UMD PROPOSES 5.5% REAL PAY CUT!

REJECTS ALL UNION PROPOSALS!

The Local 5089 Negotiations Committee met with UMD negotiators on 7/22/08. At the meeting, UMD presented their counter-proposals to the Union.

Management rejected all of the Union’s proposals for  wage increases, improvements in differential payments, and retiree medical benefits.

UMD proposed no wage and step increases for the last two years of our contract for all RNs in Local 5089. At the same time, they demanded that nurses retroactively  pay 1.5% of their salary for health insurance benefits, effective July 1, 2008. Management also proposed changes in the payment of shift differential payments that will negatively impact RNs who work longer than an 8 hour shift. Finally, UMD is proposing that all sign-on and referral bonuses be eliminated.

These are outrageous, insulting proposals. With inflation running at 4% a year and rising, at a minimum, UMD’s proposals will lead to a 5.5% reduction in RNs’ real (take-home) wages.

If implemented, UMD’s proposals will lead to demoralization among the staff and cause nurses to leave. It is a recipe for disaster.

 The Committee is absolutely opposed to UMD’s proposals and is determined to get a good contract. But we need your help.

 In the days ahead, we will be circulating a petition to express our outrage over management’s positions. We need you to sign the petition, to come to membership meetings, and do whatever you can to support the Committee.

 United we will gain a good contract.

Special Contract Update #3

NO PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS

Have we moved any closer to achieving a settlement in our contract re-opener with UMD since negotiations began March 31^st? The answer: NO     

Management continues to tell us that, due to UMD’s current financial difficulties and uncertainty about the state budget situation, they are not in a position to give us any economic offers.

 While management waits for the budget situation to be resolved, we have provided them with additional proposals regarding several job titles within Local 5089.

 On May 27, representatives of the CRNAs, APNs, and Case Managers presented wage and differential proposals to UMD. The Nurse Clinicians explained their proposals on June 10.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

We need you to pass out flyers, come to union events, and talk to your co-workers about the negotiations. The more members who participate, the better the results of the negotiations will be. If you are interested in helping us to achieve a good contract, please contact HPAE Staff Rep, Norman DeGeneste, at 201-262-5005, Ext. 138 or email him at ndegeneste@hpae.org.

HPAE Local 5089 Proposals for the Contract Re-opener 

March 31, 2008

The Union reserves the right to add, delete, or revise its proposals during the course of the negotiations.
 

#1

5.06    Weekend Rotation:

     Effective July 1, 2008, all weekend hours will be paid at the rate of $1.50/hour $2.25/hour. Effective July 1, 2009, all weekend hours will be paid at the rate of 3.00/hour. The weekend differential will be paid for all hours worked from 7:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 a.m. Monday.

#2       

Add as a new section the following:

9.06         HPAE Retiree Medical Trust

            In addition to any benefits provided to employees through participation in the Public Employees Retirement System or the Alternate Benefits Program, the University shall make a monthly contribution to the HPAE Retiree Medical Trust, in an aggregate amount equal to $.40 per paid hour for each full-time and part-time employee covered by this agreement, up to a maximum of 2080 hours per calendar year.  This Trust shall remain separate and apart from any other employer retiree health insurance funding program unless changed by mutual agreement of the parties to the agreement. 

Conversion of Sick Leave Supplemental Compensation to Retiree Medical Trust

Within six (6) months after ratification of the contract re-opener agreement by the Union, the covered members of the bargaining unit will participate in a referendum vote to determine whether a portion of the supplemental compensation payment (Section 7.9) will be transferred to the HPAE Retiree Medical Trust. Based upon an affirmative vote, for employees who are eligible for a supplemental compensation payment upon retirement based on accrued sick leave the University shall make contributions into the HPAE Retiree Benefit Trust in an amount equal to 50% of the employee’s supplemental compensation payment.   The University shall contribute the monies on a pre-tax basis.  These contributions shall be included as salary for purpose of calculating retirement benefits.

Contributions to the Trust shall be due at the Trust office on the 10^th of the month following the month for which the contribution is made. Late payments may be subject to reasonable interest and/or penalties.

