Chapter 58. RECOMMENDATION REPORT Student Sample of a Recommendation Report --- Introduction All samples in WritingforCollege.org's chapters are by students, unless otherwise noted.  They are examples of "A" level undergraduate writing or entry-level graduate or professional work.  If more than one sample is provided, be sure to read all samples.  Then compare each to what the "Basics" section says for this type of paper.  If you do not have time to read every sample below, word for word, then use a form of skim reading: read the entire introduction and conclusion paragraph of a sample, and then read just the first and last sentence of all the other paragraphs in the sample.  This method of skimming often provides an understanding of the basic contents and of the paper's form or structure.  Another method of faster reading is to choose just one or two of the samples that are most like the paper you will be required to write; then read, either fully or using skim reading as described here. Unless otherwise noted, sample papers do not necessarily meet all requirements an individual instructor or professional supervisor may have: ask your instructor or supervisor.  In addition, the samples are single spaced to save room.  However, a proper manuscript given to an instructor or supervisor normally should be double spaced with margins set at or close to 1" unless another format has been requested. The authors of all sample student papers in this Web site have given their permission in writing to have their work included in WritingforCollege.org.  All samples remain copyrighted by their original authors.  Other than showing it on this website, none should be used without the explicit permission of the author. --- Advanced Expository Writing University of Minnesota Copyright by Sara Muellerleile Recommendation for a Union Contract Rewrite by Sara Muellerleile             St. Paul’s Level 1 Trauma Center, Regions Hospital Emergency Room, is a busy ER which depends on many people to make it run smoothly.  The problem is that Emergency Room Technicians (ERTs) who are part of the team, are underpaid and the turnover rate for the position is high despite their being part of a union.  This Recommendation Report provides many possible solutions to this problem and examines them by following a set of criteria in order to distinguish the best possible solution. Executive Summary             The problem is that ERTs are underpaid for the duties they perform though Regions Hospital ERTs are union members.  When compared to other jobs which require skills and training or when compared to ERTs of other hospitals, Regions Hospital ERTs make less money despite the biohazards encountered and skills used.  There are six proposed solutions to this problem. Possible solutions: Current ERTs leave Regions Hospital and seek other higher paying job. ERTs pressure the Union for better representation to achieve competitive wages.     ERTs pressure Regions Hospital for higher wages. Rewrite the Union-workplace contract. Create an ERT representative. Go on strike.  These solutions are rated against a set of six criteria.  Criteria:         Chance of wage increase. Short-term economic cost for ERTs. Time involvement of ERTs. Effect on other employees of the Emergency Room. The need to search for a new job. Maintenance of workplace respect.  The final selection of the solutions would be the rewriting of the workplace-union contract between Regions Emergency Room and Council 14 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO Local 722 (AFSCME).  This solution would be the most effective because it would most likely result in a fair pay increase and maintain workplace integrity. Problem             First, the problem of unsatisfied ERTs is discussed in greater detail.  As previously mentioned, the turnover rate for ERTs in Regions Hospital Emergency Room is fairly high.  In gathering data from Regions Hospital ER management, it was found that the average length of employment for ERTs at Regions Hospital is not very long.  Linda Manders, Nurse Manager for Regions Hospital Emergency Room, estimated the average length of employment to be between one and two years.  In health care, this is not a long time considering the training involved in becoming a certified ERT and the six month training period as an Emergency Room Technician Trainee (ERTT).  This high turnover rate is partly due to the fact that many ERTs are also college students or are in nursing or medical school.  Though low pay for their work accounts for one reason that the ERTs aren’t employed for long at Regions Hospital.  ERTs are required to become certified Emergency Room Technicians by successfully completing a ninety hour class either at Regions Hospital or through a community college.  In such classes, ERTs are trained to use a wide variety of  medical skills such as application and fitting of splints, testing blood sugar levels, and inserting catheters.   These skills, along with many others, are used often throughout an eight hour shift.              However, along with those procedures comes some dirty work.  Included is the job of cleaning up incontinent patients and stocking rooms for the next patient.  Upon collecting data throughout several shifts, it was found that ERTs come in contact with many biohazards such as blood, urine and saliva an average of twelve times per eight hour shift.              Despite the high risk that ERTs run by working with such materials, ERTs aren’t paid for such hazards like other workers are.  