OPAL MORRISON

"When I had unexpected surgery, that's when I needed my union the most..."

By #UnionProud Stories

March 29^th, 2018

by opal morrison

When I had to take medical leave because of an unexpected surgery, that’s when I needed my union the most.

I was having stomach pain all weekend. By Monday morning, I was in excruciating pain and ended up going to urgent care. A CAT scan showed that I had an eruption in my gallbladder and I was sent to the ER. I had surgery the next morning.

The doctors told me I had to stay off my feet and relax. But when you’re dedicated to your job, you don’t want to put your co-workers out on a limb to cover you. I had never had to take a leave of any kind before — all I knew was that you get a sick day per month. So I was trying to go back to work the Monday after my surgery.

I sent an email to the UFT with the subject line “SOLAS?” because I didn’t even know what SOLAS (the Self-Service Online Leave Application System) was. Someone called me right back and that’s when I learned that I could borrow an additional 20 days for medical leave. She broke it down for me and walked me through every single step of the process to apply for a restoration of health leave. She was amazing, and she continued to stay on top of it and stay in contact with me.

Without the UFT, I would have been lost. I would have tried to drag myself back to work and it wouldn’t have been good for anyone. I was relieved that I was able to really take care of myself instead of rushing back to work. I thought, “Now I see where my union dues are going.” I needed the union, and they were there.