Union members at Murray Center care for individuals with disabilities, helping to meet all their needs. This work is essential and it is difficult in even the best of circumstances. In this time of crisis it is even more vital, yet it also comes with increased risk. AFSCME has been working to minimize that risk in every way possible, to protect the health of employees and individuals, and to reduce the chance of transmission both inside the facility and in the broader community.

*We have made a lot of progress. Some challenges that still remain are not specific to Murray Center, DHS or even to Illinois – for example limits on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and access to testing are nationwide challenges. Other challenges are specific to facilities like Murray Center and in general, our lines of communication with facility management are open and they are listening.

*However, this is a time of crisis. We need more than listening from management, we need urgent and decisive action. In too many instances we believe management is still doing things the way they’ve always been done, rather than being willing to change approaches in order to minimize risk.

At this time the COVID-positive individuals are all on one cottage, but too many staff are still moving between cottages, opening the door to possibly transmitting the virus throughout the facility. Clerical employees should not be going from cottage to cottage to collect records or transmit documents; management should consider ways to do so electronically, or not at all if necessary right now. Specifically where our COVID 19 individuals are concerned, meal preparation and delivery can and should be conducted centrally, removing the need for cottage dietary staff to be present in that specific cottage. These are just two examples.

When the local union has raised these issues, management listens and says they’re considering it. That’s the old way of operating that is too administrative and cumbersome. We need management to take a different, more proactive approach for this time of crisis.

Steve Koppen
President
Local 401 Murray Center