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January 2021 Issue # 129
Daniel Fields Jr (President) Debra Davis (Vice President) Marshall Jackson (Editor)
Children's National Hospital and Washington Hospital Center
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HAPPY NEW YEAR What a year! What a year! What a year! The year 2020 was one of the most unique and troubling years that we have ever had. We suffered a virus that we were unable to control and get rid of and we suffered a President that we were unable to control and get rid of. Hopefully, by the time that you receive this newsletter we will have developed an antidote for COVID-19 and former President Trump will have accepted defeat. Now we have to start repairing this country socially, financially and physically (Health Care). Socially we have to mend the consciousness of this country. We must come together as people. We must correct the systemic imbalances that exist between the rich and poor, the majority and the minorities and we must put our differences aside to bring this country back together. Financially, COVID-19 put a great strain on this economy. Many businesses were forced to close, have furloughs, or layoffs. Many of us were forced to miss time from work because our children were not able to return to school and we had to stay home to care for them. Households that normally had two incomes now only have one. Physically, this country is hurting. Hospitals are overcrowded with COVID-19 patients. Instead of getting healthier we are getting sicker. There are more people living on the streets that I can recall in my lifetime. People that have full time jobs are having a hard time surviving. The good thing is that this is a resilient country. No matter what is placed in front of us, we have a way of overcoming it. continue on page #5 continued from page 1 A lot of the time organized labor (Unions) is on the front line. Civil Rights, the March on Washington, and recently the fight for protection against COVID-19 and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Now we as Union members must step up more. We are going to find that we are a large barometer of the consciousness of this country. Therefore, we must come together as a Union. Whether you work at Children's Hospital or MedStar Washington Hospital Center you are a member of SEIU, Local 722. Whether you work as a Perfusionist, one of our highest paying positions or an Environmental Services Aide, you carry equal status in SEIU, Local 722. We are one. Let's show that we are together. The big issue that is coming before us in the year 2021 is the negotiation of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center contract. If you think that because you work at Children's that these negotiations will not have an impact on you, you are totally wrong. The Employers converse with each other. If Children's see something in the MWHC’s contract that they like, such as the number of holidays observed, they may come after that, and vice versa. If the MWHC sees something in Children's’ contract, they will try to get that. Why do you think Children's is always speaking of Paid Time Off. It is because it is in the MWHC’s contract. We all need to be ready to impact these negotiations. Everybody stay safe and healthy.
(202) 483 - 6221 (office) (202) 483 - 6242 (fax) www.seiu722.org seiu722@aol.com
Membership Meeting
contact editor
Membership meetings will be held from 2pm - 4pm the third (3rd) Saturday of every month. Due to the COVID - 19 Pandemic we will attempt to set up a ZOOM video conference. Please see the bulletin boards for the computer link as well as call - in options.
by: Daniel fields jr.
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President's Report
in unity
" Workers united, will never be defeated"
Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019) is considered a Millennial. If this is you, we want to hear from you. Local 722 will soon form a Millennial Caucus. We want to hear your ideas, entertain your concerns, address your focused issues, and move forward with you having a seat at the table. Unfortunately we can't form this caucus without you. So lets plan a meeting. Due to Covid in person meetings will be difficult, but we can start by gathering the names of those interested. So send your contact information to the editor of the newsletter news4local722@msn.com You can also see Lauren John at WHC or Crystal Skinner at CNMC
When workers come together around issues in the workplace, the goal is simple: to do together what they can’t do alone. Better wages, affordable health care, a secure retirement, and safer workplaces - are things all workers deserve. However one person demanding them will likely end in disappointment, but when your brothers and sisters rally beside you, the possibilities are endless. Through unions, workers join together to win better wages, benefits and a voice on the job – and good union jobs mean stronger communities. Unions give workers a voice at work, to bargain as a group for benefits such as non-discrimination protections and domestic partner benefits. Union members earn better wages and benefits than workers who aren’t union members. On average, union workers’ wages are 30 percent higher than their nonunion counterparts. While only 14 percent of nonunion workers have guaranteed pensions, fully 68 percent of union workers do. More than 97 percent of union workers have jobs that provide health insurance benefits, but only 85 percent of nonunion workers do. Unions help employers create a more stable, productive workforce—where workers have a say in improving their jobs. Women workers who are union members earn nearly $9,000 a year more than their non-union counterparts. For African-American workers, the union differential is also about $9,000, and for Latino workers the yearly advantage is more than $11,000. Unions lead the fight today for better lives for all working people. Unions play a pivotal role both in securing legislated labor protections and rights such as safety and health, overtime, and family/medical leave and in enforcing those rights on the job for all workers. When unions join together and behind advocating for better wages, non-union workers then see the power of unity and start demanding better treatment themselves. Unions help all working families have a stronger voice in our communities, in the political arena, and in the global economy.
