Local 5131 at South Jersey Healthcare - Recent News

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No Mandatory On-Call in the Emergency Department!!

SJH Administration implemented a mandatory on-call schedule in the ED at the RMC and Bridgeton without negotiating with our Union. This is a violation of our contract and of Federal labor laws. We have filed grievances and charges with the labor board.
If we allow administration to make unilateral changes in the ED, we couldn’t stop them from doing the same throughout the health system.
We are gathering signatures from nurses throughout SJH to send the message to Administration we won’t stand for unilateral changes to our job requirements. See a Unit Rep or drop by the ED on your break to sign the petition.
We are investigating this change to the ED schedule, and we need your help. Come to a meeting to learn the latest updates and share your thoughts. Please bring any documentation (emails, notices, schedules, specific notes from conversations with management, etc.) about this change.
We are in the process of setting up a meeting with Administration on this issue, and check back here for the latest updates.

Message from the President

January, 2010

This is the first newsletter of 2010 and I want to say thank you to all the members of our local. We laid the foundation of our local in 2008. We recruited reps and trained them. We learned how to function as a collective bargaining unit. It was an education for everyone, the members, the hospital administration and your local officers and reps. The membership looked to the officers and reps to answer questions about the contract and file grievances over violations.

But by 2009, the focus began shifting. In addition to enforcing the contract, the nurses began to use their union rights as a way to address a whole range of issues. For instance, the PACU nurses participated in the staffing committee to present recommendations for a policy change that has since been implemented. Surgical services nurses and the entire RN membership of Elmer used their power as Union nurses to correct problems in the scheduling practices.

But there is always more to do. Our contract expires in May and this is our opportunity to fine tune the contract. Again, that’s where you come in. If you don’t like something, help us fix it. The power of any Union exists only with a unified membership. That was evident in the last couple of weeks when more than 100 RNs at Elmer stood together to bring about a resolution to a pressing scheduling problem.

Your LEB and unit reps have been keeping track of the issues that generate the most amount of complaints and grievances. Staffing, lack of meal breaks, changes to job requirements, scheduling practices and education issues seem to be the most pressing problems. Many of you stepped up to the plate and instead of just complaining, offered to be part of the solution by volunteering to help define the specific problems so that your LEB can develop the proposals to address it.

The nurses who volunteered to be part of our staffing roundtable have already met and are preparing suggestions for contract negotiations. The roundtables for Education and certification pay, float nurses and benefits will be scheduled for the first couple of weeks in January. I know this is a busy time for everyone, but remember, what we negotiate regarding these issues will remain in place for a least a couple of years. Make sure that your interests are being represented.

Fill out your contract survey and drop it in the Union mailbox or better yet, give it to your unit rep. I am inviting every one of you to come to the general membership meetings over the next 6 months. We will mail the announcements and they will be posted on the HPAE Union bulletin boards. These meetings and mailings to the membership will be our way of keeping you informed of our progress.

Again, thank you to all the members who participated in any way this last year. We truly appreciate your input. Keep talking to us. As always, we’re listening.

Michelle Silvio RN
Emergency Dept.
President HPAE Local 5131

Staffing and Labor Management Report

Janurary, 2010

It was confirmed with administration that employees who call out of work for flu symptoms per the CDC guidelines will not have those call outs counted as part of any discipline for attendance.

Definition of suspected H1N1 flu is defined as Fever > 100 and cough and/or sore throat.
Be sure to let the supervisor know why you are calling out so the numbers can be tracked.


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