National Nurses United

NewsBriefs:October 2007 11/16/07 2:14 PM Page 5 Texas Nurse Leaders Meet in Houston n oct. 23, the second CNA/NNOC Texas Statewide Organizing Conference was held in Houston, Texas. The conferences, which will convene four times yearly, aim at gathering the leadership of the burgeoning RN power movement in Texas to discuss and plan strategies to improve conditions for RNs and patients. The conference adopted an ambitious plan of work to strengthen Texas NNOC and build RN power in the workplace, the legislature, and the community. O More than 100 nurses from all over Texas attended, representing thousands of their colleagues. The attendance was impressive, said CNA/NNOC Council of Presidents member Malinda Markowitz, RN, who was also present. "This movement began with a handful of Texas nurses, and now we have hundreds and hundreds of leading RNs," said Markowitz. "There wasn't one nurse in Houston who wasn't an articulate, up-andcoming leader." While each facility represented by the nurses in attendance has its own specific issues, there are broader issues affecting all Texas nurses no matter where they work. Salaries are very low for Texas nurses, and few receive guaranteed retirement benefits. Meanwhile, hospital profits in Texas are increasing sharply. Most crucial, however, are staffing issues. As in the rest of the country, Texas RNs know all too well that staffing directly affects patient care. "I'd say 90 percent of the nurses in Houston talked about staffing as their greatest concern," confirmed Ed Bruno, CNA/NNOC national organizing coordinator, elaborating that under the umbrella of staffing issues were specific concerns relating to floating, spreading patients across more than one unit, and most importantly ratios. Texas NNOC introduced a ratios bill in the Texas Legislature earlier this year, and intends to win its passage in the next legislative session. Nurses broke into facility-based groups and discussed strategies for their facilities. "Texas RNs are all very motivated and determined to make this happen," Markowitz noted. "Every one of them left with an action plan to get where they want to be." The first conference was held June 2007 in Austin. The next conference will be held March 2008, at a location to be announced. —staff report TEXAS CONTRACT VICTORY AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF OAKLAND n oct. 18, RNs at Children's Hospital of Oakland voted almost unanimously to ratify a new contract hammered out in negotiations, averting a strike and winning significant improvements for CHO RNs. The most important victory taken away from the contract negotiations was clear guidelines on providing break relief. The new break relief language requires staffing by patient needs in addition to state-mandated ratios. Patients will get the care they need, even while a nurse is on break. Charge nurses will not be expected to provide break relief while they are in the charge position, and violations of this agreement are a grievable offense, with financial compensation as remedy. New contract language also made it clear that the physical layout of the hospital and its units, as well as ancillary staffing, would be taken into account when drawing up staffing assignments. "For example, our surgical unit O NOVEMBER 2007 takes up two floors, so obviously a surg nurse can't be assigned to patients on both floors," said CHO RN and CNA/NNOC Treasurer Martha Kuhl. "It may sound kind of obvious, but break relief, adequate support staff, and the layout of the units are crucial in providing better patient care." Other significant victories were provisions on safe lifting, floating, and paid training for pediatric specialties. RNs also came away with improved retiree healthcare, which follows an account model more than a benefit model. The contract includes a 16 percent salary increase over three years, as well as contract language which protects the role of RNs' professional judgment in patient care from the implementation of technology, ensuring that technology will not be used to override or supplant RNs. A successorship provision ensures that if CHO's expansion plans come to fruition, RNs in new centers of the hospital will W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G be equally covered under the same contract. Despite the enormous progress covered by the new contract, CHO management was reticent at first, prompting RNs to take a strike vote on Sept. 25. Nurses overwhelmingly favored a strike, a warning to management that was given considerable weight when Sutter RNs issued their 10-day notice on Sept. 28. That same day, CHO RNs returned to the bargaining table to learn that management had withdrawn all healthcare takeaways and was open to negotiating on the issues of break relief and retiree healthcare. Kuhl is one of many CHO nurses who are grateful to have avoided a strike. "It's a really good feeling to successfully complete a round of negotiations with contract improvements, no takeaways, and no givebacks—just improved patient care," she said. The contract took effect Oct. 20 and runs through July 13, 2010. REGISTERED NURSE 5

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