Housekeepers in the Emergency Room are compensated for working with biohazards.  However, ERTs who have much more first hand exposure to the hazards are not compensated.  This lack of wage compensation may be due to an outdated job description by the Union.  The role of the ERT has changed drastically over time to include many new skills.  Helen Remick, an author who focuses on comparative worth, recognizes the need for a system which assigns a standard value to different types of work.  She also describes a system called “job content analysis” which is the determination of tasks and skills associated with a job (19).  Job content analysis of ERTs would help portray a good picture of all of the duties which ERTs perform.  This unfairness in salary has led to a low morale on the ERT staff and a negative attitude because of the high turnover rate and increased work load.  Since the length of employment for ERTs at Regions Hospital is low, employees are being hired more often and the result is more training of new ERTs by the ‘seasoned’ ERTs.              The wage differences are displayed in the chart below.  The chart compares the Union ERTs with other union employees.  The wages listed are minimum wages given in the Union contract.             Regions ER is considered a union shop.  “A union shop permits the employees to hire nonunion workers but provides that these workers must join the Union in a specified period . . . or relinquish their jobs” (Brue and McConnell 679).  When ERTs are hired by Regions Hospital, they are given thirty days to join the AFSCME Union and must agree to pay a fee every other pay period for union dues.  The current amount for monthly union dues for Regions Hospital ERTs is $27.  As the contract Agreement between REGIONS HOSPITAL and COUNCIL 14 of the AFSCME Local 722 states, “Each employee . . .  shall, as a condition of employment, maintain his/her membership in the Union or pay to the Union each month a service charge . . . an amount equal to the regular monthly dues” (6).  If the Union does not receive the agreement within thirty days of new ERT hire, the Union will notify the employer and the employee will be terminated.  Buswell, a union expert states, “As soon as the union notifies the employer that one of his employees is no longer in good standing, it becomes the employer’s duty to fire the workman, pronto, no matter how efficient an employee he may be” (5).               The purpose of a union is to defend their workers and to work for higher, competitive wages for its workers.  Data shows that on average, union workers make higher wages than non-union workers.  Brue and McConnell, economics professors, determined that on average union members have a ten to fifteen percent wage advantage over nonunion workers (680).  The ERTs at Regions Hospital are an exception because non-union workers in the Hospital with similar skills, such as Nurses Aids, make a higher hourly wage than the Union ERTs.  Below is a comparison between Regions Hospital ERT wages and non-union workers with similar skills and training.  The data was obtained through employment postings and the American Salaries and Wage Survey. Evaluation             Next, each solution to the problem will be held against all of the given criteria in order to make a recommendation as to which solution would be the most effective.  The most likely solutions are discussed in greater detail in order to determine the best possible solution.  And lastly a final choice is made. Solutions:             The first solution would be for the ERTs to quit their jobs at Regions Hospital and find a new, higher paying job.  This would require time involvement in searching for a new job as well as the risk of being unemployed until a new job is obtained.              The second solution would be for ERTs to pressure the Union for higher wages.  This would include letters to and meetings with union representatives as well as attendance of union meetings by many ERTs.  This may be effective because the Union has the ability to help gain wage increases.  As Smyth and Murphy stated, the “union shop gives the union as much control over the employees as the employer has since the employee must remain a union member in good standing to retain employment” (110).  The third possible solution would be for Regions Hospital ERTs to pressure the Emergency Department for more funding for ERT wages.  This solution would also include letters to Emergency Department management expressing the need of higher wages for ERTs.  This possibility is similar to the possibility of pressuring the Union.  Though, the pressuring of Regions Hospital management may be less effective due to the authority given to the Union to determine and set maximums on wages.  The contract agreement states in an AFSCME salary ranges list that a minimum and maximum wage are set by the Union (Appendix A).             The fourth possible solution would be to rewrite the AFSCME-Regions Hospital contract for ERTs.  This would include negotiations between Union representatives and ERTs.  Optimally, rewriting of the old contract would include a more competitive wage and possibility for raises.  The existing contract between Regions Hospital and AFSCME states its effective dates as “July 1, 1997 through June 30, 2000” (title page), so rewriting would take place around  May or June of 2000.  The next possible solution would be  to create an ERT representative to meet with union representatives and present the needs of all of Regions Hospital ERTs.  