Hospital Wants to Decrease Rest Breaks to 10 min
Carlos Ramirez, RN
Riverside Community Hospital
I think this is a big mistake. It’s essential for nurses to take breaks. Nurses need to step out of the work environment to rest. It's better for patients and makes happier and safer nurses.
March 24, 2010 - Our SEIU 121RN Bargaining Team met with hospital management March 17 and 18 and introduced a number of proposals including: Scheduling, Floating, Vacations and Holidays, and On Call/Call Back, which are highlighted on the other side of this flyer. We also continued to address concerns on Reduction in Staffing and Seniority.
Other language passed across the table included Rest and Meal Periods. The hospital presented still another proposal which erodes the rights of our current contract. This is a troubling trend.
Nurses have been told they can be “fired” for making a mistake but the hospital wants to write into our contract the ability for them to ignore their own mistakes.
We also reminded the hospital Bargaining Team that we wish to address Clinical Ladder over the coming weeks. The hospitals’ team said Clinical Ladder should be bargained separately at each hospital. Our Union tried to bargain Clinical Ladder language at each hospital during the last contract and the hospitals ignored our concerns.
Our Bargaining Team is standing strong on this issue.
New Union Proposals
To see full proposals, talk with a bargaining team member.
On-Call / Call Back
Our proposal says that call should be voluntary based on a rotating order of seniority and status. This proposal is in response to concerns regarding unfair distribution of call. To promote patient safety, we proposed language that allows RNs the option of eight hours “sleep time” if they have not been relieved from their call-back duties for more than eight hours. It is not safe for nurses to work all night and then report for their regular shift the next day.
Scheduling
Our bargaining team proposed language that the hospital grant weekends off depending upon years of experience. For instance, if a nurse has worked in his/her hospital for more than 15 years, s/he would not be expected to work weekends.
Holidays
Our current contract language outlines holidays for per diems but not for full and part time RNs. We attempt to clarify holiday commitments for all, as well as introduce language on holiday pay for those who volunteer to work on a holiday or a holiday week. (This affects West Hills and Riverside nurses.)
Floating
We introduced language limiting floating for new graduates and for RNs who have more than 15 years at the hospital. We also added language that says floating would not be used to circumvent scheduling core staff as well as updated the float pods.
Click here for full Bargaining Update