Local 5118 April 2025 Communications

April 2025 Communications:

• RN Safety and Violence Updates
  • Walter Rand Garage
    • CUHC approved for 2 security guards to be present at all times at Walter Rand
    • CUHC is exploring the option of getting a security car to round in the garage
    • CUHC is exploring the option to get a shuttle in the garage
  • Behavioral Clinical Specialists
    • Now available until 11pm on weekdays
    • Available 11am-11pm on weekends
    • Reach out via tigertext to these specialists
  • New Interim Head of Security: Marcus
• Labor Management Updates
  • • Hospital garage elevators
      • Will go under construction to be fixed this summer/fall
      • Will only shut down one elevator at a time
    • Badges
      • New badges are being distributed to all units
      • First name and last initial, followed by credentials
      • Tap instead of swipe as a feature
    • Competency Pay
      • Proposal from HPAE to increase competency pay from 4 hours to a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 8 hours
      • Proposal from HPAE includes not enforcing competency education to be completed during work hours
      • Awaiting CUHC response, will update general membership
    • Cancelation vs Mandation
      • Ongoing conversation with CUHC
      • HPAE continues to clarify the difference for Cooper, as stated in our contract language
      • Goal: for nurses to not be wrongfully canceled by Cooper
      • Mandation occurs on your base shift
        • You cannot be canceled on your base shift
      • Cancelation occurs on OT/extra time or for per diem nurses
• Staffing
  • • Critical care Ratios
      • ADO forms being filled out due to inappropriate assignments
      • Will follow up to make sure that PICU is included
• Closed Grievance Updates
  • • Won multiple grievances regarding incorrect cancelation
    • Please reach out to your assigned floor officer if you need to file a grievance
• General Reminder
  • • Please make sure you are keeping up to date with your license renewals
    • Nursing license, certifications, etc.
    • Not doing so can lead to suspension by CUHC

RN Safety and Violence Updates

HPAE continues to fight for the safety of our nurses, through our RN Safety and Violence Meetings and our ongoing conversations with Cooper Management. Thank you all for bringing your concerns and real-time circumstances to us regarding the Walter Rand Garage. Due to these conversations, CUHC has approved for two security guards to be present at all times in the garage. CUHC is also exploring the options of getting a security car to round in the garage and providing a shuttle to the garage. More to come on these possibilities from CUHC.

In other positive news, our behavior clinical specialists are extending their hours to 11pm on weekdays and will now be available from 11am-11pm on weekends. You can reach them via tigertext by searching “Behavioral Clinical Specialists”.

Recent changes in CUHC security include Marcus taking over as interim head of security. We will continue to update regarding these changes in security personnel and improvements in violence prevention.

Labor Management Updates

After receiving many inquiries regarding the CCIA garage elevators and the continuous breakdowns, we have followed up with CUHC regarding this ongoing issue. According to Cooper, these elevators were supposed to begin construction in the summertime. With ongoing updates from our RN Safety and Violence Committee, security now reports that construction will not start until approximately October, with one elevator being shut down at a time.

The new badge initiative is ongoing, and new badges are being administered to all RNs. The initial feedback we are receiving from nurses is positive. For those that have not received their badges yet, these new badges feature your first name and last initial, followed by your credentials. The badges will allow you to use tap instead of swipe as one key feature.

As the time of the year approaches for competencies, we revisit the conversation of being compensated for these requirements. The LEB has proposed to increase competency pay from four hours to a minimum of six and a maximum of eight hours. As a team, we have seen that nurses are being required to do more and more education every year and we think you should be compensated appropriately. This was an official proposal given to CUHC, which also outlines that this education should not be enforced during work hours. More to come on this as we await CUHC’s response.

A topic that is ongoing during Labor Management meetings with Cooper is cancelation vs mandation. As this is a topic that Cooper continues to get confused on, the LEB is continuing to provide clarification on our contract language. Our goal is for nurses to not be wrongfully canceled by Cooper. Per our contract language, mandation occurs when the nurse is on their base shift. If a nurse is canceled on their base shift, this is not correct. Cancelations occur on overtime or extra shifts, or for per diem nurses.

Staffing

A topic that we are getting a lot of feedback on right now is our critical care ratios. We are seeing an increase in ADO forms due to these inappropriate assignments, especially assignments with proned patients. We will be continuing this conversation with Cooper in our Staffing Committee. We are looking to clarify what these ratios look like for specific patients, and we will inquire if PICU is included in these ratios outlined.

Closed Grievance Updates

The LEB is proud to state that we have won multiple grievances regarding incorrect cancelations. These are big wins, as we continue to drive home the difference between mandation vs cancelation to Cooper. As always, if you need to file a grievance or have questions about the grievance process, please reach out to your assigned unit officer. The LEB will continue to update on all successful grievances.

General Reminders

This is just a general reminder to make sure your required education is completed, and your licenses are renewed on time. This includes your nursing license and all related certifications. If not done so in a timely matter, this can lead to suspension by CUHC.