Local joins health care coalition

The San Jose Newspaper Guild has joined the California Health Care Coalition (CHCC) which is a  network of unions, health and welfare trust funds and employers dedicated to implementing effective solutions to the health care cost crisis. The coalition was organized in 2004 to address health care concerns by working to assure that the system efficiently delivers the most effective and appropriate treatment for health plan participants.

Welfare Committee to lend a hand to members

We want you to join us in something new. We’re trying to build a new style welfare committee that gives material and moral support to our fellow Guild members in times of need.

That means illness or injury, but we don’t want to restrict ourselves to just those circumstances. Our staff here at the Mercury News is full of big-hearted members who willingly give their time, energy and money to those less fortunate, but is there a better place to begin this process than here at home, with our own sisters and brothers in the Guild?

Our Welfare Committee will operate as a “rescue” committee. That could be as simple as driving a person to a medical appointment, picking up groceries or reading materials, organizing friends to visit a convalescing member, doing yard work or laundry, or maybe cooking/bringing a takeout meal on occasion.

The idea isn’t charity, but seeing fellow Guild members as part of our local community or even family who need a helping hand once in a while.

If our committee draws a large volunteer pool, the work will be spread out to a manageable level. Volunteers would be called depending on work schedule or living proximity to the member needing assistance.

The committee’s work is meant to give our fellow members a morale boost as much as the material aid given. We’re all going through rough economic and social times now that can be both stressful and isolating. Our vision is to help ease the stress by helping each other over the hurdles that sometimes plague our lives.

The core of the committee are the coordinators, resource people and all the volunteer Samaritans among us who will do the actual tasks needed. But even if you don’t volunteer for rescue work, we hope you’ll participate by keeping an eye and ear open for situations that merit the committee’s attention and letting us know.

he committee won’t impose itself on anyone who wishes to maintain privacy but will make itself available to those in trouble who are open to the committee’s help.

Call Dennis Uyeno (408) 920-5872 to join this worthwhile project.

When disability strikes, LTD plan is a lifesaver

By Stewart Applin

Jane Lii, a reporter with the San Jose Mercury News only 11 months, was driving home from work on Interstate-280 on March 30, 2000, when she was hit from behind by another vehicle. She suffered injuries that have prevented her from going back to work.

Fortunately, she had signed up for the long-term disability insurance offered by the San Jose Newspaper Guild. The insurance has proven to be invaluable as she recovers and prepares to return to work.

“Without it, I couldn’t be here. I wouldn't have a place to live. I wouldn't even know what would be in store for me,” Jane said. “I’m very glad, I’m thankful that this was there for me.”

Reporter Sara Wykes tells a similar story. “When I learned of a diagnosis that required me not to work for what was initially an undetermined amount of time, I had no idea how I would manage financial survival. State disability payments alone are not enough to live on – and accumulated sick time only lasts so long.

“In those early days, it was all I could do to handle my medical situation. If I had not had the extra amount of money the disability policy provided, I would likely have been forced to make drastic changes.”

Sara has returned to work.

Workers who have health and life insurance can still be hurt financially if they are forced to leave their jobs for extended periods of time because of accident or illness.

“The gap in people’s insurance is long-term disability,” pointed out Suzanne Arnaud, administrative director of the San Jose Newspaper Guild.

State disability insurance will pay a maximum of $490 a week for a maximum of a year (and less if you earn under $46,000 a year). In the case of Jane Lii, Sara Wykes and many other California residents, state disability is not enough to live on and one year may not be enough time.

The monthly benefit from the local Newspaper Guild-sponsored long-term disability insurance is 60 percent of one’s salary tax-free, beginning 90 days after being unable to work due to a disability (illness or accident). It will generally pay until one returns to work or until age 65 when Social Security kicks in. The benefits may be reduced because of Social Security, state disability or worker’s compensation payments, but the long-term disability plan guarantees that 60 percent of an employee’s salary is covered tax free.

The cost of obtaining the insurance is 0.95 percent of one’s weekly salary, which for advertising sales people, includes sales commissions. Any Newspaper Guild member at the Mercury News who works at least 30 hours a week is eligible. If employees do not have regular work hours, they will be eligible if they have worked at least an average of 30 hours a week during the previous 12 months or whatever their time of employment if less than 12 months, according to MetLife of New York, which administers the plan.

The insurance is offered to new Guild-covered employees at the Mercury News. If they sign up within 30 days, they do not have to fill out a medical questionnaire or take a physical. Pre-existing conditions are covered by the insurance after one year. MetLife must accept everybody into the plan who enrolls within the required time. If employees apply later, they must fill out a medical questionnaire and be approved for coverage by Met Life, Suzanne said.

Because the Mercury News hasn’t offered long-term disability as part of its benefits package, the local Guild office started the plan in November 1993. The local Guild office gets no commission for offering the insurance.

There were 16 Mercury News employees getting long-term disability benefits from the plan as of Dec. 6, Suzanne said. The reasons have ranged from a broken leg to a stroke to cancer to a heart attack to a repetitive stress injury.

“Suzanne and the union have been especially helpful in making sure that I get the check on time and taking care of other problems,” Jane said. “Suzanne’s help has been invaluable.” Sara agreed.

“For most of us, the annual cost of the policy is less than one week’s worth of disability payment,” Sara said, “so it’s well worth the money.”

To receive further information on this long term disability insurance or to apply for coverage, contact the Guild office at (408) 436-0761.

Guild members have the right to use up to five days (pro-rata for part-time employees) of their paid sick time to care for an ill child, spouse or parent.

