National Nurses United

NewsBriefs_June REV 2 6/30/11 12:44 PM Page 8 WRAP-UP REPORT California registered nurses at University of Southern California University Hospital and USC Cancer Norris Center in Los Angeles ratified in early June a new three-year contract. The pact, covering some 700 RNs, wraps up a long contract dispute between the nurses, who are represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, and the hospital administration. RN bargaining team members say that the agreement addresses major concerns the RNs have long had regarding key patient care issues, as well as providing economic improvements for the nurses. "This agreement will greatly improve our ability to assure safe staffing at all times, which is so critical for quality patient care," said Frances McKeever, an intensive care RN at USC. One key aspect of the new contract provides for guaranteed resource RNs to provide patient care so that regularly scheduled RNs are able to take needed meal and rest breaks, and to provide coverage when nurses take patients to special procedures. Nurses won improved healthcare coverage with no increase in out-of-pocket costs; pay increases of at least 4 percent each year for all RNs, plus additional compensation for long-term RNs and those who train new hires; improved employer retirement plan contributions; and free tuition for RNs and dependents who enroll in degree programs at USC. Pennsylvania on may 3, Wyoming Valley Nurses Association/PASNAP members voted overwhelmingly to ratify their new contract with Community Health Systems at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital in northeastern Pennsylvania. The settlement came after a nearly two-year campaign which included an intense community outreach campaign, numerous legislative visits, a one-day strike last December, and the threat of a second strike on May 1. Nurses continued to work under the preferred terms of the expired contract during the contract fight. "Community Health Systems bought our hospital in 2009 with the intention of breaking our union and putting their profits before our patients. What they got instead was a bolder, stronger union membership that will continue to advocate for our patients and our community," said Fran Prusinski, RN, a criti8 N AT I O N A L N U R S E move against us, we reacted in a 'union positive' way, showing them our solidarity and determination," she said. And the lesson learned? "No matter how rich and powerful a corporation is, if you stand as one, you are BIGGER!" Texas cal care nurse and From top: Texas president of the nurses are supporting local. "We are very seven ICU nurses fired proud of the for standing up for strength of our safe patient care; union and proud of NNU's Veterans Affairs our new contract. bargaining team We will continue to enters talks for a new fight for the RN master contract staffing needed for quality care. We will always advocate for our patients, our rights, and our profession." The primary issue in the fight was an insistence by CHS that they have the right to change benefits in the middle of the contract without bargaining with the union. In addition, CHS had proposed a far inferior healthcare deal than what had been in prior contracts. On the eve of the second strike called for May 1, CHS finally withdrew their "benefit modification" proposal and proposed a new healthcare plan that the nurses could accept. In addition to the planned strike, CHS was on the defensive regarding allegations of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid by fully admitting patients that should have been admitted merely for observation. The entire community was engaged in this struggle, and after the contract was ratified, Wilkes University contacted Prusinski to say they've been following the fight very closely. In fact, they have now added "Unionization of Nurses and the Collective Bargaining Process" to their curriculum, and their students will be working closely with our unionized RNs. Reflecting on the nurses' two-year struggle against CHS, Prusinski stressed the importance of being patient, strategic, and smart. "This fight was the best chess game I've ever played. Every time they made a 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 support grows for seven fired nurses of Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville who are members of National Nurses Organizing Committee-Texas, the state's largest RN union and an affiliate of National Nurses United, the country's largest RN union. Hospital management fired the seven ICU nurses in May for their refusal to take on additional "charge nurse" duties that the nurses say would unsafely take them away from their ICU patients. Charge nurses make clinical assignments for patients and staff on the floor and for code teams, which respond to cardiac emergencies. The fired nurses and the union argue that charge nurse duties— including responding to emergencies on other floors—could jeopardize ICU patients. In ICU, each nurse is assigned two patients. "We find it despicable how management acted and their flippant response, considering the serious damage they caused to the RNs affected," wrote fellow Houston nurses in a letter of support to the RNs. "What a blatant disregard for the well-being and security of the nurses and their families...Keep up the good fight and justice will prevail." Veterans Affairs the nnu-va negotiating team headed to Pittsburgh, Penn. in June to start NNU master contract negotiations with VA. The team's mantra is "no take-backs," better working conditions for the 8,000 RNs represented by NNU-VA, and safe patient care for the veterans of the United States. The VA is quickly learning that NNU nurses are tough negotiators who do not back down easily. One early example is, when attempts to agree on bargaining locations failed to resolve diplomatically, nurses opted to take to the streets. While RNs were planning the picket at the Washington, D.C. VA headquarters, VA was notified and quickly chose to come back to the table for a resolution. "NNU will not take informational picketing off the table or any other action we feel will get the results we need for our nurses," said Irma Westmoreland, chief RN negotiator. —Staff report JUNE 2011

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