Local 5185 March Union Update
Some Updates from Your Union Officers:
Your Union Officers are BMC employees who you’ve elected to fight for you and your coworkers.
- The Next Union Meeting will be Monday, March 4th 8:00, 12:00, 3:30, 4:00 at American Legion Post 19- We’ll be discussing what we know about CarePoint’s situation and our initial proposals and strategy.
- March with us! Winning a great contract means showing management we’re strong and united. Our first demonstration will be marching together in the Bayonne St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Parade Starts March 17th at 12:30 on the corner of Broadway and Fifth RSVP HERE https://actionnetwork.org/events/march-with-hpae-in-bayonne-st-patricks-day-parade
- A grievance has been filed about supply shortages. In the meantime, continue to request supplies, in writing, from your supervisor. If you don’t get a response, take it directly to Trina in writing.
- Bonuses: Many managers have been falsely claiming their departments are not approved for bonuses without requesting approval from management. If your department/classification does not have a ratio and you want the $10.00 bonus shift, continue to write “Bonus” only in the Availability Book. If your manager claims your department is not approved for bonuses, ask that they email Dr. Rabines and Trina Boyd-Clyburn again and notify a union rep/officer. If you want bonus shifts, DO NOT ACCEPT EXTRA SHIFTS UNLESS YOUR MANAGER STATES IN WRITING IT IS A BONUS SHIFT IN WRITING.
Labor-Management Committee
The Labor-Management Committee (LMC) is a monthly meeting where your Union Officers bring your concerns to management.
Some Updates from the January LMC Meeting:
- Management has agreed to address dirty uniforms and set up return bins for uniforms delivered in an unacceptable conditions and make sure people have credit for enough clean uniforms.
- The Internship program will not be leaving BMC.
- Anyone who has received an ED bill for BMC should take those bills to HR to be fixed ASAP.
- Discussions with Management about creating additional positions in RN, Professional, Tech, Service, and Clerical Units to help address staffing – more updates to come.
- Discussed Unsafe Staffing Forms. ICU was a major problem area this month. Management will offer more 1:1 trainings and try to fill more shifts.
HPAE-AFT Information
HPAE-AFT is the largest union of health care professionals in New Jersey. HPAE members include nurses, social workers, therapists, technicians, medical researchers and other healthcare professionals. We work in hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, blood banks and university research facilities.
Fighting for Safe Staffing: A new bill has been introduced by Senator Vitale and Assemblywoman Quijano, appropriately named the “Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act.” This new legislation revises the nurse to patient ratios, now includes ratios for unlicensed assistive personnel and sets financial penalties for facilities that repeatedly violate the set ratios. Our union is fighting hard to get this law passed.
HPAE Local 5147 members—RNs, Technical Staff, and Service Workers—have ratified a new three-year union contract with Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, NJ. The new contract sets nurse to patient staffing ratios and commits the employer to develop a Staffing Committee with union members. The purpose of this committee will be to evaluate the contractual ratios and to make recommendations for new staffing standards for nurses and for other healthcare workers such as nursing assistants. The new contract provisions not only benefit patients and workers, but will also give the Employer an advantage in recruiting and retaining healthcare workers who have been rapidly leaving the profession due to untenable working conditions. This win for our union siblings puts us in an even stronger position going into negotiations this spring! More Information: https://www.hpae.org/2024/02/hpae-healthcare-workers-ratify-contract-to-protects-patients-with-safe-staffing-ratios/
Welcome to HPAE: Rutgers Camden OIT Workers and RNs at United Methodist Communities voted to join HPAE this month. Case Managers at Inspira Health will be voting to join our union on March 6th.
Stay in Touch: If you or someone you know isn’t getting union texts and/or emails, reply to this message and you will be added to the list.
Your Local Union Leadership:
President: Christine Crimaldi – 2R
Vice President (Service): Danielle Hallenbeck – 2R
Vice President (Techs & B.O.C.): Marisol Mateo – OR
Vice President (RNs & Professionals): Joan Zitzman – ICU
Secretary: Mary Ramos – PACU
Treasurer: Sue Sienkiewicz – Respiratory
Grievance Chair: Nanette Rivera – Physical Therapy
Your union benefits:
Your HPAE Benefits | Your AFT Benefits
Questions / Concerns may be sent to BSILVA@HPAE.ORG