Worker:
If no one's going to be fired, why are they taking our pictures?
'Why
are you doing these things?': A
protestor holds a sign outside Tuba City Regional Health Care
Corp. on Monday. Dozens of people were protesting the recent
firing of several hospital employees. (Photo by Kathy Helms/Independent
By Kathy
Helms
Diné Bureau
TUBA CITY — For a small town, Tuba City was bustling
with activity Monday morning. On one side of town, the leaders of five
Arizona Indian
tribes were protesting deplorable housing conditions to a congressional
panel. On the other side of town, employees of Tuba City Regional Health
Care Corp. lined the street to protest recent firings and a "hostile
environment."
Passing motorists honked their horns in support of protesters while a Native
drummer punctuated comments from the stream of speakers as they stepped up to
the microphone. Hospital board President Eunice Begay and Chief Executive Officer
Kirk Gray were the focus of many of the comments.
One woman who identified herself as being from Ganado, shouted, "Eunice
Begay ... I know your uncles. I know your dad. I know your mother. What are you
doing to your people? You come from a great line of great medicine men. Your
Uncle Leo, your Uncle Howard, your father Alfred, your Uncle Carl great medicine
men. You are doing things you were taught not to do. Why are you doing these
things? You need to root for your own people.
"And Mr. Gray, whoever you are, I don't know you. But I have children working
here and I am very concerned. If you can't handle the Navajo way of life, you
need to leave," she said.
Florence Albert of Moenkopi also had her say. "I want to see a copy of their
financial statement. We have not had that shown to the public. ... It's Mr. Gray's
and Eunice Begay's way or no way at all."
Albert said there was an accusation that employees were only worried about money,
and not their patients. "I do not believe that. When you work in an environment
where you have no support of the administration, or are in fear of your jobs,
of course you are not going to say anything. ... I commend some of these employees
that are out here. I would not like to hear of any retaliation," she said.
She also alluded to a loan approved by CEO Kirk to the Family Harmony domestic
violence program. "I know that Eunice Begay got $6,000 for domestic violence.
But remember, domestic violence starts at home, and you are also in essence abusing
the employees," she said. "It's a lot of mental abuse that is being
delivered to the employees from the governing board."
According to a Dec. 18, 2003, request for payment, Family Harmony received a
temporary loan in the amount of $5,000 "until they receive their delayed
funding from the Navajo Nation." Another $1,000 was included as a "donation
from the corporation. Both amounts were approved by Kirk Gray," the request
states.
An emergency room nurse who visited co-workers at the protest, on her own time,
claimed the crowd was being photographed from within the hospital. "If no
one's going to be fired, why are they taking our pictures?" she asked.
Protesters handed out an Oct. 31, 2003, memo from Gray regarding media contact. "I
wanted to make sure that everyone had a clear understanding of what is expected
of them in regard to contact with the media and outside entities (such as Chapter
meetings, the Navajo Nation Council, etc.). This issue recently arose because
some associates chose to take various concerns to media and to the community
rather than deal with them within the hospital through the proper chain of authority
...
"If you take any issues outside the hospital and/or speak with the press
about them, you are in violation of these rules which require you to go through
the chain of authority to resolve issues and you can be disciplined or terminated," the
memo states. At the bottom of the page, someone had scrawled, "Is this a
threat!"
Inside the hospital, George Hardeen, husband of TCRHCC board member Lena Fowler,
fielded questions from the media. Hardeen took issue with a story in Saturday's
Independent, stating, "There were four people discharged. Not five, not
11, not 13." He also expressed dissatisfaction that hospital officials were
not given an opportunity to respond to allegations raised during a late-night
meeting Friday by employees who had been terminated earlier in the day.
"Mr. Gray, the CEO, and Brendan Robinson were here until 11 p.m. Friday,
because as you know, it was 'freaky Friday.' They had the Navajo Police come.
I am told it was pandemonium. There was a lot of concern," Hardeen said. "Today,
Mr. Gray and Brendan Robinson told the medical staff there won't be any more
terminations."
Hardeen was unable to answer most questions concerning hospital audits and ownership
because until Monday morning his function had been as a newsletter editor under
contract to the hospital rather than as a media relations person. "And things
like audits and personnel, that would not be something that I would be putting
into the newsletter," he said.
Media questions were handled by Tom Chabin, director of Business Development,
until Thursday when Chabin resigned of his own free will, Hardeen said.
However, when asked about his resignation, Chabin who joined protesters across
the street from the hospital denied that his resignation was offered freely.
"No, I was asked to resign. Brendan Robinson asked me to resign. He's the
vice president of Human Resources. He told me that the board and CEO was not
satisfied with my job performance. They told me their dissatisfaction with job
performance was long-standing, even before my wife died. She died three months
ago," said Chabin, who assumed the job in August and whose last day was
Thursday.
"I am very proud to be associated with exceptional public health professionals.
Ms. Patty Whitethorn, Debbie Farrell, Ron Milford, Shirley Peaches they are extraordinarily
talented and professional in their respective fields. And that I was the first
to go and that I am associated with them, I am terribly, terribly proud," Chabin
said.
Ben Henderson, representing Laborers International Union of North America, Local
1376, joined protesters, saying that there have been attempts to have the union
recognized by the hospital since the 638 contract was approved.
"The thing about it is Tuba City is one of the oldest units that is in our
union. Local 1376 had been present at Tuba City since 1975 and since it turned
638 a year and a half ago, the board decided they didn't want a union because
they wanted to adhere to an at-will employment policy. We don't like that. It's
not good for employment. We think employees should have equal representation
in case of disagreements. We have a great grievance procedure. But they just
want to come in and tell people, 'Hey, we don't need you,' and throw you out.
That's what happened Friday."
Henderson said the union met with Gray and the board on numerous occasions "and
they wouldn't even put me on the agenda." The union also has done several
petition drives, the last one about a year ago, but it was not recognized by
the board and the signatures became obsolete, he said. "We just started
a new petition drive and we're not going to listen to the board anymore. We plan
to file with the National Labor Relations Board to force recognition."
"I've been on the reservation for 16 years and I have never seen anything
happen like this, so it's got to be something really awful to drive people to
do this. We need a good means of checks and balances here. We don't have it.
That's why this is happening," he said. |
Wednesday
May 5, 2004
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