Our Bargaining Team presented management with 18 counterproposals on Monday, May 23. We tentatively agreed to language on Grievance Procedure, Job Security (which would protect our job if Prime were to sell the facility) and letters of agreement that pertain to our rights to union representation.
Several key proposals are highlighted below.
Hours of Work
One of our Bargaining Team’s top priorities is making sure RNs have the ability to work their full shift commitment. Many of our changes to the Hours of Work article are geared toward that goal. We are concerned about the hospital’s hiring of new RNs due to the amount of call-off hours generated. The hospital claims because RNs “self-schedule,” managers can’t balance the schedule. This has not been a problem until very recently and we have requested that the hospital work with staff to make sure schedules are balanced.
- Our Union wants a fair and equitable distribution of weekend work. If RNs would like to work weekends, shifts should be distributed in a fair and equitable manner. The same goes for when RNs are not needed to work as many weekend shifts — shifts should be scheduled in a fair and equitable manner.
- Our team proposed including Sunday in the definition of weekend work for night shift. So a weekend shift would be working Friday, Saturday or Sunday night.
- An RN who has been cancelled may “make up” days in that same week. S/he can “bump” an Registered Nurse who has worked over her/his minimum required commitment or has signed up for extra shifts or In House Registry.
- If an RN volunteers for cancellation, s/he is no longer eligible for a “make up” day.
- A cancelled RN retains the right to use paid time off.
- All call offs will be posted in the nursing office.
Proposal to Improve Our In House Registry
Our Union has proposed improvements to our In House Registry program, which allows eligible full-time RNs to voluntarily work hours above their service commitment at an increased rate of pay.
- Pay rate would be double time if working In House Registry on a holiday.
- RNs would earn PTO for hours 36 through 40.
- Encourages more RNs to work IHR by limiting sign-ups to a maximum of two per pay period unless no one else has signed up to work the available shift.
- A staffing log would be maintained in the Nursing Office for review of add-ons and cancellations.