ColoradoWINS.org

DENVER HEADQUARTERS2525 W. Alameda Ave.

Denver, CO 80219 303.727.8040

PUEBLO304 S. Union Avenue

Pueblo, CO 81003 719.545.0677

GRAND JUNCTION3168 Pipe Court, Suite 102Grand Junction, CO 81504

970.263.9900

facebook.com/ColoradoWINS

@CoWINSpolitics

Text “COWINS” to 787-753

LE

T’S

BE

S

OC

IAL For subscription information please e-mail

ourvoice@cowins.org To get updates through e-mail, please include

“Newsletter sign up” in the subject line.

JULY 2013 NEWSLETTER | COLORADO WINS | LOCAL 1876

› Colorado Springs DLO solves break time issue› Fitzsimons employees fight through the EMC› Regional Centers update› New policies for DOC and Parole› SAVE THE DATE: Special Member Convention August 24

WHAT’S INSIDE:

2525 W. ALAMEDA AVE, DENVER, CO 80219P

RE

SO

RT

ED

STA

ND

AR

D M

AIL

U.S

. PO

STA

GE

PA

IDD

EN

VE

R, C

OP

ER

MIT

NO

. 152

See more in your July paycheck

Wellness program gives rebates on state health plansNot only did Colorado WINS members

ensure that healthcare premiums didn’t eat into employee raises by securing millions in additional funding to cover increases, members also helped shape a new employee wellness program that can save you an additional $20 per month on your insurance premium.

The wellness program was a direct result of months of partnership negotiations between Colorado WINS, the State Patrol association (ACSPP) and the Dept. of Personnel and Administration (DPA).

Any state employee can sign up for the program, which started July 1, by visiting Colorado.gov/wellness and

registering. Only employees with state plans can earn the premium rebates.

WINS Healthcare Representatives started the process last fall and helped shape the program to include a financial incentive as well as a meaningful role for state employees in the decision-making process.

“We were able to voice a number of our priorities for this program. [...] We did have input and influenced the process and design in various ways. I think most of us believe we had a positive impact on the result,” said WINS Healthcare Representative Mark Qualy. “We surveyed our co-workers and consulted with other states on their experience with wellness

programs. It seemed to us that this was an important aspect to increasing participation and the effectiveness of the program. We wanted to avoid penalties and overly demanding requirements, therefore we viewed this incentive approach as the best approach.”

The program kicked off with a mini-health fair at the state Capitol that included group stretching, a few speeches (including from Governor John Hickenlooper and Colorado WINS Executive Director Scott Wasserman), and some fun and games to educate state employees about the program.

“It has been a wonderful experience and opportunity for DPA [...] to work with members of Colorado WINS throughout the state. We have had participants from both Higher Education and HCPF, just to name a few,” said Kathy Nesbitt during a recent Colorado WINS Tele Town Hall.

With the wellness program up and running, the WINS Healthcare Representatives will explore new ideas to maintain affordability while improving the quality of plans offered as we head into the 2014 RFP process.

The July pay increase means more than money for WINS members: it means our hard work is literally paying off. Respect is calculated in more than dollars.

The new fiscal year, which starts July 1, bears the mark Colorado WINS members left on the 2013 legislative session. From winning a 2% across-the-board increase for state employees to securing millions in additional funding to cover rising healthcare premiums, WINS members took great strides to regain ground lost in recent years. Also passed in the budget was Merit Pay, which provides high-performing employees an additional pay increase of up to 2.4%.

This is the union difference – through hard work Colorado WINS members were able to secure better pay, benefits and working conditions for Colorado’s state employees.

“Most state employees, except maybe senior staff and management, don’t make a lot of money, so it’s really significant that the state provides a raise,” said Colorado WINS member Nancy Fey. “Any financial help is a definite

positive and is certainly going to contribute to their quality of life and quality of work.”

July 1 also marks the beginning of the state employee wellness program, which includes financial incentives of up to $20/month for participation.