The ERT representative would be a spokesperson for the ERTs and represent their needs to the Union.             The last and possibly most drastic solution would be for the ERTs to go on strike for higher wages.  Because of workplace disruption and lack of wages a strike would be the last choice for many ERTs.  As John Gennard concluded, the average length of an official strike is 14.4 working days (101).  Approximately three work weeks without pay would be a great cost to many ERTs.  Most often, opposing groups can solve disputes without resorting to strikes.  Brue and McConnell determined that 95% of bargaining contracts are negotiated by means other than strikes(678).  As long as realistic goals are set, a strike would be the last option.   According to Edward Peters,  “Strikes are caused more often by the failure of one or both of the parties to set a realistic goal than for any other single reason” (61).  Though a strike would be a solution to the problem, it should only be considered as an alternative solution if the others are not effective. Criteria:             The first criterion that all of the solutions are judged against is the possibility of wage increase.  This criterion tries to determine the chance of a higher wage if the solution were carried out.  This criterion is partially a way of measuring the effectiveness of each solution.  The second criterion is the economic cost to ERTs.  For example, if the solution required the ERTs to go without work for a period of time, the economic cost would be high due to the lost wages.  The third criterion by which the solutions are measured is the amount of time in addition to work time that would be required by ERTs.  This is important because many ERTs are also students or parents and their time is limited.             The fourth criterion used to test the solutions is the effect the solution would have on other employees of the ER.  If the solution involved a shortage or lack of ERTs many other workers in the ER such as nurses and physicians would be negatively affected.  The greater number of third party employees that would be affected, the less effective the solution would be.  The next criterion used to test the solutions is whether or not the solution requires ERTs to search for a new job.  The negative effect of having to switch jobs is large enough to account for its own criterion.  The amount of work involved in searching, applying, interviewing and orienting for a new job would be a large disadvantage.  The last criterion by which the solutions are measured is the maintenance of workplace respect.  The Emergency Room is a high stress, fast paced workplace that requires communication and teamwork between all of its members.  A loss of respect or a damage to relationships between co-workers in the ER would be damaging to all of its employees and the productivity of patient care. Solutions-Criteria Chart:             The Solutions Criteria Chart gives a number value to each solution in regard to the given criteria.  Each solution is tested against every criterion and a number value is given.  The numbers range from zero to ten.  Zero would be the most negative possible outcome and ten would be the best possible outcome.  The numbers are then added and each solution is given a total number value.  The Solutions Criteria Chart allows all of the criteria to come together to help determine the best possible solution to the problem. Application:             The Solutions Criteria Chart resulted in a large span of numbers.  Some of the solutions are very similar and could be combined to create one solution.  For example, creating an ERT representative and pressuring the Union for higher wages could be combined to create one solution.  The probability would be that the ERT representative would take over the job of pressuring the Union to obtain the goal of higher wages.  Similarly, the top three choices of pressuring the Union, creating an ERT representative and rewriting the contract are complimentary.  Most likely a rewrite of the contract would take place between the Union and some type of ERT representative.  These three solutions can divide into two different combined solutions.  One would be to create an ERT representative and pressure the Union and the second would be to rewrite the contract which would likely require an ERT representative.  Either way, a spokesperson for Regions Hospital ERTs would be a beneficial part of the solution.             Revised Solutions:             Create an ERT representative and pressure the Union.             Create an ERT representative and rewrite the Union contract.             The first solution to create an ERT representative and pressure the Union by phone calls, letters, and meetings would have a fair probability of resulting in a wage increase.  Constant pressure on the Union by a representative would possibly, though not probably, result in a wage increase.  The time factor for most ERTs would be minimal.  Though the one elected representative would have a large time commitment. The majority of the ERTs’ time would not be affected other than the occasional letter writing or meeting attendance.             The second solution to create a representative and rewrite the contract would most likely result in a wage increase.  Though the time factor would be higher for ERTs, most of the negotiating would be done between ERT and union representatives, though current ERTs would be encouraged to get involved.  