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NewsBriefs_MAy 6/2/11 3:11 PM Page 4 NEWS BRIEFS Massachusetts RNs Score Huge Staffing Gains in New Contracts MASSACHUSETTS early 2,000 Massachusetts registered nurses with Tufts Medical Center in Boston and St. Vincent Hospital in Worchester had a lot to celebrate during National Nurses week as they were able to win impressive contract settlements in May that included desperately needed improvements in RN staffing levels at both facilities to improve patient care. The settlements, which were reached on consecutive days after exhaustive last-ditch negotiation sessions, averted the need for strikes at both hospitals, which were scheduled to begin on May 6. At St. Vincent Hospital the settlement includes improved RN to patient ratios on all medical-surgical and telemetry floors that will provide these nurses with some of the best staffing levels in the state, limiting nurses' patient assignments to no more than four to five patients per nurse on days and evenings, and no more than five patients per nurse at nights. They also won the addition of charge nurses with limited patient assignments, and contract language that guarantees critical-care patients, who N 4 N AT I O N A L N U R S E may be located in other areas of the hospital waiting for a critical-care bed, to have ICUlevel staffing no matter where they are in the hospital. "This is a great victory for nurses and this community. It was a long process but ultimately we were able to reach an agreement that will allow the nurses of this hospital to provide high-quality patient care," said Marlena Pellegrino, RN, co-chair of the nurses' local bargaining unit. "The credit goes to our members. Our nurses came together to stand up for what they believed. It was the strength and unity of our union that has allowed us to push forward to such a successful settlement. This is a win for all parties, and the biggest winners will be our patients." At Tufts Medical Center, nurses there won limits on patient assignments on the day and evening shifts to no more than five patients per nurse and limits on the night shift of no more than six patients. They also won a guarantee that critical-care nurses would have no more than two patients, and that the hospital would be adding a significant number of nurses to the float pool, as well as charge nurses without an assignment to a number of floors. The Tufts nurses also won language to limit the use of 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 mandatory overtime and to limit inappropriate floating of nurses. "We are proud of this agreement and what it will mean for the patients we care for every day," said Barbara Tiller, RN, cochair of the nurses' local bargaining unit. "Our nurses made a courageous stand for safe staffing and working conditions, and the hospital finally responded with improvements that we believe will enhance our ability to deliver the care our patients expect and deserve." The nurses at both hospitals waged outstanding campaigns, both inside and outside the hospital. At both facilities, nurses employed a new tactic, flash mobs, where nurses spontaneously gathered in public areas in their respective facilities to hold up placards spelling out messages such as "Patients First" and "Safe Staffing Now." Tufts nurses took it a step further and conducted flash mobs at a local shopping mall where the hospital had a booth to promote its services. Each bargaining unit opened their contract campaign with press conferences on the same day, in conjunction with the MNA's introduction of legislation to set safe RN-to-patient ratios in all Massachusetts hospitals. M AY 2 0 1 1