“Colorado WINS pushed really hard to include the financial rebate in the program,” said Fey, who was also a Healthcare Representative. “I hope a lot of people are interested in wellness, but I think if they’re not, they’re interested in the rebate and perhaps that kind of pulled them into the wellness program. And after all that is the point – and it’s only fair to give them rebates on health insurance premium because those are higher than they ought to be. Although, Colorado WINS has also done a good job keeping those from rising.”

see “Raises” on page 4

see “President’s Corner” on page 4

Since my last column, management’s response to the Employee Management Committee (EMC) process has left much to be desired. They have cancelled meetings, delayed sending out an e-mail from our superintendent regarding our new sick leave policy that has been pushed through regardless of our objections, and they have ‘passed the buck’ regarding our stewardship policy.

In spite of these problems, or more accurately, as a direct result of them,

our Union has taken on a new conviction of uniting our workforce at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP).

In June, we began a power campaign to fight for a voice in our facility. Our union brothers and sisters have been working to build the strength of our voice by running a petition to show that we believe in the partnership. But the only way to make the partnership work is to collaborate by gathering new ideas and solutions to help our facility function at optimum capacity. By supporting our EMC, members are able to make a better hospital for our patients, staff, and our community. Stemming from our power campaign, we have seen an increase in new members and new leaders taking an active role in the union – carrying the petitions as well as building membership. In particular, our social workers have built their area up to majority!

With each victory, we strive to increase hospital-wide membership to majority. When that day comes, we will not have to carry petitions to have a voice. The petition signatures are very important; however, our voice would resonate even louder and

PATTY MOOREPresident, Colorado WINS

Majority membership makes our voices stronger, louder

Clockwise from top: Governor John Hickenlooper with WINS Executive Director Scott Wasserman and DPA’s Nate Sassano and Director Kathy Nesbitt; WINS Healthcare Representative Mark Qualy, left, during the wellness program launch at the Colorado State Capitol; group stretching during the launch event.

HOW CAN I EARN A REBATE?

STEP 3: Earn 400 coins per monthEarn coins through various activities found on the wellness website. Each month that you earn 400 coins, you’ll be eligible for another $10 per month rebate. After you register for the program you can see how to earn coins and a menu of how many coins you can earn for various activities.

STEP 2: Take an online health assessmentOnce you complete your online health assessment through your respective provider (KP or UHC), you’ll be eligible for a $10 per month rebate through June 2014. A heads up: you will be redirected to either the KP or UHC websites and you will have to log in using your specific log-in for those sites, which may be different than the one you just set up for the wellness program.

STEP 1: Sign up at colorado.gov/wellnessIt requires some personal information in order to match if you have a plan with either Kaiser Permanente (KP) or UnitedHealthcare (UHC). Any employee can participate in the wellness program, even if you don’t have a plan through the state.

See more pictures from the wellness launch at coloradowins.tumblr.com.

COLORADO WINS EXECUTIVE BOARD

PATTY MOORE President

GREG GOLDMAN Treasurer

DAVID PERTZ Secretary

SCOTT WASSERMAN Executive Director

VICE PRESIDENTS:PAT ROYBAL, Dist. IRITA UHLER, Dist. II

SKIP MILLER, Dist. IIIVACANT, Dist. IV

JACQUIE ANDERSON, Dist. VED SCHMAL, Dist. VI

DALE O’CONNOR, Dept. Committee

RETIREE CHAIR:DAVID RUCHMAN

Official publication of Colorado WINS

2525 Alameda Ave. Denver, CO 80219

303.727.8040

info@cowins.org

JULY 2013 | COLORADO WINS | LOCAL 1876

2

Summertime is always busy at Colorado Driver’s License offices (DLO). From new drivers applying for licenses to people getting ready for road-trip vacations, driver’s license employees generally see a major increase in customers as the warm weather arrives. Couple that with severe short staffing and an outdated office space, and you have a recipe for long lines and short tempers.

