Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the undersigned, ask for a fairer wage for all employees at Cornerstone of Recovery. Specifically, every hourly paid employee here deserves at least $1 more per hour, added to our paycheck for at least the next year. Cornerstone management sent out an email January 13 explaining the reasons hazard pay has been removed. We do not believe these reasons are adequate. Yes, Covid-19 safety measures have been improved, but at the time of this writing, eleven Cornerstone patients are now quarantined with Covid-19. In one department, three staff members contracted Covid-19 in one week. And although vaccines were made available in Blount County, many staff still remain on the waiting list and are currently not immune to Covid-19. It is clear that the hazards of our work environment have not significantly decreased. It’s also becoming more and more apparent that this pandemic will not be ending in the near future. Increasing Covid-19 cases and deaths, problems with vaccine distribution, and hospitals reaching capacity all signal that this is nowhere near over, and will likely not be fully resolved until the year is over. The top infectious disease doctor in the United States said that we would not reach “normality that is close to where we were before” until the end of 2021. For these reasons, we do not currently feel that we can acquiesce to lower pay now or for the foreseeable future.
As a compromise, we believe it would be fair to end the weekly meals in lieu of a pay raise. My coworkers and I, if given the choice, would not hesitate to choose a pay raise over continued Tuesday meals.
This petition was written and signed by people who care about this facility. We genuinely want what is best for Cornerstone and the patients it serves. And we believe the best way to achieve that is to have well-paid, happy staff who don’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay their bills while at work. The management here are very supportive of all staff and have created a great work environment for us, but that does not substitute financial security. With this petition, we are demonstrating today that we have the courage to change the things we cannot accept.
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9 Comments
Our compassion, empathy, education, and experience is worth so much more than a free meal that many of us don’t even get to enjoy. We have been short staffed and even more so now with Covid. We are working hard to help people and should be respected for it.
What a well-worded and respectful communication. I'm so glad I work with people who can talk about these things openly without fear of reprisal. Cornerstone is truly a special place and a family. We absolutely deserve more long-term hazard pay as we received in the past, and hopefully we will have the funds as a business to make this a reality. I feel so secure knowing that Cornerstone management cares about putting its employees first and I look forward to being a part of this conversation.
They deserve it!! Real heroes
I agree with this.
Thank you!
out this petition I had to get on board. This company has always showed that it places great value in it's employees and I believe our concerns will be heard with open hearts by this company. I am a single mother. When the schools shut down last April I missed a little more than a week of work to take care of my children. I went to Human Resources about my concerns. I had heard that the government had passed a bill which would allow people who had to miss work for COVID related illness or school closings to receive 75% of their paycheck. When I asked H.R. about this I was told that our company chose not to participate because we were exempt as a medical facility. Then I was allowed to borrow sick time instead. Although I was grateful I didn't lose pay, at this point I had still not contracted COVID myself and lived in fear with negative sick days and PTO time available. For about 6 months I held my breath, knowing I could not get sick or miss work or I would not be paid. Then, in November, Cornerstone had our first patient outbreak of COVID cases. I was asked by a superior to move the quarantine patients from the basement to the 3rd floor. When I asked about PPE I was told to wear a mask and gloves (not a special N95 or any clothing cover). When I knocked on quarantine patient's doors many answered with no mask. In retrospect I should have refused this task. However, less than a week later I became sick with COVID and spread it to my two children. We were made to quarantine nearly two weeks due to my kids getting it a few days after me. I once again reached out to H.R. for help. After calling several times and leaving two voicemails I asked my supervisor, Anne Young for help. As a result of her insistence I received a call later that day from H.R. agreeing to let me borrow time again, but only because I had paid back my time from earlier in the year about a month before. Again, I was caused extreme stress and worry about having no PTO or sick time going forward. T
I fully believe in this, we deserve to at least keep the hazard pay we have earned.
