National Nurses United

NewsBriefs_Mar RAD's changes Korea back 4/2/10 6:12 PM Page 16 WRAP-UP REPORT critical difference between current staffing laws in the state and the proposed ratio bill. Dorothy Ahmad, Linda Riccio, Regena Ellis and Dennis Kosuth all passionately discussed their personal experiences with unsafe staffing, the dire necessity for ratios in the state, and how the nurses present could take action to make ratios a reality in Illinois. The nurses left the forum excited about the ratio campaign ahead. Maine Above, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals President Patricia Eakin, RN, addresses Temple University Hospital workers at a March 19 rally, while AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka looks on. Temple University Hospital Nurses and Allies Strike Over Gag Clause Nurses and healthcare professionals at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia went on strike March 31 after they were unable to reach a settlement in contract negotiations with the hospital. The 1500 employees, who are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals/ National Nurses Organizing Committee, are fighting against a proposed new policy allowing management to discipline or fire RNs and other workers who publicly criticize the hospital or its executives. "We're obligated by our licenses and professional ethics to advocate for our patients," said Maureen May, RN, president of the Temple nurses union. "We won't give up our right to raise our voices on their behalf." The hospital also wants to triple healthcare premiums for some workers and eliminate a popular tuition reimbursement program. PASNAP/NNOC held a rally outside the hospital March 19 with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who was born in Pennsylvania. "We will not allow Temple Hospital, an institution supported by taxpayer funds, to thumb their noses at the labor movement and the political leaders that consistently support Temple when they request additional funding," Trumka said. PASNAP/NNOC members at the hospital have been working without a contract since September. after eastern maine Medical Center announced plans to lay off 23 nurses along with dozens of other employees this month, MSNA/NNOC negotiated an agreement with the hospital that will avoid any RN layoffs. In bargaining with MSNA/NNOC, the medical center came up with a number of new positions to replace those that will be eliminated. Although not all nurses will remain in their original jobs, those that don't will be offered opportunities to bid on the new positions. The hospital's Professional Practice Committee, a staff nurse group that oversees nursing practice issues at the hospital, will meet with management over the next month to investigate the potential impact of the staffing changes on patient care. "We commend our membership for their patience and hard work," said bargaining unit president Judith Brown, RN. Veterans Affairs Council the national veterans affairs Council is proposing changes in Veterans Administration policy that would grant nurses who are accidentally stuck with a soiled needle the right to know whether the patient tests positive for blood-borne diseases such as HIV. Currently, the VA asserts that patient privacy preempts nurses' health concerns, and nurses must decide whether to take powerful prophylactic drugs without knowing if they have been exposed. Veterans Affairs Council leaders will also join a VA-wide training in Las Vegas in April regarding a new model of care being introduced in the VA system. The union will work to ensure that nurses' interests are addressed under the new model, which is expected to give registered nurses and nurse practitioners a greater role in primary care. —Staff Report 16 N AT I O N A L N U R S E 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 MARCH 2010

• Cover