When a stellar employee was kept in a lower job classification than his work deserved, Local 420 and the DC 37 Hospitals Division sprang into action.

After a three-year struggle over his out-of-title work grievance, Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420 member José Kotright was awarded back pay that totaled more than $15,000.

Mr. Kotright, who works at Harlem Hospital Center, was also given an upgrade from Medical-Surgical Technician to Senior Bio-Medical Technician in the Endoscopy Unit.

He had worked as a Medical-Surgical Technician in the Intensive Care Unit and for the past six years in the Ambulatory Surgery/Endoscopy Unit.

"The union was very helpful in handling this grievance," said Mr. Kotright. "I have to give credit to our Rep, Ms. Esther Hopkins. She made me aware of the situation and she encouraged me to file the grievance."

"Initially, management ignored the first two steps in the grievance procedure," said Ms. Hopkins, of the DC 37 Hospital Division. But after they reviewed the Position Analysis Questionnaire the union submitted, hospital officials conducted an On-Site-Desk Audit.

They then determined that based on Mr. Kotright's actual duties, his responsibilities were higher than those of the Medical Surgical Technician job title.

Mr. Kotright's upgrade to his new title will be retroactive to March 20, 2001. Hospital managers also praised Mr. Kotright's "exemplary dedication and technical competence," and called him a "trustworthy, reliable and energetic member of the Endoscopy Unit."

As a Senior Bio-Medical Technician, Mr. Kotright assists physicians who administer colon cancer screenings and other tests. "I enjoy everything about my job," said Mr. Kotright, who assists in 12 to 15 screenings a day.

"We're helping a lot of people. And if you catch colon cancer early enough, it's treatable," he pointed out.