At the Colorado Springs DLO, employees work hard to deliver quality customer service, even in difficult situations.

“I love working with people and helping people. Our job is important because of the importance of quality, privacy and security. We can make a difference by carefully issuing and guarding against fraud and abuse,” said Susan Salinas, a WINS member in Colorado Springs.

Every day her office serves hundreds of customers and it’s up to her to make sure that new drivers are totally prepared to get out on the highways and that everyone’s safety and security is maintained.

But when her office was hit with wait times of up to 4 hours because they were missing so many FTE positions, morale began to drop. What was management’s response to this problem?

“They took our breaks away from us!” said Susan.

The hardworking union members at her office finally had enough. So they wrote a letter to their upper management asking for a solution that didn’t penalize workers and provided a long term solution to the wait-time issue. Because the Colorado Springs office has 75% union membership among employees, they were able to quickly get every single worker to sign the letter, and delivered

it to management within 72 hours. Then, they called a meeting to create a strategic plan to get management to listen to their concerns.

A week after receiving the letter, management agreed to meet with worker representatives. Kim Bila and Vanessa Price, two well-respected employees and union members, agreed to advocate for their co-workers in the meeting. The employee representatives worked with management to come up with a solution.

As a result of the partnership, employees worked with management to create a break policy that met their office’s unique needs and got a commitment to fill the vacant office positions. They also gave management input on ways their office culture and efficiency could be improved in the future.

After the meeting, things in the Colorado Springs DLO immediately began to change. Morale was up, wait times were down, and workers were inspired to be part of the solution.

“We felt like having the meeting [...] allowed us to understand that management shared our concerns and wanted a change as much as we did,” Kim said.

After the successes her office has experienced, Vanessa is looking forward to creating an even better workplace with the help of her fellow union members.

“They’ve already started making some of the ergonomics changes to our office. Now we have footstools and wrist-pads for our keyboards. Not everything is fixed but it makes us feel good to see things getting better,” Vanessa said.

Soon, her office will also be electing a Union Steward and someone to represent them on the division-wide Employee Management Committee, so that employee voices can be heard throughout the entire department.

If you work in a DLO and would like to see change in your workplace, please contact Emma Erbach at emma.erbach@cowins.org or 719.569.30811

CADE CLARKE, KIM BILA, VANESSA PRICE, TERESA BAILEY Dept. of Revenue

Colorado Springs Driver’s License Office

People with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families are demanding change and more control over their lives. Colorado WINS members from regional centers across the state are working together to ensure the transition of services to a more person-centered model retains protections for their jobs and the people they work with.

Five Colorado WINS members met with Department of Human Services (DHS) management and community allies to strategize and share insights on the future of the regional centers.

Daria Evangelista, representing the Wheat Ridge Regional Center, sees a need to transition from the care model to the support model in order for people with developmental disabilities to achieve as much independence as possible. A fairly compensated workforce with low turnover is an important factor in the transition.

“Right now regional centers [provide] the highest level of care. I think if we raise the level of care for all people with developmental disabilities then all employees should be equally compensated,” Evangelista said.

As part of the transition process, the population in the regional centers is decreasing and many people are moved out of state-run homes and placed into community-based settings. Supports need to be present in the community to facilitate choice and successful independent lives for people with DD.

“We need to make sure that the services are out there in the community to ensure these placements are successful,” said Gerald Solano, an employee at the Pueblo Regional Center and a member of the vision committee.

During a two-day meeting in May members crafted a vision statement for the regional centers, which highlighted gaps that exist in community-based settings. Regional centers could fill those gaps by offering services such as medical, occupational, physical and speech

therapy while also continuing to provide quality psychiatric support. The committee also noted the need for clear follow-through and oversight to ensure the best outcomes for the individuals who get support from the regional centers.

