MHCD Updates

*Do you know a coworker who isn’t receiving our email updates? Stay informed by visiting bit.ly/105Emails and update your email contact info!

Join the Virtual Town Hall Meetings!

Please join the virtual Town Hall Meetings starting this week, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, to talk to your organizers and bargaining team members about your contract!

We have special Town Hall sessions each day of this week from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM to accommodate all of the workers at MHCD: 

Tuesday, December 15th

3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

 CF Outreach, Dahlia, El Centro, and Federal.

▶️Click here to join the virtual town hall meeting.

Wednesday, December 16th

3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

2 Succeed, Dickenson, Emerson, Resource Center, and Walk-In Center. 

▶️Click here to join the virtual town hall meeting.

Thursday, December 17th

3:00 PM – 7:00 PM

2nd Street House, Ash House, Beeler House, David House, Franklin House, Grant House, Humboldt Apt, Lincoln House, Miller House, Monaco House, Monroe House, Narcissus House, New Visions House, Park Place House, Sanderson Apt, Vallegos House, Vine Apt, and Wesley House Apts.

▶️Click here to join the virtual town hall meeting.

*If you can’t make it to the day for your location, you can come to another day or reach out, and one of your organizers will call you for a one on one conversation. 

Take Action!

Keep reminding your colleagues to watch the following videos and show their solidarity as union members. 

• Click here to watch a video on how to change your team’s meeting background to purple.
   
• Click here to watch a video on how to change the color of your signature to PURPLE. 

This month we are holding two union meetings to give more people an opportunity to join. Please join the meeting and encourage your coworkers to join. We will be giving updates on bargaining, addressing issues impacting MHCD employees, discussing how we can build a stronger union.

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First Member Meeting

Thursday, September 3rd 

11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Second Member Meeting

Thursday, September 10th

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

For both meetings we will be using the same Zoom link. Click on this link to join the meeting this Thursday. See you there!

July 27th, 2020

Last week, Union leadership challenged management’s decision to eliminate the COVID/COVIS codes while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge. Management admitted that they should have bargained these changes with employees and that they need to comply with new legislation on sick leave.

After an intense back and forth, MHCD and your union have reached a tentative agreement regarding reinstating the sick time codes for COVID-19 related absences. 

Agreed upon improvements include:

• The COVIS code will be reinstated until December 31st 2020 and will be used both for those who need to stay home with children due to school closures as well as those who are quarantined or unable to work due to COVID-19, replacing the previous COVID code.
• All bargaining unit members will have the same 80-hour pool of COVIS time that was given last year, pro-rated for part-time employees. We argued that this disadvantages those who used the COVIS code last school year, but management only agreed to add up to 24 hours of COVIS leave to anyone who already used the code.
• The agreed upon protocol is to utilize SIB first, then COVIS, then PTO, and finally Central Sick Leave Bank. 
• Another victory now grants any new employee access to the Central Sick Leave Bank, in the event of a serious illness, including COVID-19.

*More details will follow on the requirements to utilize the COVIS code.

June 16th, 2020

Bargaining Survey

Your bargaining survey is here! The deadline to complete this survey will be Sunday July 5th at 11:59 pm MST.

Click here to fill out your bargaining survey!

Racial Justice & Workers’ Voices at MHCD

The murder of George Floyd and other recent cases of police violence against Black people have re-ignited the nationwide outcry for Racial Justice in our country. Workers at MHCD have spoken up in many ways, especially to ask MHCD leadership about their response to systemic racism and violence in our communities. 

[See SEIU Local 105 President Ron Ruggiero’s statement on the murder of George Floyd and the Union’s endorsement of legislation to increase law enforcement integrity and accountability in Colorado.] 

Your union has long been an advocate for race, gender, and class justice and has an established program on Organizational Equity and Inclusion (OE&I) for workers at their union and in their workplaces. The OE&I team has already met with worker leaders from MHCD to discuss how Union resources can be used to support union members to advocate for racial justice in the community and in the workplace.

If you would like to be part of this conversation, please let us know. We are forming an ad-hoc committee to coordinate with the OE&I team and to reach out to MHCD leadership and other community leaders to make sure that the voice of workers — and the needs of the people they serve — are heard. Please send a message to emily.litt@mhcd.org or reply to this email.

COVID Updates

Since April, the MHCD COVID committee has been meeting weekly with Jeff Tucker to bring up concerns, request resources and create a dialogue about how to proceed during these unprecedented times. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on surveys and in union meetings! 

