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NEW REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF OUR UNION
Doctor Frank Proscia
Executive Director

If you read the newspapers, you cannot escape reports that the healthcare environment has progressively worsened over the past several years.  The facilities are financially strapped, medicine is more and more a business at the expense of patient care and the working conditions of doctors are deteriorating.  Doctors Council has to evolve so that we remain a force to be reckoned with and continue to be a strong advocate for our members and patients.

In the past, your elected delegates were more than capable of handling most situations that arose.  As the membership has grown, the ability to act on a moment’s notice has become more difficult.  To remain proactive, we need to be able to communicate amongst ourselves and other organizations as efficiently as possible.  With the new policies of some of our employers, we need to reorganize so as to prevent situations from occurring that would jeopardize the gains we have won in salaries, benefits, and working conditions.  Our ability to advocate for our patients and to speak out for quality and safe patient care needs to be protected and expanded upon.

To accomplish this, we need to fortify our base.  Doctors Council is therefore launching a new Representative Structure.  Our goal is to recruit one Representative and one Alternate Representative for each department/specialty/unit, facility, shift or work area that we represent. 

This Representative Structure will serve a three-fold purpose: 

1. Members would be able to notify the Union of issues that require immediate Union attention.  We would be able to obtain data regarding the situation, not only from the department of origin, but we would be able to compare and investigate the issue to see if it is occurring in other departments or across facilities. 

2. If a Union response is required, either for information or to get the word out of a job action, the Union can channel the word to specific lines or instantly to the entire membership. 

3. Educating and training our members regarding labor issues would make us a more potent force at our facilities and beyond.

A Representative is a voluntary position, not requiring an election.  There is no limit to the number of Representatives for each area and individuals could even rotate as the need arises.  And there is no term of office.  The more Representatives we have, the stronger we will be.  The Contract Administrators will provide all training and support.

As a Representative, you would be able to help save your Profession in a number of ways, including dealing with the membership, dealing with administration and management, and dealing with the public and politicians.  Please read the * REPRESENTATIVE RECRUITMENT FORM very carefully.  It goes into detail about our goals and objectives and the roles of the Representatives. If slots remain unfilled, the best people will be appointed to serve.

WE ASK THAT YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM AND MAIL IT BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE OR YOU MAY FAX IT BACK TO US AT FAX # 212-481-4137.

You can be part of a strong voice for doctors and patients.  Together, we can fight to save healthcare and our profession. 

* Note:
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