The vision committee also acknowledged that regional centers staff are highly experienced and can offer training and assistance to the community workforce. For instance, the regional centers employ workers who build specialized equipment such as wheel chairs for residents. The in-house assistive equipment employees

are leading innovations in equipment in both the public and private sectors and recently received an award from the state for their work. Finally, the vision committee emphasized the need to continue providing support and intensive residential services for sexual offenders.

For Evangelista, having a voice in the transition process is also a matter of respect for state employees.

“I want to make sure state employees still have a job. To me it’s about valuing public servants,” she said.

The group is continuing their partnership with DHS and wants to hear from regional center staff.

“The sub-committee is looking at all this and we need more input from staff so we can make this transition process better for regional center employees, our residents and the community,” Solano said.

To read the regional centers vision statement, visit ColoradoWINS.org/regionalcenters or contact Loryn Cesario at loryn.cesario@cowins.org or 303-937-6497.

Employees craft vision statement for regional centers

Regional Center employees wrote the Vision Statement after they a two-day meeting with DHS representatives and community supporters. Vision Statement Committee members: Daria Evangelista and Carin Hagman (Wheat Ridge Regional Center) and Gerald Solano, Sandra Arellano and Glenna Nickens (Pueblo Regional Center).

“We need more input from staff so we can make

this transition process better for regional center

employees, our residents and the community.”

– Gerald Solano, Pueblo Regional Center employee

Last year, the Employee Management Committee (EMC) process was so broken at the Fitzsimons Nursing Home that the workers chose to suspend it. There was a lack of commitment to the process from management and issues were piling up that had not been addressed for much too long.

But suspending the process was not the final answer; members of the EMC were hard at work trying to revive it. Their goal: raise membership among Fitz employees to show that workers stand united in their fight for better working conditions.

Colorado WINS members urged their fellow employees to join the union, explaining that more members will mean more respect and that only by coming together can the workers expect to see any changes.

As membership at Fitz grew, management began to take notice. Toward the end of 2012, Fitz had finally reached majority membership and received a commitment from management to respect the EMC process. However, it wasn’t until the beginning of 2013, when Fitz management proposed a change in scheduling, that the power of the EMC became apparent.

The new schedule was designed without any input from the frontline workers, who would be directly affected. The employees impacted by the proposed changes asked the EMC for help.

“Management was trying to redo everyone’s schedule to 40-hour weeks, but we have employees who are not all 40-hour a week people,” said Jacquie Anderson, a Fitz employee and a member of the EMC. “Because I was the scheduler for about 4 years, I jumped in and worked hard at it, cause I know the process.”

As the EMC members took a closer look at scheduling, they discovered that lack of staff was the real problem and were able to convince management that the hiring process should help fill those gaps.

“Management realized that it was a bad decision to [change the schedules],” Jacquie said. “They backed out and said at this time they’re not going to do it and they haven’t as of yet.”

They also agreed to give a three-month notice to employees before any future schedule changes are implemented.

After a successful campaign to stave off the scheduling changes, the EMC process was finally working as intended. Employees were able to address other facility-wide issues such as the dress code.

“I enjoy being on the EMC because it gives me the opportunity to try to make changes,” said Colorado WINS member Linda Rihel. “We were successful in getting the residents involved in the culture change and that’s how the dress code actually came to play. We had to involve them in what the staff could wear here. We took it to the residents, and they told us what they would approve of and we were able to then take it back to the EMC and then get the dress code changed.”

As a result, Fitz employees can now wear shorts and hats, something that the policy did not previously allow.

Through the revived EMC process, the employees were also able to request input on hiring the new Director of Nursing (DON).

“We got together and we requested that we have a part in it,” Jacquie said. “There was no push back, it was an immediate yes and it worked out very good.”

Selected employees had a chance to participate in the meetings and contribute during the interviews.

“We had people volunteer to do it and then we selected the two people who were going to sit on the interview committees,” Linda said. “And they did it; they were part of the process. We’re going to ask to do that on the ADON [Assistant Director of Nursing] as well.”

