National Nurses United

NEWS BRIEFS RNs in Kansas City Win First Contract R MISSOURI egistered nurse Sarah Mitch will be the first to say that she is ���no spring chicken��� and well past retirement age. But at age 67 and an RN for more than 45 years, she has stayed in her job as an IV therapy nurse at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., largely because she has wanted to see unionizing efforts come to fruition there. That day came on June 19, when the 580 registered nurses at RMC, owned by giant hospital chain HCA, proudly announced a settlement for a first contract that recognizes the RN voice in patient care matters, improves staffing standards, and offers economic incentives that recruit and retain quality RNs. �� ���It sounds hokey or old fashioned, but what we really want is to be able to do the best job we can,��� said Mitch about the nurses��� reasons for organizing into a union. ���It���s about standing up and helping each other so that we can help the patient. It works.��� The contract came on the heels of a second vote in which RNs overwhelmingly reaffirmed their support for unionization with National Nurses Organizing Committee-Missouri, an NNU affiliate. As Leslie Rogers, an RMC RN leader and member of the negotiating team, described in a letter of appreciation to RNs after the vote, nurses showed their dedication to forming the union by going ���above and beyond the call of duty��� in order to vote. Many showed up on their day off, often with babies and children in tow. One RN drove 300 miles round trip in order to participate. One week later, the RNs were able to turn their wishes into reality by wrapping up contract negotiations that began in December 2010. RNs ratified the contract the next week. ���� ���This contract addresses our most pressing concerns about patient care standards and about keeping our most experienced nurses here at RMC,��� said Rogers, an operating room RN and member of the nurses negotiating team. ���We have eliminated the wage cap on experienced nurses���a key goal to retaining our nurses. This helps ensure the best care we can provide and builds a strong foundation for new RMC nurses to rely upon.��� The contract at RMC Mother-andcomes after first contract daughter settlements by NNOC��over RNs Leslie the past seven months in and Lara other HCA-affiliated hospiRemington tals���10 in Florida and one cast their in Las Vegas.��HCA, based in votes Nashville, Tenn.��is the largest for-profit hospital corporation in the world. In each of these HCA hospital contracts, RNs successfully negotiated professional practice committees (PPC), a committee composed of elected staff RNs charged with making recommendations to management on improving patient care. Along with PPCs, the contracts also include acuity-based RN-topatient staffing levels established in policy and enforceable by a newly negotiated staffing committee. Staffing committees are a hallmark of these HCA contracts, where��bedside RNs will work with management to review staffing issues in the hospital, ensure compliance with staffing matrices, and recommend changes. ���It took time,��� Rogers said. ���But in the end, we were able to reach a settlement that the RNs deserve and which provides our patients in Kansas City with quality care.��� ���Staff report Meet Us in St. Louis I MISSOURI n june, Missouri RNs at two St. Louisarea hospitals voted to join the National Nurses Organizing CommitteeMissouri and to become a part of the national nurses movement led by National Nurses United. On June 7, registered nurses at Saint Louis University Hospital (SLUH) voted 305 to 99 to unionize with NNOC-Missouri, an affiliate of NNU. The union will now represent more than 600 RNs at Saint Louis University Hospital, which is part of the Tenet Healthcare system. ���We are so happy that we SLUH RNs will now have a vehicle to negotiate for improved patient care, salaries, and benefits that can recruit and retain the best nurses for the best 8 N AT I O N A L N U R S E patients in St. Louis,��� said Lesa Dustman, an intensive care unit RN at SLUH. ���We have no illusions about the work ahead but, with unity and resolve, we look forward to a bright future.��� And just two weeks later on June 21, RNs at Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis also voted 110 to 60 to join NNOC-Missouri. The union will represent about 250 RNs at Des Peres, which is also a part of Tenet. ���We are thrilled that Des Peres RNs and SLUH RNs both won our right to collectively bargain,��� said Marilyn Strain, RN.�����Working together, we will negotiate for improved W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G patient care, salaries, and benefits that can recruit and retain the best nurses for the best patients in St. Louis.��� Overall, NNU affiliates now represent nearly 5,000 RNs at 11 Tenet hospitals in four states: Florida, Texas, California, and Missouri. ���We are excited to welcome fellow RNs from Saint Louis,��� said Sherri Stoddard, RN, chair of NNOC���s national Tenet RN Bargaining Council. ���We strive every day to maintain patient care standards across the board in Tenet hospitals.��� NNU leaders said the elections will inspire other nurses in the region to organize. ���It has been a dream of mine to see nurses in St. Louis come together and form a united front for RN standards and patient safety,��� said NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro, a St. Louis native. ���Two down!��� ���Staff report JUNE 2012

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