The idea of using an ERT representative or spokesperson is a strong one because negotiations are more likely to take place between a few people who represent the views and needs of both the Union and the ERTs.  As Bevars D. Mabry Ph.D. of Bowling Green State University said, “A sub-committee of not more than 10, and more frequently 5, will do the actual negotiating, for negotiation precedes best when the bargaining teams are small” (301).  Though the negotiations would take place between small numbers of people, some meeting attendance would be encouraged for all ERTs in order to determine the needs and desires of all.  These meetings would give the ERTs a chance to plan.  Mabry suggested the importance of planning; “One of the most important ingredients of successful bargaining techniques is planning, that is, preparation of the ground work for negotiations” (299).             At such meetings, arguments for higher wages would be discussed and presented.  Such arguments as the degree of skills used in the job and the consistent contact with biohazards and body fluids could be used to argue the need of higher ERT wages.  An ERT would be the best representative because he or she would have the best idea of duties and skills involved in an ERT’s job.  And as Peters stated, “A successful approach to collective bargaining is a knowledge of the unique features of the industry and company they represent” (21).  Final Choice:             Based on the solutions and the criteria, the recommendation for the final choice would be to arrange for a union contract rewrite to better suit the needs of the ERTs.  Such a union contract rewrite would take place with negotiation between union representatives and ERTs through the use of an ERT representative.  The chance of wage increase would be high and workplace respect would be maintained. Results             Finally, the possible results of  a contract rewrite between Regions Hospital and AFSCME could be either positive or negative for Regions Hospital ERTs.  The probability for a positive outcome and higher wages for ERTs would be likely through a union contract rewrite.  One positive result would be higher, more competitive wages.  These higher wages would most likely encourage longer term employment of ERTs at Regions Hospital.  The morale of ERTs could also increase.  And, the rest of the ER staff would benefit by having the dependence of more knowledgeable, experienced ERTs.  Another positive result could be the maintenance of workplace respect.  The nurses and doctors rely on ERTs.  By continuing to work, the ERTs would maintain the trust earned by co-workers.  A third positive result would be better work relationships between administration and staff.  Because the staff would feel it is being treated with greater respect, it would be more open to administrative suggestions and ideas.             The outcome would be positive if ERTs were able to avoid such problems as a strike or having to leave Regions Hospital.  As long as negotiations were successful and fair, ERTs would be able to continue employment with a new, more competitive wage at Regions Hospital.                     A possible negative result of the rewriting of the Union contract would be the lack of wage increase.  If the ERTs or ERT representative were unable to demonstrate the need for a wage increase, a new contract may be signed for three more years without higher wages.  Without a wage increase, there would be the possibility of ERTs earning only cost-of-living wage increases.  This would possibly result in the carrying out of a more drastic solution such as a strike.  The ERTs would have to re-evaluate their needs and return to planning a new solution to the problem of low wages.  The problem of unhappy, underpaid ERTs would not be solved in the case of a new contract without wage increases.  The only real solution to this problem would be to re-negotiate the same contract much as suggested in this recommendation.     A second possible negative result would be a loss of, or lack of normal cost-of-living increase in, the benefits package.  The new contract could allow for a significant wage increase by subtracting from the benefits package--or not giving it a cost-of-living increase.  ERTs might be happier in the short run, but in the longer run they would feel once again that administration was handling the situation poorly, and this in turn would require re-negotiations sooner than otherwise.     A third possible negative result would be a stalemate over the particular details of the contract.  This could lead to continued or increased unhappiness among ERTs, who might be more likely to resort to a strike.  The solution to this problem is to keep the channels of communication open during the contract negotiations and for both sides to be willing to compromise. Conclusion             In conclusion, the problem between a high turnover rate of ERTs and their low pay has been tied to the lack of union support for higher ERT wages in this recommendation report.  Two main solutions of creating an ERT representative and pressuring the Union and rewriting of the contract are examined against many criteria.  Since the main reason for dissatisfaction is low wages, the high possibility of wage increase in the contract rewrite solution would make the most sense.  The probable main result would be a more competitive wage for ERTs and, hopefully, a longer average length of employment for ERTs at Regions Hospital. --- Return to top.