The City has already spent over more than $200 million for a contract with EPIC, a new electronic health system that Local 21 members are implementing in San Francisco. The company has recommended 2-3 days of training for employees to familiarize themselves with the system. They’ve also recommended a several month vacation blackout period for employees next summer. These “recommended policies” (emanating from the contract company) have sparked confusion and resistance among Local 21 members. The policy would affect 453+ Local 21 employees.
For many Local 21 members, the proposed vacation blackout dates make summer family vacations impossible to schedule. These and other concerns were raised during a September 28th Meet and Confer with DPH where Local 21, relying on membership ideas for a fairer roll out of the EPIC program, was able to begin negotiating over a narrower timeline for the black-out period.
Local 21 and DPH have agreed to continue these discussions in November as DPH provides further information to our union about the rollout and training. With this information, we will be able to more fully understand the potential impact on membership and press for fair policies in the workplace.
