Chorus:

A contract is what we need

Stop stalling and give it to us UIC

(2 x)

For whom may need to know

We’re not taking no more

Of actions like before

Now we at your door

Picket signs are up

For not respecting us

Now we had enough

And Techs are just fed up

Now we all up on Taylor Street (Lor Street)

Singing loud and stomping our feet (our feet)

We want a contract UIC (IC)

And R-E-S-P-E-C-T

And now we singing — (Chorus)

I saw some Techs walking down the hall

Looking very pleased I said “what’s up with ya”

They said we finally getting the chance to organize

So UIC we’re no longer scared of ya

Saving money cause of the way Techs work it

But steady working like we working for a circus

You can’t deny that we do a good service

Because is shows that we do a good service

And now we singing — (Chorus)

We make a lot of noise (NOW)

When you start neglecting us (NOW)

All that we asking from you guys (NOW)

Is start showing Techs some love (NOW)

Last year we didn’t get no increases (NOW)

That just taking it too far (NOW)

You need to start respecting employees (NOW)

And appreciate who we are

And now we singing — (Chorus)

#ChicagoIL #News #SEIULocal73 #Music #UICMedicalCenter #TechnicalWorkersBargainingUnit #laborSong

To the Editor:

Joe Iosbakers's story in your Winter 2001 issue on the reorganization of physician billing services at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center was full of misinformation about “privatizing” the medical center, and even went so far as to suggest “corruption.”

I'd like to take this opportunity to inform your readers of the facts concerning Wolcott Wood and Taylor (WWT), a university-related organization created to centralize and streamline the billing process for physicians practicing at the U.I.C. Medical Center.

For more than 10 years now, of our 21 physician groups, 17 have outsourced their physician billing through private contractors. Only four do their own billing, using staffs of university employees. Gathering all these Balkanized billing and collection services into one university-controlled organization is thus actually insourcing – quite the opposite of “privatizing.” The advantages of centralized physician billing are clear. It will improve our collections, accounting, and customer service.

WTT currently has only 14 employees, but as it grows toward its envisioned size of 80 employees, its workers may of course vote to unionize. Those four billing services currently staffed by university employees will eventually be folded into WWT, resulting in the loss of 30 (not 140) university jobs as WWT grows to 80 jobs. About eight of the 30 jobs are union positions, and we are negotiating with SEIU Local 73 regarding the effects of the transfer of these functions to WWT. All affected workers may be eligible for employment by WWT.

As for the question the article raised about my salary, national statistics show my compensation is average for surgeons serving as chief executive officers of academic medical centers. My salary, and those of all other university administrators, is approved in a public meeting of the university's Board of Trustees.

Of greatest concern to me is the article's outrageous suggestion that there is “corruption” in the operation of WWT. Corruption is a serious allegation, especially when it involves a public institution concerned with patients' health and safety and responsible use of taxpayer funds. False and reckless insinuations serve no one, including your readers.

The medical center is and will remain a public institution. A such, it does not generate “profits,” but does have a responsibility to Illinois taxpayers to generate sufficient revenues to fulfill our missions to teach, research, and serve the public. We look forward to working with the union as we strive to improve our customer service and stewardship of state resources while going forward in our core missions of educating physicians and providing the higher quality healthcare for the people Illinois.

Charles L Rice, MD

Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

University of Illinois at Chicago

---——————————————————————————

Fight Back! responds: Rice Should Resign!

Chicago IL – Dr. Rice wrote to Fight Back! to correct “misinformation” printed in the Winter 2001 issue. He pleads innocent to our charges that they are moving to privatize. He says the article written by Joe Iosbaker includes an “outrageous suggestion” that he and other bosses are profiting from the privatization of jobs at U.I.C.

Allow us to make another outrageous suggestion. Dr. Rice's job is a threat to the job security of the workers at U.I.C. He should resign.

Bosses' Profit-squeeze Leads to Job Cuts

For several years, workers at U.I.C. medical center have been fighting to save their jobs. Job cuts and threats to privatize have come about because of corporations taking over the healthcare industry. The HMO's and insurance companies are not satisfied with their levels of profit. They are demanding that hospitals everywhere lower their costs or close their doors.