STRength
The Maryland / DC Chapter of AFRAM wish to invite you to join us the (2nd) second Saturday of every month 10 am - noon. We meet at the office of SEIU Local 400PG located at 9700 Pennsylvania Ave Upper Marlboro Maryland 20772 The National African American Caucus of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is committed to enhancing opportunities for education, training mentor-ship, leadership development and networking for SEIU members and staff of African descent. We further engage to promote social, economic and political justice within our workplace, our communities, our nation and within our union. We shall further encourage our members to actively engage in efforts to organize the unorganized and to fully participate in the development and implementation of labor’s political agenda and programs. Thank you to all current members and welcome back. Each of us should bring at least one new member to the next meeting. Hope to see new faces join our caucus. There's always "Good trouble" for us to focus on. AFRAM NEEDS YOU
The new normal has us all wearing a face mask everywhere we go. Although the science behind it makes a lot of sense, it has had a negative impact on our ability to communicate with others. Research has found wearing a face covering makes lip-reading impossible; obscures a lot of non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions; and muffles sound. The impact of wearing a mask on communication is worse for people with hearing problems, the study warns, and can lead to anxiety, stress and embarrassment. Transparent face mask are a potential solution, the researchers say, but current versions pose their own issues as they block more sound and steam up. The result of wearing the face mask hinders one's ability to talk freely and has had a wider reaching impact than just frustration. Although it is deeply important for the public to continue to wear face mask, they had a profound impact on not only how we communicate, but on how connected we feel with someone, and how willing we are to engage in conversation. The face mask increases anxiety and stress, and makes communication fatiguing, frustrating and embarrassing - both as a speaker wearing a face mask, and when listening to someone else who is wearing one. Over time, the researchers hope some of the problems surrounding face masks, such as feeling socially awkward and embarrassed, will diminish as they become commonplace. Already many individuals said they used gestures, facial expressions and their eyes to enhance communication when they were wearing a face mask. This perhaps suggests with guidance and instruction, non-verbal cues might help us to improve the way we communicate while wearing a mask. Do your best to ensure that you are being heard and heard correctly while wearing your mask. Let’s not take anything for granted.
A Step In The Right Direction CEO's Pledge To Train And Hire One Million Black Workers In The Next TEN Years
President's report Continue.....
As the Black community navigates deep poverty and trauma from violence against them, there’s been an increase in businesses and corporations pledging allyship. But as quickly as some new initiatives emerge, they dissipate. While most initiatives tend to be one-off vows, OneTen—with its 10-year commitment to fostering employment equity—has long-term promise. Launched this week by Merck Chairman and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier, IBM Executive Chairman Ginni Rometty, General Catalyst Chairman and Managing Director Ken Chenault, Recognize Managing Partner and Black Economic Alliance Chairman Charles Phillips and former Amgen Chairman and CEO Kevin Sharer, the coalition of 37 CEOs has pledged to train, hire and promote one million Black Americans over the next decade. “We’re trying to urge companies to take a skills-first approach, rather than a credentials approach, which will eliminate some of the systemic barriers that African Americans have faced,” Frazier told CBS’s Gayle King, emphasizing that the initiative will put special focus on those who do not have a four-year college degree. This ambitious plan, backed by companies including American Express, AT&T, Bank of America, Cisco, Delta Air Lines, General Motors, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Stryker, Target and WalMart, is a step in the right direction at a time when lip service is prevalent. Harvard Business Review highlighted that businesses are more inclined to make social pledges after seeing disparaging data about Black people in various industries, which we’ve seen a lot of this year in the form of one-off campaigns and social media pledges. Frazier hopes that corporations will do more, that they’ll engage with this idea to be more equitable with hiring and promotion—an effort to help improve the financial deficit that has long plagued the Black community. But meeting the quota of diversity hires, without structural changes, is only partially succeeding. The next step should be committing to inclusive practices and retention commitments that keep Black employees happily staying. We must all stay vigilant about this issue. If we don't continue to make ourselves marketable for these jobs, we will never get ahead. Are you ready for a change? Are you looking for a new carer path? What are you going to do about it? Is your skill set where it needs to be? Do you have the credentials needed to advance? It's never to late for you to take advantage of your current benefits to advance your future.
Mission: The Latino Caucus is committed to organizing, educating and developing the Latino people in order to achieve power, respect and social justice for the working class. There are many of us here in Local 722. And we can let our voices be heard also. Reach out to the editor and lets start planning to meet. news4local722@msn.com Organizar, educar y desarrollar la familia Latina para logar poder, respeto y justicia social para la clase trabajadora
Newsletter Articles
If you have articles that you would like posted in the newsletter please send them to our editor at: news4local722@msn.com All articles for consideration must be submitted by the 15th of every month.
Labor Movement
SEIU LOCAL 722 1673 Columbia Rd. N.W #100 Washington, D.C. 20009
Throughout our history, the labor movement has accomplished a lot. If you get weekends off or overtime pay, thank the union members who fought for those rights. None of our movement’s achievements would have happened without the effort, organization and advocacy of our brothers and sisters. But injustice still runs amok. We must look to the past not only for inspiration, but for the tools we need to continue the fight. The roots of the problems we face today can be found in our past. So can the beginnings of the solutions we need for our future. The labor history timeline highlights the key events and the people who helped bring about radical changes in the workplace and society. "Power concedes nothing without demands." Frederick Douglass
www.seiu 722.org