Because they care...

By Lisa Engles.

"Last week a Kaiser HR Business Partner escorted me to my preventative health appt!

I know, it sounds like excellent customer service right? Being escorted like royalty to your appts? Well I wish I could say that was the case. In fact, the HR Business Partner for Roseville Kaiser was actually doing her best to force me to leave the campus on Thursday.

Let me back up just a bit. I don't work on Thursdays. It's my day off. I choose to use that day to organize the new Union, NUHW among other things. This past Thursday was a busy day. I helped facilitate an organizing meeting at Rancho Cordova (in the cafeteria, as we are allowed), and then went out to Lincoln for another membership meeting (also in the cafeteria).

After the second meeting, I went to have lunch with my husband, who also works at the Eureka campus.

After lunch, I came onto campus because like a good Kaiser employee, I use my days off for appointments. I had seen a group of SEIU organizers in the hospital, stopped to ask what they were doing, in a very non-confrontational way, and then went about my business. They went one way, I went another.

As I walked in the door to MOB2, which is where my Department is, and also where my appointment was, I was met at the front elevator by HR. She was very confrontational, asked me if I was on paid time, and why I was wearing a Kaiser badge ( I guess it's illegal to wear a badge when you're not on paid time. Who knew?) We had a few words, and while she was on the phone, trying to figure out which rule I had broken, I headed upstairs to my department, believing the conversation was over.

I hadn't been in my department more than three minutes, when the receptionist came in the back and told me there was somebody waiting for me out front. I was dumbfounded that she had followed me to my own department. Before I knew it, here she comes. Demanding I leave immediately. Of course, I argued the point, told her I was a Kaiser employee and had a right to be there. I asked her to show me a written policy that says I am not allowed on campus during off hours. Her response was "I'm telling you to leave". She actually told me it was because I was "wearing my organizing T-Shirt and my Kaiser badge". I responded that even if I leave the work area, I am also a Kaiser member and have a right to be on campus. At that point, she asked me "well do you have an appointment?"

Now, I'm not usually an individual who lies, when asked a direct question, so I told her "as a matter of fact yes, I'm here for a screening test". Knowing she couldn't make me leave, she decided to just stick to me like glue, I guess. She "offered" to escort me to my appointment. NOW! So we went, she waited for me to register and sat in the adjacent waiting area until I was called back for my appointment. I was so upset about this treatment, I asked the tech to let me leave out of a back door. For all I know, she's still sitting there, waiting for me to exit, so she can escort me right out the door.

Does this sound like the "neutrality" Kaiser is pretending to honor, while we sort out our Union woes? It sounds to me like those "organizer/reps" from SEIU went running to HR with their tails between their legs at the sight of my NUHW T-Shirt and the obliging HR department is acting as their body guards. It's sorry enough that they are always seen in packs. They are too intimidated by the workers they claim to be protecting to come on campus alone. Now they have HR at their beck and call as well? Watch out folks, YOU COULD BE NEXT!"