After Unfair Terminations, Teamsters Reclaim Jobs at Nursing Home

Local 743 Pushes Back Against ‘Disrespectful’ Company

Two female nursing home attendants are back to work this summer after Teamsters Local 743 successfully challenged their wrongful terminations.

Iris McCall and Glenda Gillespie worked as certified nursing assistants for Chicago’s Imperial Grove Pavilion Nursing Home for more than two years before being fired in June 2009 and January 2010, respectively. Though Local 743 representatives filed grievances in defense of McCall and Gillespie, Imperial Grove management refused to hear them. The Teamsters were left with no choice but to file unfair labor practice (ULP) charges.

“With a company that was routinely unresponsive and disrespectful, the union was prepared to challenge management and protect our members,” said Donnie Von Moore, Local 743 Secretary-Treasurer. “By pushing back against these unfair decisions, the Teamsters were able to reinstate the workers and bring some justice to the workplace.”

While the Illinois Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of Local 743 on its formal grievances against Imperial Grove, the union’s ULPs were referred to arbitration. As local representatives prepared for a hearing on April 20, nursing home management quickly buckled, offering a settlement prior to arbitration.

By mid-May, McCall and Gillespie returned to work full-time at Imperial Grove. Both workers have retained their seniority benefits and will receive back pay for lost time and wages.

“For the union and the members, this victory was a major accomplishment,” said Von Moore. “Management across all sectors is swiftly realizing we will not back down. We will not be bullied.”

Approximately 120 Imperial Grove employees are represented by Local 743, serving as certified nursing assistants, food service workers and housekeeping personnel.

Teamsters Local 743 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents more than 100,000 hardworking men and women throughout Illinois and Indiana.

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