This is a result of the California Employment Sick Leave Act (CESLA) also know as AB 109.

With CESLA, you may use a portion of your annual sick leave accrual (which is five days for full-time Guild-covered employees).

CESLA defines illness as any sickness including colds, flu, etc. Illness does not have to qualify as a serious health condition unlike the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act.

A few members at the Mercury News saw The Newspaper Guild's workplace stress survey Oct. 26, 1999, as an attempt to "bash management" and refused to participate. But 467 of their co-workers used the survey as an opportunity to explore their work life and expectations - and their comments highlighted a wide range of pressure points in jobs that they, for the most part, love.

Members at the Monterey Herald responded by mail, since management there forbids such union-related activity in the plant. (Typographers at the Mercury News participated in the international's survey through their local, Northern California Media Workers.)

A Mercury News reporter wrote: "This survey reinforces what I sometimes take for granted. Although I work long hours, I'm not overtly pressured to not claim OT, my bosses give me significant flexibility in setting my schedule and agenda, and my job remains interesting. Having said that, my personal ethic is to skip lunches and stay late to get the job done right ... And to compensate I cheat my family out of its time because I put the job ahead of their needs too often."

What the survey aims to do is sort out factors such as workload, training and working conditions to see how they relate to medical problems associated with stress. With all the data entered into the computer at the University of Wisconsin, Mike Smith hopes to be able to pinpoint some problems industrywide and by individual department. TNG-CWA will then be able to make suggestions for remedying the stress points.

While that process is under way, we can get a preview by way of other comments some of us wrote on our survey forms.

Many workers in MN Classified took time to spell out their distress over the lighted board that shows calls waiting to be answered: "When there is more than one call holding, we get messages on our computers to get on the phones now - many times per day. Supervisors march up and down each aisle ... Feels like preschool."

From various MN Editorial members: "As new hires here are offered more money, older workers feel more undervalued and underpaid. This is hurting morale. We simply need more money to live."

From the Herald: "Working in the environment we are in is very stressful when we are at-will and see our longtime co-workers fired and escorted out the door. ... When the workforce is tense, afraid, stressed beyond belief it's a very upsetting thing to have to watch and be a part of."

Hard work by the RSI Advisory Committee through the early and mid-1990s laid the groundwork for significant progress in dealing with computer-related injuries at the Mercury News. The committee, composed of Guild and management representatives, brought in experts to investigate possible solutions to the epidemic of repetitive stress injuries at the newspaper.

In 1993, the Mercury News hired Eric Fortes as loss control/safety manager and instituted annual training in RSI prevention for all employees using computers.

Converting from the old Coyote workstations to PCs opened the opportunity to offer more user-friendly equipment, notably alternative keyboards.

The committee ran a study of keyboards in 1996, recommending two models (one with a split keyboard), and the MN budgeted funds to pay for special equipment for computer users. The results are impressive.

Plantwide during 1998, 36 people suffered repetitive strain injuries, down 49 percent from 1993, when there were 70 such injuries, Fortes reports. Lost work days associated with RSI have declined even more dramatically -- from 312 days in 1993 to 107 in 1998 -- a 66 percent decrease.

If you use a computer at work, you may ask Fortes for an ergonomic assessment of your workstation and suggestions about equipment to help alleviate or stave off RSI - a special keyboard, mouse/track ball or new chair, a footrest, armrest, back cushion or glare screen, provided by the MN.

Fortes continues to test new equipment as it becomes available from vendors. He says there are now so many types of alternative keyboards in use around the plant (some brought in by the users themselves) that he has lost track of them.

If you are already suffering strain or injury, Fortes will refer you to a nearby industrial clinic. The therapist might recommend a wrist splint, ice or medication to reduce inflammation, and physical therapy. Severe cases might call for a limitation on the total number of hours keyboarding or even surgery to relieve pinched nerves.

Complete figures on the number of people having carpal tunnel release surgery since 1993 were not readily available, but Fortes said there were only two in the past two years. Both employees are back at work.

The Newspaper Guild's Web site now has a section on sexual harassment and related problems in the workplace, thanks to Anna Padia.

TNG's director of human rights came to San Jose on Feb. 23 to update shop stewards and others on trends and strategies in dealing with harassment.

As companies nationwide are being advised by their consultants to "fire first, ask questions later" in sexual harassment situations, the rate of management-employee complaints has dropped.

The most difficult cases for unions are co-worker to co-worker situations, now accounting for more than half the complaints. In these cases, the Guild has the obligation to represent both parties in the complaint after investigating the allegations.

Sexual harassment can range from sexually offensive materials or objects in the workplace to threats to your job if you do not agree to sexual demands.

Padia emphasized that any unwelcome sexual advance can be considered harassment.

"Sexual harassment isn't about sex. It's about abuse. It's a misuse of power," she said.

To stop sexual harassment, the Guild advises:

1. Object the first time it happens. Tell the harasser the behavior is unwelcome and must stop.

2. Keep records, detail each incident, including your response and whom you complained to. Keep all evidence in a safe place other than at work.

3. Try to get witnesses; harassers are repeat offenders.

4. Seek personal support from sympathetic coworkers, friends or family.

5. If Step 1 doesn't stop the sexual harassment, notify your Guild steward or call the Guild office at (408) 436-0761.

The earlier the union gets involved, Padia said, the more likely the case can be settled quickly.

Guild members should also be careful about their use of the company's computer system. At the Mercury News, three members have been disciplined for using the company's computer system to receive or send sexually explicit material.

Check out the Newspaper Guild's Human Rights Program for more information on the sexual harassment policy of the Newspaper Guild.