Solidarity with the QA Department at Lines for Life
Lines for Life Upper Management
Dear Fellow 1790 Union Members,
We, your fellow union members in the Quality Assurance (QA) department at Lines for Life, are reaching out with an urgent request for our fellow union members to stand in solidarity with us due to extreme mismanagement and mistreatment of our department by our Director of QA, Deborah Dedrickson over the past two years.
This includes, severe boundary violations to the team and unilateral decision making that prioritizes quantity over quality has resulted in an unsafe work environment, has contributed to an overall lack of support for crisis lines staff, and puts Lines for Life’s quality of services at risk.
Please join us in advocating for a safer work environment, so we can better support the individuals who contact our lines.
Examples of Deborah’s poor management and maltreatment include the following:
Prioritizing quantity over quality and compromising quality of service
Unrealistic productivity expectations
Personal boundary violations and inappropriate comments about race, age, sexuality, and gender
Concerns from staff met with minimizing and gaslighting
In good faith, we have attempted to resolve these issues internally for over a year by:
Notifying Human Resources of concerning behavior; supported by evidence and its impact
Going through team and individual mediation with an external company - per Management’s request
Filing over 50 additional complaints with a letter requesting a different supervisor while complaints are being investigated, for fear of retaliation
Management has responded to our request saying they will investigate, but they will not provide us with a different temporary supervisor. This concerns us as we have been filing credible claims for over a year and we are fearful of retaliation.
We are reaching out and asking for solidarity because management continues to refuse to take our concerns seriously, and an injury to one is an injury to all.
Your Co-Workers in QA,
Billy O’Keefe
QA Relationship Manager
Addie Needler
QA Specialist
Amanda Young
QA Specialist
Christie Ritze
QA Specialist
Marissa Gordinier
QA Specialist
Sponsored by
To:
Lines for Life Upper Management
From:
[Your Name]
To Whom it May Concern;
We, the AFSCME represented employees of the QA department, are reaching out to demand immediate action regarding our unsafe working conditions within our team at Lines for Life. We are demanding that our team be promptly provided with different management while an in depth investigation occurs.
We have made several attempts to make this a collaborative process for over a year to ensure that our team functions efficiently, feels supported, provides quality work, and ensures that Lines for Life contacts are receiving the best care possible.
We have brought this to your attention numerous times, including filing individual complaints, a series of meetings with Human Resources and Lines for Life upper management, and unproductive group and individual mediation sessions with little to no follow up.
AFSCME members strongly believe that Deborah Dedrickson:
Lacks the necessary skill set required to properly manage data that impacts the integrity of QA practices, negatively impacting our ability to do our jobs;
Possesses a lack of organization, time/project management, and accountability that impact our ability to meet expectations of Lines for Life;
Refuses to support CIS evaluations when challenged by other staff resulting in CIS not receiving critical feedback and training they need to keep our contacts safe;
Has directed staff to inappropriately change their QA monitoring to avoid conflict, potentially leaving contacts at risk;
Has demonstrated extreme unprofessional boundaries with staff which has led to an unsafe working environment.
This is not the complete extent of Deborah Dedrickson’s inappropriate behavior and poor team management. These complaints illustrate a pattern of unacceptable conduct that significantly impacts not only our team, but other departments and the quality of care that we provide to our contacts. This is in direct conflict with our organization's mission and commitment to promoting mental wellness within our own staff.
We expect a response from Lines for Life within 48 hours.
Sincerely,
The Lines for Life QA Department