As the EMC continues its work at Fitz, the members are addressing issues as they come up. Next, the EMC plans to revisit the attendance policy. By making sure that the majority of all employees are union members, the Fitz membership has a stronger voice in the process of implementing workplace changes.

“The members chose us as their mouthpiece. We are actually in the process of electing new members to serve on the EMC,” Jacquie said. “We have more voice, but sadly, we have to keep reminding the management that. But our members are really not afraid to speak up and say ‘I’m with Colorado WINS’.”

If you’d like to start an Employee Management Committee at your worksite, contact Nick Voss at nicholas.voss@cowins.org.

JULY 2013 | COLORADO WINS | LOCAL 1876

3

Organizingfor respect

Fitz grows membership, racks up EMC successes

Clockwise from the top: Reyna Devi working in the Fitz kitchen; member Leisha Antionne; Fitz employees Jeremy McAdory, Renise Bretous, Esther Acheampong and Liz Taylor; the Fitzsimons Employee Management Committee Members: Nancy Fey, Andrea Taylor, Linda Rihel, Gina Ababio, Jacquie Anderson and Kathleen Prall; Members Linda Rihel and Sylvia Miller; members Linda Rihel and Silvia Miller.

“Our members are really not afraid to speak up and say ‘I’m with Colorado WINS’.”

– Jacquie Anderson, Fitzsimons EMC member

JULY 2013 | COLORADO WINS | LOCAL 1876

16NOV

16june

SEPT. TBD

OCT. TBD

NOV. 1

State revenue forecast released

Retiree Meeting - Grand Junction, 2 p.m. Every third Wednesday of the month. Contact Eric Shaffer: eric.shaffer@cowins.org or (970) 261-9096

Special Member Convention - Denver HQ, 12 p.m. — 4 p.m.During the Convention, elected delegates will vote on two amendments to the COWINS Constitution. For more information visit ColoradoWINS.orgContact Brian Tanner: brian.tanner@cowins.org or (303) 937-6490

WINSday Member Meet and Greet, 5 p.m. — 7 p.m. Every second Wednesday of the month at both Denver and Pueblo. Contact Robert Lindgren: robert.lindgren@cowins.org or (719) 545-0677

Unleashing Our Power workshop Learn how to harness Union power. Contact Nick Voss: nicholas.voss@cowins.org or (303) 937-6498

AFSCME political workshop Learn what political activism looks like and how it affects state employees. Contact Nick Voss: nicholas.voss@cowins.org or (303) 937-6498

Governor’s budget proposal released

AUG. 24

SEPT. 18

AUG. 21

AUG. 1

clearer with every one of those signatures on membership cards! Membership means not only strength in unity — it becomes a perpetual petition to help make changes and create solutions that benefit the state and the people we serve. Without it, decisions will continue to be made by people who may not understand their impact on consumers as well as staff.

In closing, I want to say congratulations

to Fitzsimons Veterans’ Nursing Home, the Driver’s License Office in Colorado Springs, as well as CMHIP’s Social Workers for working diligently to surge their memberships to over majority. Good work everyone!

As always,

United We Stand, Divided We Fall!

Patty

President’s Cornercontinued from p. 1

14-DAY, 85-HOUR WORK PERIOD FOR DOC OFFICERS

For DOC officers, the end of the 28-day work period is near. Officers can expect the new 14-day, 85-hour work cycle to take effect around mid-August with the implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 210. The 14-day system will make it easier to earn overtime and harder to be penalized for authorized leave.

Overtime pay for doubles will also be improved after SB 210 takes effect. Once an officer works 12 or more hours in a 24-hour period, anything over 8.5 hours is compensated at time-and-a-half, regardless whether or not you hit the 85-hour threshold in a work period.

Make no mistake, Colorado WINS members made this happen. WINS DOC Partnership team and 28-day Work Group members were at

the table and developed the survey that more than 500 officers filled out to shape this bill. After the bill was introduced, Officers Barnes, VanGelder, and Apodaca drove to Denver twice to testify in support of SB 210.

