Local 5004 Negotiations Update, May 27
This morning session was limited with no real results and ended at 11:50 AM.
ALICE BARDEN, HPAE PRESIDENT MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
You say that you are interested in getting a contract, but you need to understand that won’t happen unless you take a serious look at staffing, education, wages, and vacation. The pandemic magnified the issues that were already present, and we refuse to go back to business as usual. To say that things are fine the way they are clearly shows a lack of understanding and respect for the the bedside nurse. We are traumatized and cannot continue to work the way we have been.
There has been a lot of movement in the med/surg area. You say it’s because nurses want growth and a different experience, but we know that it is because they are drained and tired of high patient ratios and acuity. You also stated that nurses leave the institution because they get married and relocate. We all know that is not the reason for the vast majority. Some leave because they cannot get vacation. In fact, many nurses turn down offers of employment because of the wages. We are not competitive compared to area hospitals.
In regard to work preference; the numbers speak for themselves. You regularly use 40-60 agency nurses despite not receiving a waiver for work preference. To think we are going to give outside nurses’ preference for work over the dedicated nurses of the institution is foolish. In fact, your own document, element VIII says that our nurses have preference for work over agency nurses. Agency nurses can be used as an alternative to staffing, but our nurses are priority. To speak to our proposal regarding charge nurse not having an assignment, this document state that the charge nurse is to round on the agency nurse’s patients. How can she/he be expected to do this with their own assignment. The document says that agency nurses are canceled first. We understand that you have a contract with these agencies, but you also have a contract with us. You vehemently defend the contract of the agency nurses. If you defended our contract with the same fervor, we would be in a much different place.
The membership has spoken, and they have made it clear that they will walk over these issues. So, I implore you to caucus with your team and take a serious look at our issues and come back with something that we can endorse to our membership.
At 4:24PM the hospital emailed their “Time Limited, Last, Best and Final Offer”. We will inform you and discuss at Thursday’s meeting.
HPAE LOCAL 5004 MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Thursday, May 27 2021
8AM, 4PM & 7:30PM
CLINTON INN
145 DEAN DRIVE, TENAFLY
or
Via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84892376555
+1 646 558 8656
Meeting ID: 848 9237 6555