member was fired for union activity
Nurse reinstated with back pay

It was union activity that got RN Marley Skiff fired, and it was union activity that got her rehired. Skiff, a dialysis nurse at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt., was fired in May for providing the names and phone numbers of co-workers to her union, the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals/AFT, which is organizing the hospital’s LPNs and medical techs. With the union’s help, Skiff has been reinstated with full back pay.

The nurse, who has worked at FAHC for nearly 10 years, says the support of her fellow union members buoyed her spirits and empowered her. “The nurses were there for me every step of the way. If I had been alone, my job would have been gone,” she says.

In the days following Skiff’s firing, the union galvanized its members to help her get back her job. The entire bargaining committee of 55 nurses marched into the office of Fletcher Allen’s CEO and demanded Skiff’s immediate reinstatement. Later, they held a candlelight vigil—attended by nearly 200 nurses, local leaders and community members—outside the home of the CEO. During the vigil, Skiff told the crowd, “This is about more than me being fired. It is about the hospital and how it relates to its employees across the board, about the hospital and how it relates to patient care, about the hospital and how it is perceived by the community. We are at a crossroads. We can continue to do business as usual or we can rise above it. We need a clean slate.”

Skiff says her reinstatement may be that clean slate. “I hope this is the start of a new way of thinking—a new way for the hospital to deal with nurses and the rest of the staff.” But even if the hospital continues to do “business as usual,” Skiff believes this incident has unified the nurses. “We are powerful, and we’re stronger now than ever before.”

Skiff has returned to her job and plans to continue her work with the union. 

2003 Porter Scholars Program winners

Nine preK-12 teachers and five paraprofessionals each have been awarded a $1,000 grant through the AFT’s Robert G. Porter Scholars Program. Every year, the program offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors whose parents are AFT members and who intend to pursue careers in labor, education, healthcare or government service. AFT members are also eligible for grants to pursue further study.

This year’s preK-12 winners:

Abigail Breiseth, a member of the Baltimore Teachers Union, will use her grant to pursue graduate studies in special education.

Ersilia Constantinou, a member of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, will use her grant to continue her studies in education administration.

Deborah S. Crawford, a member of the Savannah (Ga.) Federation of Teachers, will use the grant to earn additional certification in secondary English.

Julie Heller, a member of the Glens Falls (N.Y.) Teachers Association and a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certified teacher, will use her grant to complete an administration certification program.

Paul Pecorale, a member of the Patch­ogue-Medford (N.Y.) Congress of Teachers, plans to use the grant to take courses on membership communication and union values at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations Program.

Jean Stabinsky, a member of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, will use her grant money to enroll in a course on marine animals at the New York Aquarium.

Elizabeth D. Stanley, a member of the Portland (Ore.) Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees, will use the grant money to supplement tuition for an advanced degree in education.

Mary L. Stenta, a member of the New Britain (Conn.) Federation of Teachers, will use her scholarship to fund courses on academic intervention.

Linda Zupan, a member of the Shields Valley (Mont.) Teachers Association, is designing a program that uses sign language to enhance language arts instruction.
 

The PSRP winners are:

Angela Coe, a member of the United Federation of Teachers, plans to use her scholarship for studies toward a degree.

Olga Filinova, a member of the Portland (Ore.) Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees, is a Russian immigrant and former teacher in Russia who plans to use the money to help earn a teaching certificate.

Dianne Gollhofer, a member of the Portland (Ore.) Federation of Teachers and Classified Employees, plans to use the grant to receive additional training in her specialty—effective education for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Phyllis Jacobson, a member of the Half Hollow Hills (N.Y.) Teachers Association, is working toward a master’s degree in computers.

Steven Muniz, a member of the Perth Amboy (N.J.) Federation/AFT, will use the scholarship to earn a teaching certificate and a degree in history.

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