Maternal Child Class-Action

Our Union filed a class-action arbitration last year because Riverside Community Hospital  management hired 603 nursing students who displaced regular staff. This caused cancellations and financial hardship for staff RNs. Meetings are to resume, but half of the affected RNs in the Maternal/Child unit have been paid lost wages from November 2009. The manager has submitted payment history for the remaining RNs and the hospital is reviewing.

No Mandatory Overtime Arbitration

We first met on February 18, 2011 with our Local 121RN attorney and RCH management regarding an arbitration filed on behalf of members who were required to work mandatory overtime. We submitted a settlement proposal on February 21 and it was denied by management. We met again with management on April 4 and are awaiting a response from management. Next meeting is scheduled for June 7, 2011.

Grievances

On May 13, 2011, our Union won back pay for one MICN RN from August 8, 2010 to February 25, 2011, totaling approximately $4,000.

Policies & Procedures

Safe Patient Handling: The RCH Safe Patient Handling policy and procedure that we won in our current contract has been submitted to the RCH Medical Review Board for approval.

30-Minute Lunch Policy: Lunch policy regarding clocking in and out for lunch: Management is asking RNs to sign a form agreeing to "progressive discipline" if they clock back in to work before taking the full 30-minute meal period. I wrote a cease & desist letter to make management stop threatening the nurses. This resulted in the form being rewritten with "progressive discipline" removed and replaced with employees will be "accountable for the policy." Our Union would like to encourage RNs to take their full 30-minute, uninterrupted meal period per the California Wage and Hour law and RCH policy.

Other Activities

Our Union Representative and/or leaders also participate in the following on behalf of RN members:

• Delegate to the Riverside Central labor Council (1st Tuesday of every month)
• Labor Chair for United Way of the Inland Valleys (2nd Thursday of each month)
• Delegate to the Community Action Coalition (4th Wed of every month)
• Joint Labor Management Committee where the Safe Staffing Committee meets with management (Every other 4th Thursday. 5/26, 7/28, 9/22, 11/24)