Hospital worker to speak out

About a month after speaking out against unfair working conditions, a UNC Hospitals housekeeper is taking a second attempt at making his voice heard.

Mauricio Rosales joined other public sector workers in December during a public hearing organized by UE Local 150 — the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union — and the International Worker Justice Campaign.

But union members said the hearing neither marked the beginning of an improved workplace nor the end of his troubles.

Rosales, backed by the UE Local 150, is planning to hold a press conference at 3:15 p.m. today on Manning Drive in front of the hospitals.

“He’s going to be speaking about how he and others … have experienced retaliation from speaking out,” said Steve Bader, a field organizer for UE Local 150.

Bader said that Rosales has be the targeted by his supervisors for speaking out.

During the December hearing, Rosales said housekeepers receive unfair treatment by supervisors and inadequate pay for the work they do to keep the hospitals sanitary.

“We need to be compensated for the work that we do,” he said to the members of the Chapel Hill Workers’ Rights Board at the hearing.

Union members said the retaliatory actions began soon after midnight Dec. 17, when Rosales claimed that his personal possessions, including union materials, were alledgedly confiscated by a supervisor. The police were called but took no action.

Bader said he and Rosales met with UNC Hospitals Vice President Melvin Hurston on the afternoon of Dec. 17 to discuss the incident.

“We expected that would be the end of the retaliations,” Bader said, making note that changes have yet to be made.

Stephanie Crayton, spokeswoman for UNC Hospitals, said she was unaware of the incident and that officials will not comment until Rosales makes his allegations public.

“(Rosales) and others have filed grievances for the retaliations,” Bader said.

Rosales received a written warning for his actions in January.

According to the hospital’s Policies and Procedures Manual, a “just cause for a Written Warning … occurs when an employee fails to satisfactorily meet job requirements.” The manual entitles supervisors the power to determine what constitutes an “unsatisfactory performance.”

Bader said the goal for today’s conference is to inform the public because the hospitals are supported by public funds.

“What happens at the hospital is public concern,” Bader said.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.