Hospital bosses try to tell us that they are forced to attack us because of “the market”. We know better. They are trying to get on board the gravy train like their pals in the HMO's and insurance companies. Dr. Rice admits that his fellow bosses in “academic medical centers” have salaries similar to U.I.C.

Privatization or Not?

Privatization is a real threat to U.I.C. workers. Just last year, a plan to merge U.I.C. Medical Center with Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital was beaten back.

In 1999, then vice chancellor Dieter Hausman unveiled the WWT (Wolcott, Wood and Taylor) company. When it was first presented to the Illinois Nurses Association, it wasn't just 30 jobs in billing and collection. In his master plan, WWT was to take over all business operations of the newly constructed Outpatient Care Center. He wanted to get rid of Local 73 and the civil service system in the clinics.

Nurses and workers joined with allies in the community and with state legislators like Miguel Del Valle to help stop this nightmare. WWT was beaten back as well.

U.I.C. regrouped, and came back with the repackaged WWT. Their new plan is to replace civil service, unionized billing and collections jobs in the clinics. Contracting out billing and collections is a trend around the country, because they are more profitable than other parts of the business.

If they get away with this, they'll have their foot in the door. Then they won't stop until the master plan is realized. We say no to privatization, and no to the WWT!

Two CEO's at U.I.C.

Two years ago, U.I.C. hired an evil consulting firm, the Hunter Group. They came in and called for cutting 250 more jobs. In trying to appear evenhanded, they recommended cuts at upper management levels. Their report said there were two CEO's: Dr. Rice and the director of the hospital. They called for eliminating one of their jobs.

Instead, both were given enormous pay raises. Director John DeNardo's position went from $180,000 to $235,000; and Rice went from $250,000 to $340,000. Their raises are rewards for cutting the jobs of hundreds of workers.

We share one of the Hunter Group's conclusions: Dr. Rice's position should be cut!

Job security now!

#ChicagoIL #Chicago #Editorial #SEIULocal73 #UniversityOfIllinoisAtChicagoUIC #UICMedicalCenter

Meetings of the workers from the Patient Access call center at UIC Medical Center look like the waiting room of an Orthopedics clinic. Many of the workers are wearing carpal tunnel braces or their wrists show the scars of surgery.

In a recent survey conducted of employees there, two out of three respondents stated they were either being treated for carpal tunnel, had complained of pain from repetitive motion, or had a previous condition that was aggravated from the working conditions in the department. Workers complained of a lack of ergonomic equipment.

But workers also complained of the pace of work. In March, management announced that the work load was being increased by almost double, from five completed registrations and insurance verifications per hour to eight.

Workers fought back against the increase. They held meetings to speak out against it. Union representatives were called and a meeting was demanded to express opposition to management. To emphasize quality for patients and safety in their work, workers had a t-shirt day and a ‘purple day’ (the color of SEIU).

And last week, the workers won. The old registration rate, or ‘reg rate,’ was restored.

Five workers who wished to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation by management reported that in their performance evaluations, managers stated that the goal in the department is: Five registrations per hour.

In addition, the assistant director, Paula Lagioia, reported in a staff meeting that no one is making the reg rate of eight, and five out of six employees are at the old rate.

With no fanfare or official notice, the speedup has been called off.

Health and Safety Committee Elected

Buoyed by this victory, workers are going ahead with an effort to finally deal with the health and safety issues in their workplace. Three union workers – Cynthia Halsey, Trillia Richards and Leti Rios – were elected to serve on a Health and Safety Committee to meet with management.

The need for this committee was made more urgent because of a gas leak in the building early in April. Three workers were sent to the hospital and the People’s Gas worker who came to the scene made the University sign a waiver to relieve the company from any further liability, as he characterized the situation as “dangerous,” and the building “below code.” Despite this, workers were evacuated from only part of the building, and for only a short period of time, and then everyone was sent back to work.

#UICMedicalCenter #ChicagoIL #News #SEIU