We are proud to report that as a direct result of our weekly meetings, we have established the following:

• Received written protocols for expectations surrounding client contact from Upper Management 
• Brought to light the disparities between each department and between each team/Program Manager and the expectations that differ as a result of these disparities
• Our demand for clearer communication in the COVID updates so that we can receive information pertinent to our jobs
• Discussed the need for more PPE and received PPE for people we serve in addition to employees
• Broached hazard pay for client-facing employees
• Reinforced the need for management to communicate around MHCD’s financial situation 

These meetings have been productive, yet we are reaching a point where we feel this dialogue is no longer beneficial. We feel that our efforts would be better spent talking with Risk Management (something we’ve been requesting for over a month). There is a breakdown in communication between our committee and management, and we need to show them that we are not going to back down.

Here’s where you come in! We have a long list of issues we still want to tackle and we need your support. Please reach out to help us continue advocating for positive change. Respond to this email or contact your steward/union rep if you would like to be a part of the COVID Committee, or have concerns related to COVID-19 that you would like us to advocate for.

May 5th, 2020

Nominations are now open for the bargaining committee! 

*Please submit your nominees using this online form.

The nominations period will end on the 11th, so don’t miss your chance to be heard. Submit yourself or your colleague as nominees to be on the bargaining committee this year. You know you want to! This is your chance!

COVID-19 Committee Updates!

Your colleagues on the COVID-19 committee have met with HR twice now to discuss the issues regarding the COVID-19 crisis. If you would like to participate in this conversation specific to the COVID-19 policies and protections, please respond to this email indicating your interest. 

Some important things we have learned from these meetings:

• MHCD reported to us repeatedly that it is not facing any financial shortfalls and is not considering reductions in staff hours. 
• Retaliation for speaking up is unacceptable. You should not be afraid to speak up and make sure you and the people you serve are safe.
• HR has stated that there should not be pressure to prioritize productivity hours over the safety of you and the people you serve. 
• Management is open to hearing about our thoughts on essential workers pay for the essential workers who are required to work with the public or with clients.

If you feel that your manager or supervisor is acting in a way that is inconsistent with these statements, please share with the committee by filling out the online form here. That form can also be used for reporting any issues or concerns you have regarding management’s response to COVID-19 for the committee to raise with HR.

The committee has raised concerns about the inconsistent and unclear manner that management has been sharing information regarding the policies and plans during the crisis. One request was to separate information specific to each department or job class with an additional source for general, organization-wide updates — and to send messages directly to employees rather than filtering it through middle management. This way, people will be able to access information relevant to their work and consistent across the organization.

You may have already received the text messages about it, but the union has obtained a number of masks to share with workers and/or the people you serve. Please respond to this email with a request if you are in need of masks. 

The ongoing COVID19 crisis has led to workers across the country standing up and taking action to ensure their and the general public’s safety. MHCD management has shared limited information with union stewards and staff on what measures have been taken to ensure the safety of workers, clients, and the public. Now is the time for you to come together with your coworkers and demand the protections, procedures, and practices you all deserve during this challenging period. 

April 10th, 2020

Step 1: Make your voice heard by clicking here and completing our survey. The survey will be open now until Monday, 4/13, at Noon MST. Do note the survey is detailed and may take 30 minutes or more to complete. You can complete part of it and return to it later. You will also be sent a link to your responses once you submit the survey should you wish to edit or add anything before the time the survey closes. Responses will not be linked to your individual information, but we will share out overall responses and anonymized feedback. 

Step 2: Join your fellow union members on Wednesday, 4/15, from 5 –6:30 PM for a virtual all MHCD 105 COVID meeting. We’ll review the survey responses, brainstorm strategies for navigating workplace challenges, and, most importantly, roll out action steps to ensure you all win the changes you need and deserve.

SEIU Local 105 Zoom Meeting
Topic: MHCD All Member Union Meeting Time: Apr 15, 2020, 05:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/809893476?pwd=K3EwZ0dPdVlDNzdaeXdFakttTXVTdz09
Meeting ID: 809 893 476Password: 931013One tap mobile+13462487799,,809893476# US (Houston)+14086380968,,809893476# US (San Jose)

You all have a real opportunity to make history and stand up for the public good during this unprecedented crisis. How will you respond? 

COVID-19 Resources and Information Updates
As a union, we are engaging at all levels to protect our members from the coronavirus and demanding action to protect the wages and income of our members, and all working people. A lo largo de esta crisis, nuestro sindicato sigue haciendo todo lo posible para ayudar y luchar por nuestros miembros. Por favor visite a nuestro sitio seiu105.org para all COVID-19 resources and information y click on this link for our union-wide updates.