Updates

July 14, 2010

Save the Date:

General Meeting
Mon, August 30th
Neptune City Firehouse
8am – 4pm

** voting on State Constitution Resolutions for the fall convention**

June 29, 2010

Click here to read The Beacon's June 2010 edition

Educational Meeting

Local 5058 held an educational meeting for approximately 30 Union Reps on March 3, 2010 at the First Aid Squad building in Neptune City. During the meeting, the Reps heard presentations from several speakers. Click here to hear what the speakers had to say. Click here for a powerpoint presentation about the reimbursement program.

Agreement Between Jersey Shore Univ Medical Center and HPAE Employees, AFT/AFL-CIO

Agreement Between Jersey Shore Univ Medical Center and HPAE Employees, AFT/AFL-CIO
To download this agreement, please click here.

Leadership Message

By now you should have received a copy of the collective bargaining agreement (contract). I must give a whole hearted thank you to my Executive Board and our staff representative Fred Deluca for all their hard work. Your collective bargaining agreement is in effect from October 31, 2009 until October 31, 2011. A major highlight of this contract is section 6:06 floating. We have been and will continue to work with our Chief Nurse Executive Officer Dr. Richard Hader to create and enforce a no float hospital. That is what the language in this section does. Pay special attention to section 6:06 A  as that defines what an emergency is and section 6:06 b states that in the rare occurrence when floating does occur it will not negatively impact the standard staffing pattern for the affected unit. As a whole floating has lessened each year hear at JSUMC your executive board will continue to track the amount of floating that occurs and why it occurs we are committed to make JSUMC a no float hospital.
 
In Unity
President Local 5058
Rita Hrcsko RNC, CEN

HPAE Local 5058 Ratified a new Bargaining Agreement

Click here to read the Key Points of the Contract.

Leadership Message

Wage Increase Clarification
The timing of our performance based increases (merit pay) and market rate adjustment has caused confusion regarding the new “base maximum salary,” generating many questions from our members.

The base maximum salary (salary cap) was first introduced in the contract for 2005-2006.

The salary cap of $39.60 was applied for both years of that contract. The salary cap applies to your “base” salary rate, which does not include any differentials ($/hour):

Shift Eve = $3 Nights = $5

CARE Fellow = $1 Resource = $2 Scholar $3

Baccalaureate degree $1

National certifications 1 cert = $1.50 2 or > certs = $2

Our wage increases for our current contract are based on a two-step process. Unfortunately, we now realize that this process is not clearly defined in the contract. The general practice for the sequence of this two-step process is to apply the merit increase first, followed by the market rate adjustment (MRA).

When the merit increase is applied to your base salary, your base may increase to, but not exceed the base maximum salary imposed prior to July 1st of the current year (preceding year’s cap). The MRA is then added to your base, which may then increase your base up to, but not exceeding the base maximum salary effective July 1st of that year.

Earning the base maximum salary in 2008 did not translate into an automatic increase to the maximum base salary for 2009, as many nurses expected because the maximum base salary is determined by a formula that is applied to the starting rates of pay for the corresponding year (see p. 53 of the contract). The salary cap applied to the hourly rate results in a compression of wages. Nurses who are capped are compensated for this compression with bonus checks but that money is not invested into the pension plan.

The 2007 wage increase:

• For 2007 only, the sequence of the two-step process was purposely reversed in order to compete with the market. On May 1, 2007, a “MRA” of $0.83 was applied to the 2006 maximum ($39.60), bringing the 2007 base pay maximum rate up to $40.43.
• If you were already earning a base rate of $40.43 (2007 max), you would have received a merit bonus check based on your performance appraisal. The bonus was applied to your gross wages for 2006.
• If you were earning less than $40.43, you would have received an increase up to, but not exceeding $40.43
• The merit % increase is applied to your total hourly rate = base salary plus applicable differentials
• Hourly rate = $45 (includes $5 of differentials)
• 3% merit increase x hourly rate ($45) = $1.20
• The merit increase is then added to your base rate
• Hourly rate ($45) – differentials ($5) = Base rate ($40.00)
• $40.00 (base rate) + $1.20 (merit) = $41.20 exceeding the max
• If the merit increase brings your base over max (2007), then you subtract the base pay maximum ($40.43) from your original base + merit ($41.20)
• $41.20 (base + merit) – $40.43 (max) = $0.77 over 2007 max
• To determine the remaining % of your raise that gets applied to your merit bonus check, divide the amount you are over max by the total amount of the merit increase, and then multiply that % by your gross 2006 wages.
• $0.77 divided by $1.20 = 64% of the 3% merit increase = 1.92%
• 1.92% is the balance of the merit increase to be applied to your 2006 gross wages and paid as a separate bonus check
• You would have received a combination of an hourly rate increase and a merit bonus check if your merit increase exceeded the 2007 max