No Liability for Employer or Union

The monies contributed to the trust fund shall only be used for retiree health insurance premiums or health service expenses, and the reasonable costs of administering the Trust.  The University hereby acknowledges receipt of the Trust Agreement governing the Trust and will cooperate with the Trust Office in reporting and depositing the required contributions set forth above, according to rules set by the Trustees of the Trust.  The parties acknowledge the following provision in Article XI, Sections 1 and 2, of the Trust Agreement regarding limitations on the liability of the participating employers:

“1.       Liabilities and Debts of Trust Fund

No signatory party or Trustee, and no participating employer, employer association, labor organization, employee, or beneficiary shall be responsible for the liabilities or debts of the Trust Fund.”

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10.03  Shift Differential:

           Effective July 1, 2008, the University will pay a shift differential of $3.50 $4.00/hr to Full Time or Part Time employees who work the evening shift (3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.) or the night shift (11:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.). Effective July 1, 2009, the University will pay a shift differential of $4.50/hr to Full Time or Part Time employees who work the evening shift (3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.) or the night shift (11:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.). Shift differential payments shall be made for any hours worked after 3 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. Shift differentials are not considered to be a part of an employee's regular compensation rate.

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10.04  Charge Nurse Differential:

           Effective January 1, 2007, the charge nurse differential will be one dollar and seventy-five cents ($1.75) per hour. Effective July 1, 2008, the charge nurse differential will be two dollars ($2.00) per hour.  Effective July 1, 2009, the charge nurse differential will be two dollars and twenty five cents ($2.25) per hour.

Any nurse who is designated to perform the functions of a Charge Nurse, even if an Assistant Nurse Manager for the Unit is on duty, shall receive the Charge Nurse differential for the time so designated by the Nurse Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager or PCC.

When assigning charge duties, the University will first seek volunteers. If there are no volunteers, charge duties will be assigned.

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10.05  Education Differential:

(A)       Effective January 1, 2007 July 1, 2008, the certification differential will be paid on a bi-weekly basis at the rate of one dollar and thirty-five cents ($1.35) two  dollars and twenty five cents ($.2.25) per hour. Effective January 1, 2008 July 1, 2009 the certification differential will be increased to one dollar and seventy-five cents ($1.75) two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per hour.

Documentation of certification must be updated by the end of November of each year. If documentation is not updated, payment of the certification differential will be discontinued in January.

In each year paid, an employee shall receive, if certified, a payment for only one (1) certification. An employee’s certification must be nationally recognized and related to the employee’s specialty practice.

(B)       Effective July 1, 2007 2008 Full Time and Part Time employees with a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited school will receive additional compensation of sixty cents ($.60) one dollar ($1.00) per hour.  Effective January 1, 2008 the BSN compensation shall be eighty cents ($.80) per hour.

Effective July 1, 2007 2008 Full Time and Part Time employees with a Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN, MA, Ed.M) from an accredited school will receive additional compensation of eighty cents ($.80) one dollar and twenty five cents ($1.25) per hour. Effective January 1, 2008 the Masters differential shall be one dollar ($1.00) per hour.

An employee may only receive compensation for the BSN or Master's Degree, not both.

(C)       The compensation for BSN or Master's in Nursing shall be paid bi-weekly and shall be effective the date on which the Human Resources Department receives proof of the degree.

(D)       Effective upon ratification, should an APN or CRNA be certified in a specialty practice that is not required under his/her profession, job title or license, the APN or CRNA shall be eligible for certification pay. It is understood that an employee may only be entitled to receive payment for one (1) certification.

Those CRNAs who qualify for certification pay under this Article shall be paid in the same manner as other professional nurses paid on an hourly basis.

APNs must provide proof of certification to the Human Resources Department by each November 1.  Any APN entitled to certification pay under this Article shall receive a lump sum payment no later than the second paycheck of December of each year. A full-time APN who qualifies for the certification pay described herein shall, effective July 1, 2008, receive a lump sum payment of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) five thousand dollars ($5,000). A part-time APN who qualifies for the certification pay described herein shall receive a lump sum payment of one thousand  two hundred and fifty dollars ($1,250) two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).  Effective July 1, 2007 2009 the payment will be increased to three thousand dollars ($3,000) five thousand five hundred dollars ($5,500) for full-time APNs and fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500) two thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars ($2,750) for part-time APNs. 

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10.07  On-Call:

(A)       On-call pay will be paid as follows:

                        $4.50 $5.00 per hour - Staff RNs

                        $6.50 per hour - Advanced Practice Nurses

                        20% Regular salary - CRNAs

                    If the employee works during the on-call period, the employee shall be compensated at the rate of time and one half (1 ½) his/her regular rate of pay.

