OUT
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER COMMUNI-
Chase Brexton Labor Strife Leads to Firings & Protests
By Bill Redmond-Palmer The firing of five staff members at Chase Brexton Health Services has raised qutestions and concerns throughout Baltimore’s LGBT and HIV-impacted communities. The timing of the firings appears to many in the community – and the Chase Brexton workers in question – to be related to a recent move by a large group of employees to create a union bargaining unit of SEIU District 1199 Healthcare Workers East. The SEIU began talking to workers in mid-June and on August 1st, the SEIU filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), scheduled for August 25th. A week later, Chase Brexton management fired four prominent staff members: • Warren Conner, senior manager for HIV care • Catherine Fowler, Mount Vernon center nurse manager • Bethany Henderson, program manag-
er of the LGBT Health Resource Center • Ken Ruby III, director of psychosocial services and HIV care. Ruby and Conner began working at Chase Brexton more than two decades ago and have helped thousands of people living with HIV. Henderson spearheaded the development of many programs to support LGBT people, especially underserved elders. Two days after the firings, the SEIU filed a charge against Chase Brexton with the NLRB, alleging that management had done so “in order to interfere with, restrain, and coerce the employer’s professional employees in the exercise of their rights” and to “invade upon the professional employees’ self-organizational rights to form a union.” Each of the fired staff members were
managers, meaning they themselves could never have joined the union. “It’s an ageold union busting tactic,” said Brian Owens of SEIU District 1199, “for management to fire managers who might be seen as supportive of unionization, in an effort to intimidate other employees who may want to join the union.” That same day, Chase Brexton CEO Richard Larison sent an email to staff, stating that “as your employer, we have an obligation to give you the facts. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be conducting group and individual meetings to educate you on the realities of unionization – and tell you the other side of the story that the SEIU is probably not telling you. We hope that when all is said and done, you will have the facts so you can make an informed decision, rather than an emotional decision. We believe after everyone weighs both sides and has the facts, you will agree with us that you do not need a third party to represent you, and you will vote ‘NO’ on August 25th.” In that same email, the CEO stated that “the union often uses misleading tactics such as telling supervisors they can be included in the voting unit, the union can
By Frankie Kujawa Summer is traditionally a time when many begin to ease back on their workloads and enjoy vacations in the warm sun. Baltimore Arts tour de force Ron Legler, however, has been humbly working behind the scenes to bring positive changes to the city of Baltimore. As
president of the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, Legler’s vision and mission reflects his community approach and tireless work ethic. The Tony Award voting member of the Broadway League candidly shared with Baltimore OUTloud the great work going on at the Hippodrome, as well as his own story of how he became a leader in the arts. Growing up in Erie, Pennsylvania, Leg-
Management digs in as some in community protest
He co-founded Pulse. Now he’s helping transform Baltimore through the arts
Ron Legler at the Hippodrome
August 19, 2016 | Volume XIV, Issue 8
Bethany Henderson, one of the fired Chase Brexton managers
guarantee wage increases for employees, the union can establish the work schedule for the employees.” On August 11th, a fifth employee, Jill Crank, assistant medical director and nurse practitioner, was fired after almost nine —continued on page 4
Meet Ron Legler ler was always interested in student government and getting involved with his community. As a teenager, Legler honed his leadership skills as captain of both his water polo and swim teams. Soon after, Legler was awarded a leadership scholarship to attend Thiel College, a small Lutheran school outside of Pittsburg. “I was the first —continued on page 19