National Nurses United

NewsBriefs.REV_June REV 7/30/10 6:07 PM Page 9 NLRB Slams Borgess Medical Center with Formal Complaint MICHIGAN to buy her way into office, and how out-oftouch she is with regular voters, of which she is not, according to media surveys of voter registration records. Whitman has responded by attacking the nurses union, sending out glossy, deceptive mailers to persuade RNs that she's friendly toward nurses' issues. On July 15, RNs bearing signs reading "Nurses say no to Whitman" held a lively protest in front of Whitman's home in the tony community of Atherton, Calif. "Queen Meg," the fictitious character CNA created to parody Whitman's imperious attitude toward the electorate, starred in a skit where she shoved a person dressed as "California" to the ground. RNs wrote Whitman personal messages on postcards which were received by a footman dressed in livery. Numerous television stations and other news media covered the event. Despite the comedy of the street theater, RN leaders emphasized that the dangers of Whitman's proposed policies are no laughing matter. "We are absolutely serious about the health of our patients and the health of California," said Geri Jenkins, an RN at University of California Medical Center San Diego and a CNA copresident. "We will not let Meg Whitman push us around." —Staff report JUNE 2010 apping months of frustrating contract negotiations with a recalcitrant employer by RNs, the National Labor Relations Board has, after three months of intense investigation, filed a formal complaint against Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, Mich., an Ascension Healthowned company. The complaint, based on an unfair labor practice charge with 32 violations filed by the Michigan Nurses Association, was issued after Borgess Medical Center refused to accept the settlement proposal offered by the NLRB. The complaint charges illegal restraint, interference and coercion of employees, as well as unlawful discrimination against employees. Significantly, the NLRB has concluded that Borgess adopted an illegal bargaining strategy at the start of negotiations, and that it insisted on contract proposals that violated the duty to bargain in good faith. A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 4 before an administrative law judge to determine whether Borgess has been guilty of breaking labor law. In addition, the unfair labor practice charge filed by Borgess against Michigan Nurses Association has been found to be "without merit" and dropped. Borgess has taken a public stand of no culpability for any of the violations. In a state- C 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 ment on Borgess' intranet by Shahin Motakef, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Borgess Hospitals and Extended Care Division, Motakef denies the charges. "This case has now become the United States government versus Borgess Medical Center and Ascension Health for serious corporate violations of federal labor law," said John Karebian, MNA executive director in a recent press release. "Once again, nurses call on Borgess' management to stop its unlawful activity and return to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair and just contract." On July 15, the workers' rights group Interfaith Workers Justice released a report, "Ascension Health: A Fall from Grace," citing numerous labor rights abuses at Borgess Health and other Ascension Health hospitals in Michigan. "We welcome the attention of these religious leaders on Borgess' human rights abuses," said Jeff Breslin, RN, president of the Michigan Nurses Association. "It is time for Borgess and its parent company Ascension Health to return to their roots and commit to Catholic social teaching of compassion, justice, and respect for workers' rights." "The damage being created by Ascension Health hurts all of us," said Jean Ross, RN and co-president of National Nurses United. "When hospital management is allowed to disrespect nurses, who are the backbone of the hospital, safe patient care is at risk. Our union won't back down from our support for these courageous nurses." To read the report, visit www.iwj.org. —Ann Kettering Sincox N AT I O N A L N U R S E 9

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