HPAE Local 5106 at Temple, Episcopal Campus

Local 5106 Joins Philadelphia Labor Day Rally
September 12, 2011

Local 5106 members and HPAE staff participated in the annual Labor Day rally in Philadelphia on September 5th.

Charles Bowen Elected New VP for RN/Professional Unit
July 20, 2011

Charles Bowen, one of the leaders of the recent organizing drive for the hospital's professional staff and a member of the Negotiations Committee, has been selected by his co-workers as the new Vice President of the RN/ Professional Unit. Charles has been employed as a social worker at Episcopal since September 2003. His leadership and commitment to union ideals will make him a valuable addition to the Local Executive Board of 5106.


Professional Staff Ratifies Contract Settlement!
June 29, 2011

By a 39-4 vote, professional staff ratified the tentative contract settlement. Congratulations Local 5106!


Contract Settlement for Hospital Professionals
June 23, 2011

After several months of bargaining, the Negotiations Committee reached a contract settlement with Temple regarding the newly-organized professional staff. Many provisions of the existing contract applied to professional staff, but salary and other provisions needed to be negotiated.

From the beginning of the organizing drive to the completion of the negotiations, the local officers, led by President Betsy Nulty, gave strong support to professional staff. Sue Clements was an invaluable resource, providing useful insight into past negotiations and the inner workings of the hospital. Among the professional staff, Therapist Venus Weaver and Social Worker Charles Bowen were instrumental as committee members in representing the membership and speaking strongly for their professional issues.

Here is a summary of the agreement:
1. Establishment of a step scale with three steps. Roughly half the new members will see an increase by moving on the scale.
2. Scheduled increases previously negotiated for the RNs (1% on July 11 of this year, 1% on March 12 of next year, and 2.5% on March 13 of 2013). These raises apply to all members of the bargaining unit and to the wage scale.
3. Members will now be paid as hourly employees and be eligible for overtime. Workload issues have been central throughout the campaign and this was seen as the best way to make the employer feel the strain of excessive and growing patient loads.
4. Up to $1000/year in continuing education money for conferences, seminars, and courses.
5. A representative to participate in the RN/Tech Practice Committee, which will be an important forum for discussing staffing and workload issues.
The Complete Memorandum of Agreement


Hear how HPAE Local 5106 Vice-President Sue Clements describes her work, and the support she gets from being an HPAE member.

Local 5106 Members and HPAE Staff at the Feb. 25th Solidarity Rally in Philly

HPAE Public Policy staff member Harriet Rubenstein, HPAE Organizer Sandra Lane, Nina Lane, Adam Clark, Organizer and HPAE Local 5106 VP (Temple Episcopal) Sue Clements.


Draft Legislation for the Prevention of Workplace Violence
January 26, 2011
Local 5106 is working with other healthcare unions in support of a bill introduced into the Pennsylvania Assembly that would require employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence.
Read More


JOINT LABOR MANAGEMENT VIOLENCE PREVENTION TRAINING
December 22, 2010
On Thursday, December 9, 2010 history was made on the Episcopal campus of Temple University Hospital when the first ever CEUs were awarded for an on-site training. Conducted by Cecelia Gilligan, a staff person of the New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) and sponsored by HPAE Local 5106, the training on preventing workplace violence was an educational landmark and a great success.

Our Local leadership has been leading the charge for a safer workplace since our contract was signed in February, 2010. The training was the perfect opportunity to involve thirteen of our members in a discussion with management representatives (DON, Director of Security, Risk Manager, Director of Regulatory Readiness and several nurse managers) about the increase in violence in our predominantly behavioral health facility.

During the workshop, Cecelia guided us as we worked in small groups. Each group presented a description of a violent incident that had occurred in the hospital and why they believed the incident occurred. The group at large also had an opportunity to offer their opinions. Later in the training the same incidents were used to identify flaws in the system. The flaws most frequently identified in our examples were problems with communications, staffing and shift schedules, lack of a workplace violence policy, training, and personal decision making and actions.

As the four hour training drew too quickly to a close, we identified where we plan to go from here. Briefly our goals include developing a “flag” for previously assaultive patients, developing a policy that includes when to call the police, establishing a joint labor-management safety committee and encouraging a commitment to improved communication and a culture of safety.

Local 5106 Negotiations Committee - 2010

Front row L to R – Stephanie Reid-Harden, Terry Leone, Sue Clements, Betsy Nulty. Second row L to R:
Alice Knittel, Gary Peoples, Rachelle Kozak and Carol Harrison. Missing from the picture are Mary Mansfield
and Kathy Boardman who were also on the Negotiating Committee.


HIT Best Practices Checklist: How does Temple 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.

Ask your Union Rep

If you are out on a medical leave, how long will Temple hold your job? Read More

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