Public Employee Press


Local 420 leads fight
Bellevue workers vote for uniform color change

"We used the democratic process to help members achieve their goal. They saw firsthand that united they have the power!"
— Carmen Charles, Local 420 President

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

More than 400 Local 420 members in the Bellevue Hospital Nursing Unit voted overwhelmingly to change their uniform color to galaxy blue with white pants.

"The members were finding it difficult to find khaki uniforms and wanted a color change. Everyone had a different opinion. We needed a unisex option in a color not used by other departments at Bellevue," said Monique Jaysura, a grievance rep in the DC 37 Hospitals Division.

Local 420 President Carmen Charles met with the members at Bellevue and backed their desire to change uniform colors 100 percent.

She began a democratic process, meeting with members to see how many were interested in forming a committee.

In October, seven members, including two shop stewards, volunteered to serve on an ad-hoc uniform committee. They and the rep met periodically to hear members' views, and they settled on three color options.

The committee met with the head of Nursing to request permission to change colors. She informed them of colors other departments use, Jaysura explained, as RNs have one color, doctors another, and so on.

"Management worked very well with us, even extending the time we needed to settle on a decision," Jaysura said.

On Dec. 6 Local 420 members in Bellevue's Nursing Unit - Patient Care Techs, Patient Care Associates, Nurses Aides, and Medical Surgical Techs - voted overwhelmingly to change uniform colors, with only three opposing votes.

And effective Feb. 6 the Bellevue Nursing Unit workers in Local 420 donned fresh galaxy blue uniforms with white pants.

Patient Care Associate Tomika Thomas was a committee volunteer. "We are very happy. The khaki was not up-to-date and was hard to find. Now coworkers are coming up to me and hugging and thanking me - they are so happy with the new uniforms."

"We recognize each other from a distance," she said. "The whole process has united us as Local 420 members."

"This shows when we work as a team we can accomplish anything," said Thomas. "It's like the saying goes, ‘United we stand, divided we fall.' When members come to their union meetings and stand united, we get a lot done."

"This was a very empowering moment for these members," said Charles, who helped count ballots. "We used the democratic process to help members achieve their goal. They saw firsthand that united they have the power! After all, this is something the members wanted. When workers come together, we can affect change."