Union official warns: Worker overtime means Nebraska's vets homes could be headed down same road...

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Martha Stoddard

LINCOLN — A union official warned Monday that Nebraska’s four veterans homes could be heading down the same road as the long-troubled Beatrice State Developmental Center.

Mike Marvin, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, the largest state employee union, said the state has been relying on an "enormous amount" of overtime hours to operate the homes.

Workers are held over for double shifts, sometimes as often as three times a week, he said. Yet staffing levels are still suffering, and the problem has worsened, Marvin said.

"Is it safe to have overtired workers caring for the veterans?" he asked during a legislative hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget request.

FULL story at link. FULL title: Union official warns: Worker overtime means Nebraska's vets homes could be headed down same road as Beatrice Center



Read more: http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/union-official-warns-worker-overtime-means-nebraska-s-vets-homes/article_1cca02b6-cc53-11e4-9408-a7fc65ccad5d.html

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I've been in this facility several times for activities. Great place. NEW building. Needs more staff.

[valerief]

1. The developers who built the place already got their money. That's all that matters apparently. nt

[jwirr]

2. Steve, is the Beatrice Developmental Center still housing persons who are developmentally

disabled? Is it still open?

As a mother of such a child we were trying to close this institution and bring the patients to the community as long ago as 1972. It was a strong movement at that time. I moved out of Nebraska in 1975 and to a state (MN) that has actually managed to close all but one of these institutions. And are still working on closing that one.

My point is that I would not compare this institution with the Veteran's Homes because of the different level of personal understanding of the patients. In a Vet's Home there is usually a lot of family and Veteran's groups who provide oversight because they come to visit. Persons like my daughter are often abandoned in the institutions and no one from the outside of the institution is watching what is going on.

As to the overtime - who are the workers getting paid by? The fed or the state? And is this a case of too few workers available or are they trying to save money? Do they pay overtime or just have to work it to keep their jobs?

[Omaha Steve]

3. It is still open after several lawsuits

http://dhhs.ne.gov/developmental_disabilities/Pages/dip_ded_bsdcindex.aspx

From the story: Hilgert said state officials are working to address concerns about finding and keeping staff, especially in the face of stiff competition. The homes are doing exit surveys and assessing wages; the state offers free training for people wanting to become certified nursing assistants, he said.


The state is trying to save $. Like many places they need to raise the wage level. Once they get certified and fulfill their commitment they move on to better paying jobs.

They do get paid overtime from the state. I'm not sure on the math how much the federal level reimburses the state.

Because of Offutt Air Base in Bellevue there is a large demand for the Vet's Home.

At worksite at Offutt, $1.2 billion StratCom HQ taking shape: http://www.omaha.com/news/military/at-worksite-at-offutt-billion-stratcom-hq-taking-shape/article_5687667c-2ee2-5492-87f1-0b466d262c03.html

[jwirr]

4. Thank you. I kind of thought that wages and competition were what was playing into this. Hopefully

they will get it straightened out. The men and women in these Vet's Homes are usually in need of a lot of care. And they deserve to be treated well.