MAKING A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER — PEF Division 213 council leader Darlene Williams and CSEA Local 401 treasurer Rodrick Williams discuss ways to improve safety at the Bronx Psychiatric Center. Photo by Richard Dillard.

Management responds to union action
Stopping violent attacks at Bronx PC

By DEBORAH A. MILES
If you ask Darlene Williams what the level of violence is like at the Bronx Psychiatric Center on a scale of one to 10 (the worst), she answers, “it’s above a 10.”

The violent incidents, approximately 30 per month, include a doctor who was beaten until he became unconscious, a nurse who had his skull split open, and another who lost an eye.

“Bronx PC has the highest number of accidents or injuries in the region,” said Williams, a certified occupational therapist and PEF Division 213 assistant council leader. “About 73 percent of the staff have been involved in some sort of workplace violence.”

Williams describes a chaotic and often dangerous hospital environment with many of the attacks occurring in the hallways.

“The patients who are the frequent assaulters are felons who come here straight from prison,” she said.

Williams doubts if some of these clients will ever change. But she also realizes, “one staff member who gets punched in the face is one too many.”

PEF intervenes
“I received tremendous support from PEF’s Health and Safety Department. If it weren’t for staff member Shawn Bobb, I would have been spinning my wheels. We did the work here, but he pointed us in the right direction,” Williams said.

Her first move to stop the violence was to partner with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and request copies of all the accident and injury reports.

Management refused, so PEF filed a complaint with the Public Employees Safety and Health (PESH) bureau at the state Labor Department. It was filed for all union members at Bronx PC.

(PHOTO) GOOD WORK — State Assembly Member Susan John presents a signed copy of the Workplace Violence Prevention Law to PEF Vice President Joe Fox and President Ken Brynien at the Capitol. Photo by Sherry Halbrook.

“We won,” Williams said.

The next step was to evaluate the reports. Williams said they looked at frequency and location of injuries, gender, age and time of day.

“In January 2006, 38 members filed incident reports, and of those, 28 were for assaults. We found a lot of employees got hurt in the hallways, just talking with a client, because there wasn’t enough staff around to prevent it,” Williams said.

The union’s next move was to develop and circulate a survey among staff. Of the 400 distributed, 367 were returned and completely filled-out. The surveys revealed more than half the staff were victims of workplace violence.

Williams said PEF and CSEA came up with recommendations to make the hospital a safer place and presented the ideas to management. But it wasn’t until a few meetings transpired that management became receptive,

“The work the two unions did together made a big difference. I also believe the Workplace Violence Prevention Law that PEF pushed for and was signed in June 2006 has a lot to do with it. Management has to step-up,” Williams said. “It seems more amenable. Now, it’s like we’re talking to different people.”

Public employers must comply with the law by March 2007.

Plan of action
The unions came up with recommendations such as a “Reward for Respect” program, a trauma team to help those injured, and having the assaulting clients arrested at the 49th Precinct, which means staff must fill-out the proper forms.

“We have a plan of action. We want our members to be safe and the number of assaults and injuries to be on the decline, instead of the incline,” she said.

If you ask Williams if she feels a workplace violence prevention program will really make a difference, she pauses and sighs, “I hope so.”

The Communicator March 2007

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Stopping attacks at Bronx PC
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Oops! The February issue mistakenly identified member Sue Jeffords as retired; incorrectly referred to PEF Division 239 as Division 283; and omitted that retired thoroughbred C.L. Rib ran 93 races and hit the tote board 51 times.

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