National Nurses United

J U N E 2 0 1 4 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 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 9 MICHIGAN T he coming election season in Michi- gan will be an uphill battle for elect- ing legislators who support both nursing issues and the labor move- ment. With that in mind, Michigan Nurses Association members and supporters wearing red scrub tops are becoming a familiar sight in legislators' offices and in the Capitol halls. "We're in the process now of vetting every single candidate who approaches us for support to make sure that they're willing to stand up for our issues and legislation," said John Karebian, MNA executive director. "If they won't stand strong for safe patient care by supporting nurse-to-patient ratios, then we won't support them. These issues are too impor- tant to elect the wrong people into legislative seats." On June 5, MNA members lobbied legisla- tors to seek support for the Safe Patient Care bill, H.B. 4311 and S.B. 228, which would require Michigan hospitals to develop and implement a written staffing plan that includes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit. "Some of the legislators we met with during our Lobby Day fully understand the need to enact this bill to ensure the public's safety," said John Armelagos, RN, MNA president. "Unfor- tunately, others incorrectly believe the market- place, improved technology, or transparency are all that is needed. They seemed to be more concerned about any impact on the hospitals' bottom line in spite of history showing this legislation is fiscally sound. Those blocking the bill's passage will be shown that there is broad support in our communities for safe patient staffing. We will be back at the Capitol with more members, more RNs, and with more public pressure so that safe patient care becomes the law in Michigan." Nurses are already gearing up to knock on doors, contributing to MNA-PAC in order to support MNA-endorsed candidates, and help- ing to get out the vote by reminding their peers to vote absentee if their shift prevents them from being able to vote when the polls are open. "We know we have a lot of work ahead of us to get the Safe Patient Care bill passed," Arme- lagos said. "But we also know that ratios will make the difference for all nurses and patients in Michigan when it comes to safe patient care. This is the time that patient advocacy moves out from the bedside and into the Capitol. With this election season, our priority is to make sure the people we elect put the needs of the citizens of Michigan before their pocket- books. Patients before profits!" —Ann Sincox CALIFORNIA R egistered nurses at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward, Calif. on May 23 overwhelmingly approved their first collective bargaining agreement. The new two-year pact includes gains on economic security, staffing, and workplace violence prevention, and also rejects what had been management demands for reduc- tions in existing standards for nurses. "When we overwhelmingly voted for CNA, we knew it was the best thing for all of us, but winning an excellent first contract is just as powerful," said Tricia Munoz, a telemetry RN and nurse negotiator. She noted that St. Rose, which provides care for up to 15 percent of the most indigent residents of Alameda County, would be the only hospital left in Hayward once the nearby Kaiser Hayward vacates the city for its new facility in San Leandro. As an independent hospital, St. Rose is also one of the last of a dying breed in an industry where most hospitals have now been merged into large corporate chains, and has faced questions about its future in providing patient care. "We advocated for patient care and the rights of nurses during this campaign, while taking into consideration St. Rose's unique role in not being tied to a large corporation," Munoz said. St. Rose was one of the last remaining non-union hospitals for RNs in the San Francisco Bay Area until nurses voted by 91 percent to join the California Nurses Associ- ation in December 2012. CNA represents 300 RNs at the hospital. Earlier in 2012, the hospital contracted out management of the facility to Alecto Health, which then took an aggressive hard line with the RNs in first contract talks. But through the unity of the RNs, says CNA, which included a vote by the nurses showing that they were prepared to strike to insist on a fair contract, the RNs won a contract settle- ment that they say is a huge step forward. Provisions of the pact include an across- the-board 4 percent pay increase for all RNs over the two years of the pact, a pay system that includes pay increases tied to years of service at the hospital (not arbitrary manage- ment whim), and other economic gains, including retirement plan improvements. Patient safety was a substantial focus of the contract talks. The nurses won language providing for improved RN staffing at the hospital, including an agreement that charge nurses who make clinical assignments will not have additional patient assignments. Another key feature was adoption of a workplace violence prevention program. That concurs with growing statewide concern over workplace violence heightened by several prominent incidents, including the recent stabbing of two RNs at Los Ange- les hospitals, and shootings around two West Bay hospitals. —Staff report Michigan RNs gear up for election season St. Rose RNs win first contract

• Cover