Barbara Egger Tells Christie She Can't Locate Her Horns

I’m not a stupid person, and I recognize and accept the need for many reforms. I’m a taxpayer and am as disgusted by my $12,000 property tax as anyone. But I resent the way Gov. Chris Christie demonizes teachers (I am not one) and public employee unions. Click here to read the rest of the Letter to the Editor

HPAE Nurses Give Testimony to the Assembly Appropriations Committee Concerning Effects of Proposed Pension Cuts

Futilely attempting to derail a bipartisan bill that would eliminate accidental and ordinary disability retirement for PERS employees, nurses and probation workers bashed the legislature and Democrats - then savaged Christie for - in their view - disrespecting their ranks in his budget speech. "I have been kicked, stabbed... I guy with a black belt wrote he was going to assassinate us," said Barbara Esser, a public employee nurse at Reynolds Hospital. "The double-dipping and other games have nothing to do with us, and I totally resent being characterized as a greedy, selfish public employee." Click here to read what nurses had to say

The Local Executive Board of HPAE Local 5112 wishes all our members Happy Holidays

It has been a busy and productive year. Hopefully we will have copies of our contract with the County available for everyone very soon. For those of you who think this is a ridiculous length of time to wait for a contract that was ratified in the spring, please be aware we can’t do this any faster than we are.

Now Is The Open Enrollment Period For The County's Health Insurance

All changes must be processed by December 31. You should be receiving a notice in your paycheck with the exact dates and contact information. If you need to add someone to your policy, now is the time.

It is also the time to change your selection of Health Insurance. If you opted to pay more in the past because you were buying a larger network of doctors and other providers – think twice. While Horizon had different networks depending on your selection, the three plans offered by CIGNA do not. You should make your selection based on cost and services that you need. Most people will find they do best in the basic plan. Look at the enclosed side-by-side comparison to determine what is best for your family.

If You Have Problems With a Claim – Speak Up!

It is not unusual for insurance companies to deny a claim that should be paid. If you are denied coverage, call the CIGNA customer service number for an explanation. If you are not satisfied with the answer, or do not get an answer in a timely fashion, contact the County’s Employee Benefits Office. They are there to help you. You can call Jane O’Hara at 908-527-4067 or e-mail her at Johara@ucnj.org or e-mail Colleen Koch at Ckoch@ucnj.org.

If you have any other questions, you can call our HPAE Staff Representative, Carlton Levine, at 201-262-5005, ext. 120.

Get Involved In Your Union!

When you are making your 2010 New Year’s Resolutions, resolve to get involved with our Union. There are lots of opportunities available for anyone who wants to help out. If you think we should be doing something we aren’t, let us know. We are in desperate need of members who have ideas and are willing to share them with the other members. Also, remember that YOU are the eyes and ears of the Union and need to share any information or concerns you have with other members and the Executive Board. We are only as strong as our weakest link.

If you would like to learn more about HPAE, please contact us.

President - Barbara Egger, Cornerstone West, Days, (908) 451-1287
Vice President - Joan Hancock, Cornerstone East, Days
Grievance Chair - Pat Adago, Cornerstone West, Nights
Secretary/Treasurer - Cindy Sacchi, 1 West, Days

Payroll, Etc.

In other news, on November 17, Joan Hancock went to Elizabeth for a meeting for all county Unions. The County announced they were going to move the last paycheck of 2009 (due Dec 31) to 2010 (Jan 1). There will be 27 paychecks in 2010 instead of the usual 26. Everyone’s annual salary will be divided by 27 instead of 26, resulting in smaller paychecks and a loss of 2 weeks pay over the year (although the County doesn’t see it that way). This will apply to everyone EXCEPT THE NURSES UNION!!! This is the exact situation that happened before and we took the County to arbitration and won! Our members are the only Union County employees not affected by this announcement. Just one of the many benefits of being a member of HPAE.

We continue to have issues with payroll problems and benefit time issues. Please, please, please monitor your paystubs and benefit time statements. If you don’t know how to read them, drop a note in the Union mailbox (located on the wall across from the Credit Union on the Ground floor) and someone will explain it to you. HPAE members are the only workers at RSH who get these statements and they have enabled our members to both identify problems with their pay and benefit time and reassure them that everything was calculated correctly.

Also, please make sure you are getting paid for the time you work. If you can’t take your meal break because you are too busy, notify your PCC or the Nursing Office BEFORE the mealtime is over. Do not wait until after your assigned break time is over to call. If they don’t agree to pay you for working through your break, TAKE THE BREAK!!! The law says you are entitled to a meal break. Taking a break off the floor is healthy both physically and mentally and allows you to return to work refreshed. If you are working through your meal break regularly, particularly if you are not getting paid for it, there is a big problem. Maybe more staff is needed. Maybe the workload needs to be readjusted. Maybe it’s you and you need to develop new work habits. Whatever the answer is, we guarantee nothing will be fixed or solved if employees continue to work through their breaks.

In a similar vein, if you are going to punch out late because you are not finished with your work, notify the Nursing Office and/or your PCC as soon as you realize this. If they refuse to authorize overtime pay, you need to punch out and go home. If OT is denied and you think you need to stay to complete work in order to protect your patients and/or your license, stay, complete your work, and notify a Union officer or representative ASAP. We will investigate and file a grievance if warranted. (Remember, you can always drop a note in the mailbox!). Under no circumstances should you punch out and then continue to work. If you are leaving work late and not getting paid both you and the hospital are breaking labor laws. Remember, if the work assigned cannot be completed in the allotted time there is a problem that needs to be addressed. You are not doing yourself or your coworkers any good by regularly staying late to complete your work.

HPAE Retiree Medical Trust

You will soon be receiving (or have already received) a mailing with information about HPAE’s Retiree Medical Trust. As part of our new contract, Union County will be contributing ten cents for each hour we work in 2010 and twenty cents for each hour we work in 2011 to this fund. Once we retire, this money will be available for reimbursement for any medical expense not already covered by your insurance – from premiums to co-payments to prescriptions to over the counter medications. If you retire in less than 5 years, the money contributed on your behalf will be there for you with interest. If you work for 5 years beginning in January 2010, the plan will provide a monthly reimbursement amount available to you for the rest of your life!

The great thing about this is the money is not taxed when it goes into the fund or when it comes out! This was an extra that we were able to negotiate with the County that no-one else has!

Local Officers List

President - Barbara Egger
Vice-President - Joan Hancock
Secretary/Treasurer - Cynthia Sacchi
Grievance Chair - Pat Adago

HPAE Staff Rep - Carlton Levine (201) 262-5005 ext. 120
HPAE Support Staff - Tammy McCalla (201) 262-5005 ext. 110