The "Employer of Choice" Scam

As I finish writing the first draft of the play I will be performing in Orlando in May about this whole saga, I want to share with you some of the research that is helping me frame the content of the play.

If you've read previous posts you'll have learned that Orlando Health hires a company known as The Herman Group to 'rate' them as an Employer of Choice. This bogus certification is nothing short of disgusting. As you travel this holiday season, in case you need a hospital, you may want to look at the links below to see which hospitals are also clients of this bogus Herman Group. And then you may choose to give your business to culturally competent organizations that are listed as such in the second link below, which is the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2009 Healthcare Equality Index. You can review medical facilities based on a series of criteria that tell you whether or not the organization is truly culturally competent.

The HRC report is complied by healthcare providers themselves filling out a survey and is very cut and dry - and is free. The Herman Group's rating is based on criteria that only benefits the organization, not the employees or patients and is a paid for service by the client (the hospital).

To simplify: HRC Healthcare Equality Index - Good; The Herman Group's Employer of Choice program - bad - very, very bad.

The Herman Group's Employer of Choice Client List:

http://www.employerofchoice.com/employers_recognized.html

The HRC's 2009 Healthcare Equality Index:

http://www.hrc.org/documents/Healthcare_Equality_Index_2009.pdf

I will share more of Orlando Health's hypocritical implementation of their Herman Group rating in a future post.

Oh how the bigotry never ends - UNTIL YOU MAKE IT END!

Alan L. Bounville 407-484-6671

alanbounville@gmail.com

PS I will be organizing a direct action as part of the upcoming Orlando Health protest. I'll be announcing that information soon, so stay tuned - and join the fight against bigotry in your back yard.

First Civil Disobedience Action for LGBTQI Equality Here in New York

Dear Orlando Health,

I've been quite busy this week coordinating the start of a new group here in New York City fighting for LGBTQI equality through direct actions. We launched our first action last night - a symbolic party crashing. Here is a video capturing the event.

LINK TO VIDEO

I share this with you for two reasons:

1. I took my normal time spreading the message about the bigotry you support at Orlando Health and redirected it to equality seeking behavior in my own back yard.

2. You can look forward to a future of direct action to continue to press you to change and embrace the calls to action in the well reasoned proposal.

Whenever you are ready to change your disgusting bigotry - your team members and patients are waiting - but if you continue to refuse - we will have no choice but to resort to direct action and the shame you have received to date will be nothing compared to the light that will be shone upon your organization in the future.

Thank you for reading (as you always do) - and happy holidays.

Alan L. Bounville

Orlando Health Randomly Removing Posts

Orlando Health is now randomly removing posts from their Facebook page. They have warned people they will be removing any posts that have to do with diversity or domestic partner benefits if the posters do not move those comments to the back page discussion board they've opened up for - JUST domestic partner benefits.

Again, Orlando Health is setting themselves up for legal trouble. They are indiscriminately censoring certain people and not others - IN AN OPEN FORUM.

Don't mistake Orlando Health's lies for the truth - Orlando Health created the Facebook page and prompted people to post nice things on it to counter act the abundance of critical information that has amassed on the internet to the contrary. Further, Orlando Health's number one fear is their employees getting the idea that they have power in the work place.

BUT - people are starting to wake up. I received a communication from an Orlando Health employee recently stating the following,

"I am a team member, if u do not use my name I will help you. How about addressing the illegal act of requiring exempt team members to take mandatory time off during the holidays without paying them when the law requires a set salary???"

Orlando Health team members - does the 'leadership' actually change anything from your suggestions on the team member surveys?

Orlando Health patients - how do you feel knowing Orlando Health has five levels of VIP patient status and if you are just a regular patient you are not getting the same attention as other more powerful people or connected people?

YOU CAN ALL ORGANIZE AND GET WHAT YOU DESERVE AT ORLANDO HEALTH. UNIONS ARE NOT ALL BAD - AND IF THE COMPANY IS GOING TO BREAK THE LAW OR TREAT CERTAIN PEOPLE AS LESS THAN EQUAL TO OTHERS - SOMEONE NEEDS TO STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. YOU ARE THAT SOMEONE.

If you want to confidentially share inequalities you notice in the Orlando Health workplace, as several people have started to do - email or call me. My info is below. We'll work together in confidence to set the next wave of this plan in motion - actually, without sharing details here - that is already happening. You can join in and will be protected.

Don't let people who make more than they should for their level of job tell you what to do. Be your own person.

Thank you.

Alan L. Bounville

407-484-6671

alanbounville@gmail.com

Message Removed from Orlando Health Facebook Page

Here is a message someone shared on the Orlando Health Facebook page that was removed this morning. See graphic below. It was the first message on the page. Why are they trying to suppress the truth? They are silencing some people and not others - all sharing the same message. Sounds like they are getting themselves into a possible legal situation since so many people on their Facebook page are saying the same thing. And no reasons are given to the three people who have been silenced (Rick Sanchez, myself and now Andrew Conte). Orlando Health is acting with knee jerk reaction and indiscriminately as they single people out and do what they seem to do best - DISCRIMINATE.

When will they stop silencing the truth?

Click on the image below to read Mr. Conte's deleted remark

What are Orlando Health 'Leaders' Thinking?

Pay No Attention... or Union Avoidance?

After a year and a half bringing this message to light, yesterday Orlando Health FINALLY acknowledged that there is a conversation going on about the blatant discrimination taking place at their business. The admission came out in a post from them on their Facebook page They tried to contort the messages on the Facebook page, (that clearly stated for themselves the truth) making it sound as if this was only about domestic partner benefits (clearly, this is about a fully inclusive diversity program - domestic partner benefits are a cornerstone to a company being truly culturally competent, but not the be all and end of of the discussion going on).

Further - Orlando Health does not want to offer domestic partner benefits for a much bigger reason than because of bogus financial concerns they put on their new back page discussion item - they don't want to give something other hospital systems in the region don't offer because that gives you - the reader here - the idea that you could get other things like a better vacation policy, a diversity office that examines your specific cultural needs, a more transparent pay structure to ensure all are being paid equal for equal work - and even more.

Imagine if you had an empowered voice at Orlando Health. Imagine that - if just for a moment.

What is the cost of equality? That is the real question.

And what lengths would Orlando Health go to silence people so they don't get the idea that if they band together they can have more than domestic partner benefits or a full fledged diversity office. By organizing, employees at Orlando Health can have a real voice for change.

Why are there no LGBT people or very few people of color in leading positions at Orlando Health? Are those groups not worth such high level positions? They have lived in the community as long as the white leaders and people of color in greater numbers than white leaders.

Have we changed so far from the days Dr. King fought in the south for freedom?

If you've read this post this far, you may want to take a look at this link. If Orlando Health is so concerned about finances when it comes to doing what's right, maybe they should consider cutting some top level salaries to redirect funds towards the power of equality.

Thank you.

Alan L. Bounville

407-484-6671

alanbounville@gmail.com

PS - Orlando Health - two people now have been censored from posting this message of inclusion (that DOES affect all of Central Florida) on your main Facebook page (Rick Sanchez and myself). How many more voices will you silence - because I guarantee you we WILL find out. People will not stop exposing the truth. You save lives everyday - that is a given - you are a hospital - that is your job. Now start treating everyone equal. That will position you on the right side of history.

Only Marrieds and Straights Given Full Benefits Here