LAWRENCE GENERAL HOSPITAL RNs NEGOTIATION COMMITTEE Co-Chairperson Diane Lee OR Co-Chairperson Laurie Spheekas Telemetry Secretaries Kathleen Farah ICU Jean Tornatore Telemetry Treasurer Caroline Daniels PACU Terry Foerst SCN Ruth Bellistri ICU ICU Patti Baker Amb. Procedure Cheryl Lambert Amb. Procedures Marianne Gaffney-ICU Janet Bowker R4 Dan Amato EC MNA Rep. Wendy McGill 1-800-882-2056 Extension 787 2014 Information by and for the registered nurses of the LAWRENCE GENERAL HOSPITAL UPDATE Over the last few years we have all seen a tsunami of change at LGH, from the elimination of the Educator RN positions, the closure of Shortstay to the reorganizations of the ICU, telemetry, R4/H5 and challenges on MCH. Along with some welcomed physical changes to the facility, there has been a complete turnover of senior management since we were last at the bargaining table. New leadership has meant new visions and strategic plans for the future of LGH and while there are exciting prospects for the future, we have often been at odds over many of these changes. The EC is drowning under the burden of holding patients and all of our inpatient units are faced with changes on their units as well as changes and/or elimination of the Charge Nurse. We have been meeting regularly with management to address nurses issues and concerns and will continue in an ongoing process. Negotiations for a new contract began last fall as the current contract was about to expire in early October. We have agreed to extend the contract through the end of February and will revisit whether to extend the contract further at that time. Progress has been slow because the Hospital s attorney cancelled sessions in January because of a conflict with his trial schedule. We are due to resume negotiations on Feb. 13 th. We have three sessions scheduled between now and early March. Both sides have presented all of their proposals and now we go to work on the actual negotiating of a new contract. We have prepared this update including overviews of both our MNA and management s proposals. Both sides have small number of other additional proposals. This overview is meant to highlight the proposals that we believe are either more critical or more controversial than those not listed many of which are housekeeping non-substantive language proposals. As you will see inside this update, there is much at stake in these contract negotiations. Whether you are interested in converting to a PTO system, or you are outraged over the thought of such a change, whether you are part-time or full-time there are critical issues on the table that will affect you in this new contract. We will have update bulletins and regular open meetings and we urge nurses to come with your questions, concerns and your ideas. Remember this- The nurses united can never be defeated! In Unity, Your Negotiating Committee Diane Lee and Laurie Spheekas, Co-Chairs Kathleen Farah and Jean Tornatore, Secretaries Caroline Daniels, Treasurer Ruth Bellistri, Terry Foerst, Marianne Gaffney, Patti Baker, Cheryl Lambert, Janet Bowker, Dan Amato
Management Proposals Change weekly pay to biweekly pay- Nurses would be paid every two weeks Change cancellation of confirmed extras Eliminate the right for nurse to cancel the extra with 24 hour notice, the result would be that once confirmed the nurse would be required to work the shift while the Hospital would maintain the right to cancel the nurse. Shift rotation - Increase the night shift exemption from age 62 to 65 Case Management holiday work- Add language stipulating that Case Managers would be required to work holidays (currently case managers are not required to work holidays) Vacation- Management wants to add the following language; a vacation request may be denied if it would impose an undue burden on operations On-call- Add language that says that on-call assignments are not optional Per Diem Nurses- Eliminate language that requires the hospital to notify the per diem in advance that they are to be floated Night Meals- Eliminate the night shift meal; currently the contract requires the hospital to provide a meal for the night shift nurses. Time Schedules- Change the language to allow pre booking of per diem nurses which would have the effect of per diems bumping permanent nurses from signing up for extra shifts 403(b) Retirement Savings- The hospital is proposing to change the employer match- (see insert) Convert to a PTO program- This proposal would change the benefit time off accrual system; vacation, sick, personal and holiday accruals would be in one bank, the conversion result is that nurses would accrue less paid time off, however under this proposed system all accrued time is paid out at 100% (currently sick time is not paid out at 100% but rather you are paid sick time only when you are sick. (see insert) Overtime- Change daily overtime from 8 hours in a day to 9 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Nurses would be paid straight time for time worked beyond the end of their shift.