(B)       An employee who is called in to work during the on-call period shall be guaranteed a minimum of four (4) hours of work except when the end of the on-call period coincides with the beginning of his/her regular shift.

(C)       An employee who is called in to work two (2) or more hours during the night shift (11 pm to 7 am) and is due to work the following day shift, such employee will be permitted to report to work by the number of hours worked the night before without

            loss of pay.

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10.09  Clothing Allowance:

Add a new section:

(C)       Where an employee is required to use X-Ray protective equipment and the University does not provide such equipment, including individually fitted gowns, the University shall reimburse the employee up to $650 each year.

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10.10 Preceptor Pay:

(A)       When practical, preceptorship shall be distributed on an equitable basis among qualified employees who have maintained at least a satisfactory or better performance and attendance record.

(B)       Each nurse will receive a differential of six (6%) eight (8%) percent of his/her regular rate of pay when functioning as a preceptor.

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10.11 Floating:

(A)       The University will make its best efforts to minimize floating within the term of this contract.

In the event that it becomes necessary for an employee to be assigned, on a shift-by-shift basis, to another unit, nursing management shall ensure that patient care assignments shall be within the educational and skill level of the assigned/floated nurse. The University shall utilize the following guidelines when floating/assigning nurses:

1.         Float pool employees shall be assigned prior to the floating of other full-time or part-time bargaining unit members.

2.         Volunteers shall be sought.

3.         Agency personnel assigned.

4.         Per diem, then overtime staff will be assigned.

5.         Finally, the University may assign employees on a rotation basis, with the least senior employee floating first.

The University will use its best efforts to assure that the floating of staff will be done on an equitable basis. To do so, the University will assign an employee during his/her orientation period, e.g. new hire, new program implementation/equipment introduction, in such manner as to enable the employee to acquire the necessary experience and training to assure safe practice when he/she is floated.

No employee will be given an assignment for which she/he has not been adequately trained, or which would cause the employee to violate the Rules and Regulations of the New Jersey Board of Nursing Practice Act.

During the term of this contract, the University will use its best efforts to minimize floating on an interim basis during the work shift.

Daily floating will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. If a full-time and/or part-time staff nurse has been floated more than five (5) shifts during the previous quarter is floated within their float section, the floated nurse will receive a differential of three dollars ($3.00) five dollars ($5.00) per hour for all additional hours floated.

A differential of three dollars ($3.00) seven dollars ($7.00) per hour will be paid to a full-time and/or part-time employee who is assigned to a different “float section” on a temporary shift-by-shift basis. However, said float assignment shall not be counted when determining the employee’s eligibility to receive the three dollar ($3.00) per hour differential for being floated more than five (5) shifts in a quarter set forth in the paragraph above.

In Newark (Sections 1 through 11)

1.                  EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT/TAA/FLIGHT NURSES/EMS NURSES

2.         RADIOLOGY/NEURO INTERVENTIONAL, CARDIAC CATH LAB/TRANSCARE & ANGIOGRAPHY

3.                  I-YELLOW 1, I-YELLOW 2, PROGRESSIVE CARE UNITS (PCU) (with the exception of Pediatric Step-Down), CARDIAC CATH LAB/TRANSCARE, CTICU, SICU, NICU, FLIGHT NURSES

4.                  OR, SAME DAY SURGERY (UH & DOC), SPECIAL PROCEDURES, E-YELLOW, PACU

5.                  H-YELLOW, H-GREEN, H-BLUE, G-BLUE, F-YELLOW, E-BLUE, D-GREEN, I-BLUE (general care), RENAL DIALYSIS

6.                  F-GREEN, L & D, FNN

7.                  F-BLUE, PEDS STEP DOWN

8.                  FICN, PEDS ICU/STEP DOWN, FIN

9.                  All AMBULATORY CARE SERVICES*

10.             G-YELLOW, UBHC NEWARK

11.             NEW JERSEY MEDICAL SCHOOL

12.             UBHC-NEW BRUNSWICK AND PISCATAWAY

13.             ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL

14.             CANCER INSTITUTE of NEW JERSEY

15.             CAMDEN/STRATFORD

16.             UNIVERSITY CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE-UCHC.

A.                 New Jersey State Prison

B.                 Northern State Prison

C.                Edna Mahon Women’s Correctional Facility

D.                Southwoods State Prison

* Within thirty (30) days of ratification, the already existing sub-committee on Ambulatory Care Services will reconvene to study the issues of floating and staffing in Ambulatory Care Services on the Newark Campus. If appropriate, within sixty (60) days thereafter, the sub-committee will make recommendations to the Staffing Advisory Council.

