National Nurses United

NewsBriefs.REV_April 6/23/10 7:34 PM Page 13 WRAP-UP REPORT where that nurses won't be silent any longer." The march was part of a daylong organizing training where nurses strategized about bringing collective bargaining representation to Florida hospitals. respond to the union's proposals for increased RN staffing and wants to slash compensation and benefits for the nurses, who are represented by an independent union. The RNs' current contract has been extended twice and is set to expire June 19. At the rally, hundreds of NNU members braved the rain to join with WHC nurses Ohio and community supporters in a vocal picket representatives of nnoc-ohio are line as surprised managers looked on. participating in a nurse staffing workgroup "This is a picket to pressure the employer to convened by the state departFlorida get real," said Dottie Hararas, RN, president of ment of health to discuss making several dozen nurses from Florida RNs march the local union. "Staffing has reached critical information about hospitals' NNOC-Florida held a march for nurse rights in levels and we need more nurses for patient safestaffing practices available to the and rally in Ybor City in early Ybor City. ty. We are also very concerned about the drapublic. The group met for the June to build community conian benefit cuts the hospital is proposing." first time in April. support for nurse-to-patient Hararas said the employers' proposals, if Hospital staffing in Ohio has worsened ratios in hospitals and nurses' right to speak implemented, would result in senior nurses since an industry-backed "staffing law" was out for their patients. leaving the hospital, which is a nationallypassed in 2008. NNOC members are camNNOC-Florida plans to reintroduce recognized burn and trauma center. paigning for a new website sponsored by the legislation mandating minimum nurse-toWHC was also the site of a mass firing of health department to require hospitals to post patient ratios in all Florida hospitals in the nurses when a record-breaking snowstorm hit their actual nurse-to-patient ratios, so the 2011 legislative session. While the state's the capital this past winter. Over a dozen public can compare one hospital's staffing legislature is on recess, nurses are preparing nurses were dismissed after calling in to say practices to another's. for the upcoming session by meeting with that they couldn't make it to work because the NNOC-Ohio is arguing that the public elected representatives in their districts roads were impassable. The must be able to see the staffing about the need for safe staffing. union has gotten about half the ratios as they are the most accuTampa-area RN Peggy Bowen spoke to NNU members rally nurses reinstated and continues rate and understandable measure reporters at the march about a recent settlewith Washington of hospital quality of care, and has Hospital Center nurses to work on the remaining cases. ment she received from her former employA final negotiation session on compiled a book of studies er, Mease Dunedin Hospital, after the in support of the the contract is scheduled for supporting that position. National Labor Relations Board filed a nurses' negotiations June 17. complaint saying the hospital had violated for a new contract. Bowen's right to act together with her Washington, DC colleagues to improve working conditions. in may, National Nurses United members "I feel vindicated that I did nothing from across the country rallied at Washington wrong in speaking up for my patients and Hospital Center in solidarity with the nurses my colleagues," said Bowen. "I hope this there, who are in negotiations for a new case will show hospital employers everycontract. Hospital management has failed to Healthcare Stat of the Month Percentage by which an intensive care patient's risk of dying increases when that patient is uninsured, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. M AY 2 0 1 0 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 Correction An article about a protest by nurses at Boston Medical Center in the March issue incorrectly stated the name of the unit where nurses were being assigned a third patient when they had traditionally been limited to two. The unit was the progressive care unit. N AT I O N A L N U R S E 13

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