At the bill signing in May, the Governor thanked Colorado WINS and recognized our efforts in working together through difficult issues toward solutions. Officer Barnes, a member at Arkansas Valley, also spoke at the bill signing and highlighted that this bill means paycheck fairness for DOC officers who protect public safety and that Colorado WINS was a driving force behind this legislation.

At the heart of SB 210 was the issue of fairness, as DOC officers have for years dealt with inconsistency when it comes to timekeeping and overtime compensation. Officers could be held over or work double shifts without any overtime and with little accountability for hours actually worked.

This bill is another step toward fairness and respect and Colorado WINS fought to make it happen. For more details on SB 210 and its implementation visit ColoradoWINS.org/sb210.

PAROLE

At their request during a May meeting at the Englewood office, parole officers asked to be excluded from SB 210. However, DOC management, within their power, decided to

extend the new 14-day system to parole officers. Colorado WINS parole members are working with Division officials on implementing the new timekeeping system in a way that maintains flexibility and fairness to officers.

Parole members are also in partnership discussions on improving officers’ equipment. Initial discussions will be centered on radios and body armor.

PRISON UTILIZATION STUDY RELEASED

Dozens from a coalition of organizations including Colorado WINS turned out for an action on June 20 against for-profit prisons in Colorado. We made it clear to legislators and the media that we need to put public prisons and state workers first, not send taxpayer money out-of-state, to profit corporations.

The Prison Utilization Study was released just after the action and it did not recommend immediate closures of any facilities. The study ranked all facilities on a 3-tier system, with Tier III facilities being the lowest and those that may be considered for temporary or permanent closure depending upon long term population trends. For more information on this study visit ColoradoWINS.org.

Expect our efforts against for-profit prisons to ramp up as the Joint Budget Committee takes up this issue in September.

New fiscal year, new changes in DOC, Parole

Governor John Hickenlooper, seated, signs Senate Bill 210 into law during. With him are Alex Barnes, far right, a correctional officer from the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility who testified in favor of the bill, and Sen. Angela Giron, middle, who sponsored SB 210.

Raisescontinued from p. 4

Throughout this year we have embraced the partnership process – members worked with legislators, department heads and managers to help shape solutions that improve efficiency and positively impact employees. In his remarks during the signing of SB 210, Governor John Hickenlooper thanked Colorado WINS and recognized that we are working together toward the best solutions to difficult issues.

During a recent Colorado WINS Tele Town Hall, the Governor also talked about the partnership between employees and management within individual facilities.

“I want to acknowledge the hard work of the Employee Management Committees at the Department of Human Services for their work to improve the culture […] of the workplace and continue to address safety concerns,” the Governor said.

While we’re still celebrating the victories of the 2013 legislative session we are already looking toward the future: the state’s revenue forecast is released on August 1 and Governor will issue his budget proposal in November. As we learn about Colorado’s financial outlook for the next year we will be vigilant to make sure that state employees are included in the state’s economic recovery. ■

If you’d like to receive updates about the upcoming Total Compensation report and the Governor’s budget proposal, sign up for our text alerts: text “COWINS” to 787-753 for occasional updates from Colorado WINS.

On May 1, 2013, twelve custodians at the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) filed claims of discrimination with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The custodians have spent more than a year attempting to get AHEC to address their numerous grievances concerning workplace policies and workplace safety.

The custodians EEOC complaint is based upon AHEC’s “English only” policy when conducting team, safety and grievance meetings, in issuing safety procedures and workplace policies, and even in 610 meetings and disciplinary letters. All other Colorado institutions of higher education work cooperatively with their staff who are non-native English speakers but AHEC has refused to address the custodians’ concerns.

The EEOC process will take many months to resolve but the custodians are continuing to organize and build power on the AHEC campus.

Auraria Higher Education Campus (AHEC) custodians, with Colorado WINS counsel Timothy Markham, filing discrimination claims with the EEOC.