigan State Council. of UFCW Local 1059 has over 25 years of service with Local 1059. Local 1059 represents over 18,000 Robinson has held numerous other positions workers in 44 counties in and around central Ohio. throughout the state including VP and President of Local 1059 has contract with major employers Kroger, West Michigan Labor Council, as well as governor- Meijer, CVS, Bellisio Foods, and General Mills in appointed positions across Michigan. addition to Red Cross. In 2012-2013 Paul was part of

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Red Cross Union Coalition Continued from page 5

Del Mallory is a Lead Organizer/coordinator for SEIU Local 521 in San Jose, California. He has represented Red Cross workers since 2008 and has played an active role in the national coalition. Del currently sits on the Issues Resolution Team and the Mobilization Committee.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)

IBT represents drivers (Left to Right: Renee Kramer, Judy Esteban, Del Mallory, Vaughnn and collections staff in Goodwin, and Sharon Smiley, SEIU.) cities across California, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Michael B. Filler is the Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division, which is the largest component of the 1.4 million International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He has over 35 years of labor-management and public policy experience. In 2010, Filler was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Council on Federal Labor- Management Relations. Supreme Court to Hear Case that Threatens Public Health and Undermines Workers' Voice

Big corporations and anti-worker groups just got a big of patients would be dramatically restricted. In addition, it break. On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court announced would greatly impair our ability to elect strong leaders, it will review and act on a Court of Appeals decision, and cripple our capacity to sponsor effective legislation Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association (CTA), such as the hospital nurse staffing legislation (Senate which seeks to undermine workers by barring unions Bill 469, 2015) or Nurse Practitioner payment parity. that represent public employees – including 3,000 of your colleagues at ONA represented state and county “This is about silencing those who seek to use their facilities – from charging fair share fees for those who collective power to make improvements in health care choose not to join but still receive all the benefits of and working conditions,” said ONA President Katy collective bargaining. Cooper BSN, RN. “We can’t let that happen.”

Behind the Court of Appeal’s decision, Friedrichs v. This is a priority for ONA. In the coming weeks and CTA, are large corporate anti-worker groups and a months, we’ll engage members to fight for our ability to national network led by multinational corporation owners, retain our collective power, as trusted advocates for the Koch Brothers, who believe workers should not have patient safety, optimum working conditions and a collective voice in the workplace. improvements to vital health care services our patients and communities need and deserve. If the Court sides with the billionaires and corporations, ONA members’ ability to speak out collectively on behalf

Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org