Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 19, 1992 TAG: 9203190058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I urged the secretary to send somebody down to the VA in Salem to determine just what is going on and see if he can't improve communications and bring an end to the controversy," said Olin, D-Roanoke.
A department review team from Washington, D.C., will begin investigating charges of low employee morale, stressful working conditions and deteriorating patient care on Monday, less than two weeks before the dedication of a new $55 million building at the center.
The building, designed to consolidate acute medical and surgical beds into one unit, has been at the center of strife between top management officials at the medical center and the American Federation of Government Employees local.
The union has charged that the move to the new facility has thrown the center into chaos and hampered patient care. Management has argued that the new facility can only improve patient care, not diminish it.
Olin said he hoped the situation could be resolved quickly.
"We don't have a new $60 million building to be the source of some kind of civil war," Olin said. "It's supposed to help the veterans."
The dedication is scheduled for April 3. Derwinski has been invited to the ceremony.
"I don't want to run into some kind of hornet's nest at that ceremony," Olin said. "I fully expect that the secretary would have taken enough action by that time so this thing is on the mend."
Olin said he thought management had not been effective in communicating with employees about changes related to the move.
"Obviously, they are making a lot of changes," he said. Changes were made with some "abruptness," he said, and there was "a lack of participation in consideration of the changes by the employees."
Yet Olin remained optimistic that the controversy would be settled.
"This kind of thing happens," he said. "It always can be fixed. I don't take it to be any kind of crisis.
"I think it's serious, but I don't think it's too hard to correct."
by CNB