HPAE Local 5131 at South Jersey Healthcare

Local 5131 Rep Meeting
January 30, 2012

Local 5131 Union Reps will get together at the Malaga Diner on Feb. 8, 8am, for an important meeting.
Get the Details about the Meeting


Local 5131 President Michele Silvio Supports Merger of SJH and Underwood
January 5, 2012

The following is a statement from Local 5131 President Michele Silvio regarding the merger between SJH and Underwood that was announced today:

Nurses at SJ Healthcare support a merger because we believe it would enhance the delivery of patient care and community services. As the union representing 850 RNs at SJH hospitals throughout this region, we look forward to working with our nursing colleagues from Underwood to be a voice for our patients, our communities and our professions. We will monitor the regulatory process and advocate throughout the process for nursing and community input, for improved staffing and nursing involvement in quality initiatives and community services . We would also hope a new Board would include patient advocates and the communities and constituencies that we serve and would respect the rights of all of its nurses to organize, collaborate together and bargain for improvements in the workplace.


SJH and Underwood to Merge
January 5, 2012

South Jersey Health System and Underwood-Memorial Health System announced plans to merge. To read two news articles on the merger, click below:

SJ Healthcare, Underwood Plan Huge Merger
Vineland System, Underwood-Memorial to Join Forces


Holiday Party for Union Reps
December 13, 2011

Local 5131 Union Reps had another successful holiday party. We want to thank every one for their hard work during the year building the local.

In the picture below, Local 5131 President Michelle Silvio is talking with colleagues at the party.

What If You're Called Into a Meeting with Management?
November 18, 2011

Here are some important things to consider when you are told that management wants to meet with you:
Click Here to Find Out Your Rights When You Meet with Management


Updates on Three Issues
August 5, 2011

Local 5131 President Michelle Silvio updated the membership about three key issues: national certification, holiday pay, and the layoff of Women's Center Nurses. In each case, SJH either violated the contract or failed to follow promises that they had previously made.
Read Michelle's Update


Local 5131 Joins Rally to Protest Closure of Vineland Developmental Center
NJ.com
April 26, 2011
VINELAND — The voice of the Rev. Al Sharpton boomed with urgency over a crowd of hundreds rallying to keep the Vineland Developmental Center (VDC) open on Tuesday morning.
Read More


Local 5131 President Michele Silvio and Staff Rep Jeff Hayden joined AFT President Randi Weingarten in supporting working familes and opposing the closing of the Vineland Developmental Center.

HIT Best Practices Checklist: How does SJH measure up?
The AFT recently adopted a resolution outlining Best Practices that should govern the development, introduction, and implementation of Health Information Technologies (HIT) in our hospitals, including electronic health records (EHR); computerized physician order entry (CPOE); computerized time and attendance systems; automated pharmacy systems, etc [Click here to view the resolution]. HPAE was part of the Working Group that developed these Best Practices.

We’d like to hear how well your facility or your unit/department measures up to these Best Practices. Please complete and submit this HIT Best Practices Checklist. We’ll share the results of this informal survey with you and policy-makers.

Click here to take the survey and let us know how your facility measures up.

Thanking the hospital staff for quality care
June 22, 2010
My mom was admitted to South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland on June 1 and had to stay until June 5, due to pneumonia. It was her first hospitalization in her 77 years! I just want to send out a thank you of appreciation to everyone involved in her care. The paramedics were kind, caring and friendly. I'm sorry I didn't get their names.

The emergency room nurse, Noelle, was kind and we will never forget the genuine care she showed my mom. Everyone was top notch -- the X-ray technician, the nurse who had to draw blood and hook up the IV, and the doctors.

The nurses in the first floor Transitional Care Unit also were kind and loving. The respiratory therapist, Keith, was awesome and kept us entertained with his humor.

So, thank you again to everyone at RMC who took care of my mom so she could come home to finish her recovery.

Jami Fehrenbach
Daughter of H.J. Czechowski
Vineland

Tentative Agreement Ratified!
June 1, 2010

After a great turnout at membership meetings held throughout the day the nurses overwhelmingly voted to ratify the new 3 year agreement.

Highlights of the agreement include:

-1.75%, 1.75% and 2% across the board pay increases over the next 3 years and a 1% average increase per year in step raises.
-$.50 per hour National Certification Differential
-$.50 per hour Professional Ladder Differential
-Increased access to continuing education funds
-Development of an online staffing form

Below is a summary of the ratified contract. Click here to read the full ratified tentative agreement. And click here to read article 25 of the ratified tentative agreement, which got cut off during copying.

The new contract will be distributed once printing is complete.

A special thanks goes out to all involved, and we look forward to the next 3 years of building our Local and making SJH a great place to work.

