Amina, a per diem Food Service Worker at UVMMC, requested time off to care for her family overseas. Nutrition management, attempting to quote the contract, denied her time off, saying they wouldn’t approve “more than two weeks of authorized hours in the months of June, July and August.”
Support Staff United grieved this, telling management that per diems don’t have authorized hours, therefore, this doesn’t apply to Amina. Remember: if per diems aren’t guaranteed hours BY the hospital, then per diems can’t guarantee hours TO the hospital!
We won the grievance, and Amina was able to take her trip overseas! This is what union work can do for the average worker: ensure the contract is followed! | 