MNA Proposals Personal Days- Eliminate subject to the scheduling needs of the hospital Vacations- Weekends would be included in vacation time off. Holidays- Add Easter as an additional holiday. Floating- Eliminate mandatory floating. Patient Care Technology- Add new language stating that all new technology and equipment; 1. is to be used to improve quality of care and safety 2. Nurses will receive adequate training in advance of implementation. Bereavement- Add in-laws to immediate family; each nurse entitled to one week of her/his budgeted time for bereavement. Vacation Accrual- Add one day each year after twenty years to a maximum of an additional 5 days/year. Bumping/Transfer rights- Modify language to provide better bumping rights and allow nurses to assume a vacancy of her/ his choosing. Health Insurance- Proposals to restore part time nurses to the same level as full-time nurses; restore maximum choice and coverage plans; gap insurance rights for nurses retiring between the ages of 62 and 65; provide retired nurses with the hospital discount benefit. (see back page for more detail on health insurance proposal) Attendance incentive- This proposal provides nurses with perfect attendance in a calendar quarter with the ability to convert sick hours to vacation hours to be used for additional paid time off. Cancellation of Shifts/Low Workload- Eliminate mandatory low workload; merge cancellation language and old low workload language into one section eliminating confusion. Preceptor- Add language that requires all new hires and nurses transferring to be precepted in their new positions. Vacation Accrual Max- Add language requiring the hospital to notify nurses when they reach 80% of their max vacation accrual level; and language that allows nurses to continue to accrue vacation in the event that the nurse is denied time off which results in the nurse reaching the accrual max. Certification bonus- Increase to $500/ year regardless of whether RN is full-time or part-time. Return from LOA- Eliminate the 90-day waiting period for nurses returning from LOA; nurses retuning from LOA are currently barred from using benefit time for up to 90 days after returning to work from LOA.. Birthday Holiday and Professional Day- add language allowing RNs who works 10 or 12 hour shifts to make up their hours for the day by opting to 1. Make up the time; 2. Take the time off without loss of pay or benefits; or 3. Taking benefit time off. Pay for negotiations- Increase the amount of paid time so that MNA committee nurses are paid for four hours for each negotiating session. EIP- Add language to the contract for a permanent EIP program which would be triggered by either: 1. more than 20% RN vacancies on the unit (due to resignations, LOAs) or 2. High census requiring additional RN staffing; premiums paid $100 for 7-3 and 3-11 and $175 for 11-7. Wages- Year 1-4% across-the-board increase; add new max 3% - all retroactive back to October 2013- Year 2-4% across the board increase effective October 2014. Staffing- We are proposing including minimum nurse to patient ratios in the contract; we know that all of the research shows that when RNs care for too many patients there is an increase in preventable errors, infections, falls adverse outcomes and deaths. (see back page for actual staffing proposal).
MNA # 28 Add new Article Staffing The Hospital agrees that it will schedule RN staff on each unit and area so as to provide the following minimum RN to patient ratios at all times: ** Charge RN every unit and shift with no patient assignment; except 2 Charge RNs H5 and R4; Med/Surg and Telemetry 4 Patients: 1RN; Step down 3: 1RN; VAU; CCU; 1 2: 1RN; Pediatrics 3:1RN; Emergency Dept. ICU Patients in ER 1 2: 1RN;Trauma Patients in ER 1:1 RN ; 7:00 a.m. 10RNs 11:00 a.m. 12RNs; 3:00 p.m. 14RNs 7:00 p.m. 14RNs; 11:00 p.m. 10 RNs 3:00 a.m. 7RNs; OR 1:1; except local anesthesia cases 1:2 RNs; PACU In accordance with ASPAN standards; Pedi pts 1:1 for minimum of 30 min Surgical Daycare 4: 1 RN; Endoscopy 1 RN for sedations and 1 RN for technical assist except ERCPs 2RNs for technical assist; Labor & Delivery 6 RNs days and evenings; 5RNs 11:00 p.m. 7:00 a.m.; Mother/Baby 3 couplets: 1RN all shifts; SCN 2 3 babies: 1RN. Add new: Critical care patients will receive the same level of care regardless of their location in the Hospital. MNA #27 Article VI Section 2. Health Insurance Modify to: The Hospital shall offer Health insurance to registered nurses who are regularly scheduled to work a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week. Nurses who are covered by the plan will share the premium cost of the plan with the Hospital as follows: 80% premium cost for Hospital and 20% premium cost for the covered nurse. The offered health insurance plan(s) shall provide the following minimum coverage and at least one of the offered plans will allow nurses to elect to receive care at a health care institution of the nurse s choosing at no additional co pay and co insurance cost to the nurse: *Full Time Weekly Cost Share 80%/20% **Part Time Weekly Cost Share 80%/20% RX Co Pay $15, $25, $40 Office Visit Primary Care $20 Office Visit Specialty $25 ER Co Pay $100 Outpatient Surgery Co Pay $100 Inpatient Co Pay $0
LGH Management Proposals
LGH Management Proposals