National Nurses United

CHW TAKES HARD LINE AGAINST STAFFING PACKAGE I n the latest round of bargaining, Catholic Healthcare West negotia- tors rejected every one of the CNA team's comprehensive set of master proposals to establish safe patient staffing standards for all of the hospital chain's facilities—proposals considered to be one of the cornerstone demands for the new contract. Some 4,200 CHW RNs are trying to strike a deal for a new contract, and about 240 more from a May election for CNA at Mercy Medical Center Merced will be joining them. CNA has proposed mandatory staffing levels and the hiring back of ancillary staff, establishing RN moni- tors with contract authority to enforce compliance with ratios, a no cancella- tion and no subcontracting policy, and protections against involuntary float- ing. In response to these proposals, David Jones, CHW's vice president of labor relations and chief spokesperson, commented that CHW thought it unnecessary to include standards in the contract that are already part of the law. "We follow the law and will always continue to follow the law," Jones said. Other major issues that the CHW bargaining team will tackle are negoti- ating a new organizing agreement, since the current agreement has not stopped the company from union bust- ing at various facilities with active drives; including a provision to protect against technology that impedes or attacks RNs' professional judgment; establishing lift teams; and improving pensions. The bargaining team, along with members of the facility bargaining councils, has already started gearing up for a major fight with CHW. CHW CNA leadership is circulating petitions and flyers demanding a summary plan description of the recently negotiated pension. CHW has lagged in providing this essential information, sparking a strong reaction from the RN member- ship who believe that the corporation may be trying to avoid full financial dis- closure. The team will be meeting with CHW negotiators twice a week through at least the end of June. SCRIPPS ENCINITAS RNs STRIKE AGAIN, FILE DHS COMPLAINT S till at an impasse in trying to negotiate their first contract, Scripps Memorial Hospital, Encinitas RNs upped the ante by stag- ing their second one-day strike May 19 and earlier in the month also filed a complaint at their local Department of Health Services office about unsafe patient care practices at the hospital. The hospital is refusing to agree to what are considered basic terms of CNA contracts, such as requiring that all 250 or so RNs there join the union, forming a professional practice com- mittee, and establishing a predictable step scale for wages. SUTTER STILL BATTLES NURSES' UNITY T he common issues binding near- ly 4,000 Sutter Health RNs in negotiations for a new contract this summer are retirement improve- ments—both in pension and retiree health—staffing, compensation, and speaking with one united voice at Sut- ter. Unlike Kaiser Permanente, Uni- versity of California, and Catholic Healthcare West, Sutter continues to battle their RNs' desire to bargain over working conditions at one bargaining table. "One giant step forward was in 2002 when RNs at Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center, Eden, Sutter Solano, St. Luke's, and Mills-Peninsula won contracts that all expired together," said Genel Morgan, RN and a nurse negotiator from Mills-Peninsula. "This year we plan to use our joint power to further improve on the retirement breakthroughs we made three years ago." Jan Rodolfo, RN and nurse nego- tiator from Alta Bates-Summit, said "our struggle to force Sutter to appro- priately implement the ratios has been frustrated by an uncooperative, antag- onistic Sutter administration. Now that all of our contracts are open, we can force Sutter to make concrete changes in the way they implement the ratios." Contracts for these five Sutter facil- ities expire on July 3. Also involved in the fight is California Pacific Medical Center. "CPMC's contract has been open since last July," said Corinne The Latest in 2005 Bargaining C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E J U N E 2 0 0 5 7

• Cover