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the undersigned, ask for a fairer wage for all employees at Cornerstone of Recovery. Specifically, every hourly paid employee here deserves at least $1 more per hour, added to our paycheck for at least the next year. Cornerstone management sent out an email January 13 explaining the reasons hazard pay has been removed. We do not believe these reasons are adequate. Yes, Covid-19 safety measures have been improved, but at the time of this writing, eleven Cornerstone patients are now quarantined with Covid-19. In one department, three staff members contracted Covid-19 in one week. And although vaccines were made available in Blount County, many staff still remain on the waiting list and are currently not immune to Covid-19. It is clear that the hazards of our work environment have not significantly decreased. It’s also becoming more and more apparent that this pandemic will not be ending in the near future. Increasing Covid-19 cases and deaths, problems with vaccine distribution, and hospitals reaching capacity all signal that this is nowhere near over, and will likely not be fully resolved until the year is over. The top infectious disease doctor in the United States said that we would not reach “normality that is close to where we were before” until the end of 2021. For these reasons, we do not currently feel that we can acquiesce to lower pay now or for the foreseeable future.
As a compromise, we believe it would be fair to end the weekly meals in lieu of a pay raise. My coworkers and I, if given the choice, would not hesitate to choose a pay raise over continued Tuesday meals.
This petition was written and signed by people who care about this facility. We genuinely want what is best for Cornerstone and the patients it serves. And we believe the best way to achieve that is to have well-paid, happy staff who don’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay their bills while at work. The management here are very supportive of all staff and have created a great work environment for us, but that does not substitute financial security. With this petition, we are demonstrating today that we have the courage to change the things we cannot accept.
9 Comments
I believe better pay is much needed. In our department we are the Frontline workers. We are who they see first. I would much rather have the pay because the Tuesday meal is just for staff who work that day do it does not benefit us who work later in the week and give up our weekends to be there. We are left out so yes better pay would be appreciated.
Our compassion, empathy, education, and experience is worth so much more than a free meal that many of us don’t even get to enjoy. We have been short staffed and even more so now with Covid. We are working hard to help people and should be respected for it.
What a well-worded and respectful communication. I'm so glad I work with people who can talk about these things openly without fear of reprisal. Cornerstone is truly a special place and a family. We absolutely deserve more long-term hazard pay as we received in the past, and hopefully we will have the funds as a business to make this a reality. I feel so secure knowing that Cornerstone management cares about putting its employees first and I look forward to being a part of this conversation.
They deserve it!! Real heroes
I agree with this.
Thank you!
out this petition I had to get on board. This company has always showed that it places great value in it's employees and I believe our concerns will be heard with open hearts by this company. I am a single mother. When the schools shut down last April I missed a little more than a week of work to take care of my children. I went to Human Resources about my concerns. I had heard that the government had passed a bill which would allow people who had to miss work for COVID related illness or school closings to receive 75% of their paycheck. When I asked H.R. about this I was told that our company chose not to participate because we were exempt as a medical facility. Then I was allowed to borrow sick time instead. Although I was grateful I didn't lose pay, at this point I had still not contracted COVID myself and lived in fear with negative sick days and PTO time available. For about 6 months I held my breath, knowing I could not get sick or miss work or I would not be paid. Then, in November, Cornerstone had our first patient outbreak of COVID cases. I was asked by a superior to move the quarantine patients from the basement to the 3rd floor. When I asked about PPE I was told to wear a mask and gloves (not a special N95 or any clothing cover). When I knocked on quarantine patient's doors many answered with no mask. In retrospect I should have refused this task. However, less than a week later I became sick with COVID and spread it to my two children. We were made to quarantine nearly two weeks due to my kids getting it a few days after me. I once again reached out to H.R. for help. After calling several times and leaving two voicemails I asked my supervisor, Anne Young for help. As a result of her insistence I received a call later that day from H.R. agreeing to let me borrow time again, but only because I had paid back my time from earlier in the year about a month before. Again, I was caused extreme stress and worry about having no PTO or sick time going forward. T
I fully believe in this, we deserve to at least keep the hazard pay we have earned.
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I believe better pay is much needed. In our department we are the Frontline workers. We are who they see first. I would much rather have the pay because the Tuesday meal is just for staff who work that day do it does not benefit us who work later in the week and give up our weekends to be there. We are left out so yes better pay would be appreciated.