The 2008 wage increases:

Merit:

• The merit % increase is applied to your total hourly rate = base salary plus applicable differentials
• The 2007 base pay maximum rate of $40.43 remained in effect until July 1, 2008, which meant that your merit increase could not raise your hourly rate past the 2007 max of $40.43.
• If you were already at the 2007 max ($40.43), you would have received a merit bonus check based on your performance approval percentage. The bonus was applied to your gross wages for 2007.
• If you were earning less than $40.43, you would have received an increase up to, but not exceeding $40.43 (same formula applies as the 3rd bullet of 2007).

Market Rate Adjustment:

• Effective 7/1/08, $0.50 was added to the base maximum salary, increasing the potential to earn a base maximum salary of $41.25 for 2008.
• If you were already earning a base rate of $41.25 (2008 max), you would have received a separate check equivalent of $0.50 per hour x your scheduled annual hours (36 hrs/week x 52 wks/yr = 1,872 hours x $0.50 = $936).
• If you were earning less than $41.25, you would have received an increase up to, but not exceeding $41.25
• Base rate = $41.00 + $0.50 MRA = $41.50, exceeding 2008 max by $0.25
• New base rate = $41.25 plus you would have received a check equivalent to the remaining balance of $0.25 per hour x your scheduled work hours
• 36 hrs/week x 52 wks/yr = 1,872 hours x $0.25 = $468

The 2009 wage increases:

Merit:

• The 2008 base pay maximum rate of $41.25 remained in effect until July 1, 2009, which meant that your merit increase could not raise your hourly rate past the 2008 max of $41.25.
• If you were already at the 2008 max ($41.25), you would have received a merit bonus check based on your performance approval percentage. The bonus is applied to your gross wages for 2008.
• If you were earning less than $41.25, you would have received an increase up to, but not exceeding $41.25 (same formula applies as the 3rd bullet of 2007).

Market Rate Adjustment:

• Effective 7/1/09, $0.50 was added to the base maximum salary, increasing the potential to earn a base maximum salary of $42.08
• If you were already earning a base rate of $42.08 (2009 max), you would have received a separate check equivalent of $0.50 per hour x your scheduled annual hours (36 hrs/week x 52 wks/yr = 1,872 hours x $0.50 = $936).
• If you were earning less than $42.08, you would have received an increase up to, but not exceeding $42.08
• Base rate = $41.25 + $0.50 MRA = $41.75 (new base rate increased)
• Base rate = $41.75 + $0.50 = $42.25, exceeding 2008 max by $0.17
• New base rate = $42.08 plus you would have received a check equivalent to the remaining balance of $0.17 per hour x your scheduled work hours
• 36 hrs/week x 52 wks/yr = 1,872 hours x $0.17 = $318.24

Google Group

We would like to put together a Google Group consisting of Local 5058 members. A Google group is basically a closed e-mail group. A 5058 Google Group would allow local leaders to send an e-mail message to all members. In turn, members could individually e-mail responses and receive personal replies. In order to be part of a Google Group you need to accept an invitation to join the group. We would like to invite all our members to join this group. Invitations are sent via e-mail. Union Reps are gathering e-mail addresses for this purpose. You may also send your e-mail address to us at local5058@yahoo.com (be sure to include your name and unit that you work with your e-mail address). Mass invitations will sent to all members who have supplied us with an e-mail address around the second week of September. We urge all members to accept their invitation and become a part of this Google Group. We believe this will be a wonderful tool to enhance communication between members and leaders, and will be particularly useful to us during upcoming contract negotiations.

Please Visit and Join, post question or comments to our google group. Members by sending an e-mail to local5058@googlegroups.com

Dates to Remember

AFT Healthcare PIC Conference
April 15 - 18, 2010
Washington Court Hotel (Washington, DC)
Check AFT.org

AFT Convention
July 7-11, 2010
Seattle, Washington

Unit Representative Meetings
First Wednesday every other month
5:30 pm
Neptune City First Aid Building
97 West Sylvania Ave. - Neptune Cities

Local Officers List

President - Rita Hrcsko
Vice-Presidents - Ruthann Kosick, Jim Dougherty, Fran McLaughlin, Pam Reinhardt, Diane DeLuca, TJ Hampton

HPAE Staff Rep - Fred DeLuca (732) 774-9440 ext. 211
HPAE Support Staff - Ammie Knipe (201) 262-5005 ext. 122