Public Employee Press

Service Aide wins $6,000 in out-of-title grievance

With help from DC 37, a hardworking Service Aide at North Central Bronx Hospital settled an out-of-title grievance that put $6,000 in his pocket.

When the Health and Hospitals Corp. hired Neil Wolfe in 1999, they assigned the Service Aide the duties of a stock room supervisor in the pharmacy at North Central Bronx Hospital. He ordered inventory for much-needed medical supplies and equipment, and even trained other stock personnel.

"I came to this job straight from high school," said Local 420 member Wolfe. "I had worked for a private nursing home in their stock room."

When NCB managers began to criticize Wolfe's job performance, Chapter Chair Ethel McMiller stopped them in their tracks and said Wolfe was hired as a Service Aide, not a supervisor. Stock Supervisors earn about $4,000 more a year than Service Aides.

McMiller urged Wolf to file a grievance and in 2014 he notified Hospitals Division Rep Joel Viera-Vera that he was working out of title. In Wolfe's 15 years at the NCB Pharmacy, management never promoted him to a Level 1 Supervisor. Wolfe kept copies of all the correspondence to and from outside vendors and all of his logs, orders, receipts and requisitions. The records showed that he had taken on out-of-title responsibilities.

"Management had fired their Pharmacy Stock Supervisor, so when Mr. Wolfe came on board, they took advantage of his skills but failed to compensate him appropriately," said Viera-Vera.

The union filed a grievance on Wolfe's behalf that was finally resolved at Step 2. In mid-March, both parties signed a stipulation to settle the case. The Labor Relations Officer told NCB managers to pay up and promote Wolfe to Stock Supervisor. NCB paid Wolfe but refused to promote him.

The Office of Labor Relations issued a cease-and-desist letter and ordered HHC to pay Wolfe the $6,000 difference in salary as compensation.

"If any member believes they are doing work that is beyond the scope of duties in their job title, they should not hesitate to contact their chapter chair, union rep or the local," said Viera-Vera.