NUHW members at Richmond Area Multi-Services Inc. didn’t just unite to win a great new contract last December. They fought together this month to keep their employer from denying them one of their most important victories — full reimbursements for the cost of their licenses and certification fees.
Shortly after the ink was dry on their new contract, management at the San Francisco-based mental health nonprofit tried to reinterpret the language to claim it had to reimburse only the cost of license renewals, not new licenses.
With a staff that includes many mental health professionals still working toward their licenses, RAMS’ misinterpretation of the contract would have cost them several hundred dollars.
“When we saw management’s interpretation, we knew that we couldn’t let that stand,” said Andrew Vittoria, a behavioral health counselor. “We’ve come a long way at RAMS in terms of improving wages and benefits and protecting our rights, so we were determined to keep what we had won in negotiations.”
Stewards quickly sprang into action, querying their colleagues and documenting that management’s practice had been to reimburse a portion of both initial licenses and renewals. (The new contract language now requires full reimbursement).
Then they filed a grievance and presented their evidence to management. During the meeting, managers tried to defend their interpretation of the contract, but the next day they informed the workers that they would fully reimburse both initial licenses and renewals. The agreement was incorporated into the contract as a side letter.
“We didn’t have to take any major actions to win our contract, so I think this was a good reminder to management that we are a very organized and unified group,” said Salote Lutui, a behavioral health counselor. “We’ll always stand up for our rights because that’s what it takes to have a good working environment and make sure patients get the best care. “When we fight, we really do win.”