Employees who are chosen for the “float pool” will be assigned to a float section as defined above and their daily assignments may vary in accordance with operational needs. Employees who are permanently assigned to the float pool shall receive a differential of five dollars and fifty cents ($5.50) seven dollars ($7.00) per hour for all hours worked and said differential shall become part of the employee’s hourly regular rate of pay.

If an employee is qualified and is assigned to work in a float section other than the float hired, he/she shall receive a differential of seven dollars ($7.00) seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) per hour for all hours worked outside of his/her float section (e.g. float section is the emergency department (pediatrics) and an employee floats/works in the pediatric step down unit).

(B)       Float Section Designation.

The University will notify the Union prior to the opening of a new unit or division in order to determine the float section to which the new unit or division will be assigned.

Upon request by either party, the Union and the University shall meet and discuss revisions in the above float sections.

(C)       Temporary Reassignment.

Management, in its sole discretion, may seek volunteers who are not in the Float Pool to be temporarily reassigned, for a four (4) week period, to a unit other than the one to which he/she is permanently assigned. An employee on temporary reassignment shall report to the unit where he/she is temporarily assigned. Full-time employees who are selected for and serve in a temporary reassignment will receive a differential of five dollars ($5.00) per hour for all hours worked in the temporarily reassigned unit.

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17.       WAGES

Wages – Staff Nurses

Scale A

1.   Effective July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008, all Scale A nurses will receive a 1%  3% wage increase, as reflected in the rates of July 23, 2006 listed below.  There will be no step move.

2.   Effective July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009 all Scale A nurses will receive a 1%  3% wage increase, as reflected in the rates of July 22, 2007 listed below. There will be no step move.

Scale B – Wage Rates

1. Effective July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008, all rates of Scale B in effect on July 22, 2006 July 21, 2007 will be increased by 3% 7%. In addition, employees eligible for a step move based upon credited years experience as of June 30, 2006 June 30, 2008 will receive received one on July 1, 2006 July 1, 2008.
2. Effective July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009, all rates of Scale B in effect on July 21, 2007 July 1, 2008 will be increased by 3% 7%. In addition, employees eligible for a step move based upon credited years experience as of June 30, 2007 June 30, 2009 will receive one on July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009.
3. Staff Nurses at step 26 who have at least 26 years of credited experience as of June 30 and who have been employed by the University for at least one year will receive a one time $500 $1000 Lump sum payment on the effective dates of July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008 and July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009.

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18.       NURSE CLINICIANS/RESEARCH NURSE CLINICIANS

Proposal forthcoming

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19.       CASE MANAGERS

Proposal forthcoming

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20.       ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES – WAGES AND BENEFITS

Effective July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008 all APNs will receive a 4.5% 7% wage increase, as reflected in the rates of July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008 listed below.  There will be no step move. In addition, employees eligible for a step move based upon credited years experience as of June 30, 2008 will receive one on July 1, 2008.

Effective July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009 all APNs will receive a 4.5% 7% wage increase, as reflected in the rates of July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009 listed below.  There will be no step move.   In addition, employees eligible for a step move based upon credited years experience as of June 30, 2009 will receive one on July 1, 2009.

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21.       CRNAS – WAGES AND BENEFITS

                        1.         Effective July 23, 2006 July 1, 2008 all CRNAs will receive a $4,300 7% across the board increase and if applicable will also move one (1) step on the Salary Scale upon the anniversary date of hire as a CRNA.

                        2.         Effective July 22, 2007 July 1, 2009 all CRNAs will receive a $4,300 7% across the board increase and  if applicable will also move one (1) step on the Salary Scale upon the anniversary date of hire as a CRNA.

Per Diem Rate – CRNA:

Weekday: $90 $115 per hour

Weekend: $100 $115 per hour

Shift Differential: The shift differential for CRNAs shall be $5.00 per hour. Shift differential payments shall be made for any hours worked after 3 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m.

#15

The Union reserves the right to make additional proposals regarding “wages and differentials” for specific job titles.