SECTION I – Current Contract Language

• Preserved our protection from being sent home during our shift
• Clarified procedure for getting work and meal breaks (Click here for more details)
• Prevented any erosion of our benefits, including health, disability, 403(b), target benefit & ancillary benefits
• Upheld our absolute right to distribute union literature in break rooms without threats of discipline
• Clarified process for resolving weekend scheduling disputes (Click here for more details)
• Preserved our option to participate in the HPAE Retiree Medical Trust
• Sustained union status of charge nurses
• Retained the Baylor program
• Prevented SJH from increasing PD minimum time requirement
• Continued current job posting procedure: bargaining unit nurses have preference to newly posted positions
• Continued payment of grandfathered BSN differential
• Ensured new employees’ rights to precepting/mentoring & maintained the differential for preceptors/mentors
• Sustained current layoff protections and severance benefits
• Maintained our access to PTO and LTS
• Protected nurses’ access to leaves of absence, military leave & release for jury duty

SECTION II – VICTORIES… New Contract Language:

• Average 8.5% pay increases over three years of the contract
• Restored $.50/hour National Certification differential – do not need to be on Professional Ladder
• Significant overhaul of Professional Ladder, including increased access to continuing education funds (Click here for more details on wages)(Click here for more details on education benefits)
• Strengthened nursing input into on call expansion and protections against using call to circumvent mandatory OT (Click here for more details)
• Clarified PD differentials – eligible for on call pay, float pay, charge pay, preceptor differential & PIP
• Union and SJH representatives will meet to create an electronic staffing form for reporting all staffing matters
• Increased access to bereavement leave, allowing for 24 hours paid leave over a 6-day period
• Defined clinical duties for CS employees eligible for pay (vs. administrative duties)
• Shortened period when prior verbal and written disciplines are considered in subsequent disciplinary actions
• An updated copy of the Bargaining Unit seniority list will be placed on every unit on a monthly basis
• Creation of a more equitable cancellation pool for Elmer, grouping ICU with Step Down and 2 South with 2 East
• Strengthened the floating districts to better reflect clinical duties
• Increased staff nurse input over how newly created units will be staffed
• Streamlined process of meeting with SJH over policy changes (i.e. workplace technologies, benefits, etc.)
• Recognition of Inpatient Hospice nurses’ role in the hospital at Bridgeton for the purposes of scheduling and PTO
• Protected Community Services RAHE case load
• Combined Labor Management and Staffing Committees to facilitate efficient resolution of member concerns
• New language protecting your shift hours from unilateral change, now requiring 45 days notice and the opportunity to find other solutions
• Better access to Union Days for Bargaining Unit Representatives

Section III – Arbitrations and Unfair Labor Practice charges:
Resolved Arbitrations and ULPs:

• SJH Using On Call to Circumvent Mandatory OT Law: Set benchmark – 4-hour on-call block kicks in when working more than one hour after shift
• SJH Improperly Implemented Mandatory On Call in ED: Immediately discontinued, new contract language will apply allowing nurses to meet with administration to find alternatives
• SJH Barring Union Literature from Break Rooms: No nurse will be disciplined or threatened for sharing union information in the break rooms
• Per Diem Weekend Pay: Nurses who worked Friday evenings (2:45 pm-6:45 pm) from July, ’09-May, ’10 will retroactively receive the weekend differential ($5/hour). Going forward, the weekend differential will be paid from Friday at 6:45 pm-Monday at 7:15 am.
• CS RAHE Holidays: When CS office is closed, RAHEs will not be asked to cover regularly scheduled appointments, emergencies only

Unresolved Arbitrations:

• SJH Violated Contract when Eliminating Grandfathered Differentials for ACLS, TNCC, etc.: no agreement, we will continue to work collectively for resolution as case proceeds to arbitration
• SJH Improperly Calculated PTO Accrual Rates for 200+ Nurses: no agreement, we will continue to work collectively for resolution as case proceeds to arbitration
• SJH Combines Holiday & OT Hour Worked in the Same Week in Violation of Labor Laws: no agreement, we will continue to work collectively for resolution as case proceeds to arbitration

SECTION IV – How we accomplished these victories:

• Unit meetings were attended by nurses from 38 different units from all facilities
• Surveys completed by 20% of the membership

1. Identified key issues for negotiations
2. Engaged members in Member Mobilization and Issue Round Tables

• Member activity around unacceptable issues: Elmer weekend schedule & mandatory on call in the Emergency Department

1. File class action grievance and Unfair Labor Practice charge
2. Unit meetings with affected members
3. Petition supporting union grievance and ULP
4. Affected members present petition to administration
5. Nurses wear ribbons as show of solidarity

• Education Round Table

1. Wrote and circulated Education Survey
2. Identified key priorities and drafted Contract Proposals
3. Presented proposals and rationale to SJH bargaining team in negotiations

• Membership ratified proposals at membership meeting prior to negotiations
• Gathered signatures on petition of support for negotiating team
• Members attended bargaining to support negotiating team and speak to issues