BARGAINING UNIT UPDATE
(November 2010)

Your MNA Bargaining Committee has met frequently with the hospital’s management team to discuss issues affecting the bargaining unit.  The topics that are brought forward are generated by nurses throughout the hospital. 

The following issues have been discussed over the past few months:

1. Staffing Concerns – We presented staffing concern forms from various areas of the hospital, including Hem/Onc,  Labor and Delivery, Infusion Center, 15AB, 14CD, Shapiro 10 and the Emergency Room.    Please continue to call your manager/supervisor when you believe a situation or assignment is unsafe.  They are ultimately responsible for providing the appropriate number of registered nurses to staff your unit.  It is unacceptable for nursing leadership to tell any nurse, “Sorry, no help is available.”  Providing safe patient care is not optional – all of our patients require and deserve it!

1. Confidentiality Agreement - This form is usually presented to nurses with their evaluations and the hospital had been requiring nurses to sign it.  We objected to this requirement (since other policies do not need a signature) and the hospital has agreed that nurses will no longer be required to sign this form.  We advise you not to do so.
   
   
2. NICs/Evaluations – It has come to our attention that some NICs are continuing to write and present evaluations to bargaining unit nurses.  Both the hospital and the MNA agree that NICs should not be doing either.  NICs continuing to do this will jeopardize the ability of all NICs to remain in the bargaining unit as these are managerial duties.  NICs may offer verbal or written input to the manager but should not be writing on any portion of the evaluation form or presenting the form to staff.
   
   
3. Flu Shots - As you know, the hospital is urging all employees to get a flu shot and to wear a white tag on their ID badge to signify that they have received one.  Flu shots are not mandatory and some employees have chosen, for various reasons, not to get one.  We are urging all nurses NOT TO WEAR THE WHITE BADGE.  There should be no discrimination based on your personal choice about the flu shot, not to mention the HIPAA concerns involved.  In addition, there is a rumor that staff that decline the flu shot will have to wear a mask from November through March when interacting with patients.  This is not mandatory and we urge you to notify a member of the MNA Bargaining Team if you are told that you must wear a mask.
   
   

1. New Weight Requirements for Lifting/Pulling Pushing – It came to our attention a few months ago that the hospital had added new weight requirements to all staff nurse job descriptions.  Imagine our surprise when we saw that the new requirements were 100 lbs!  This was apparently done by the Human Resources Department, who obviously had no experience with this.  We requested that Nursing Administration reconsider and implement the OSHA recommended maximum limit of 35 lbs for lifting/pushing/pulling and they agreed to do so this summer.  We applaud this forward-thinking decision.
   
   
2. Lifts for 15 and 16 – This issue has been discussed in several forums and the hospital plans to install ceiling lifts in both areas.  The hospital’s lifting consultant, Tucker O’Day, has visited both areas and is available to update staff on future plans.
   
   
3. Ambulatory Nurse Manager Coverage – Ambulatory nurses have been concerned about the lack of a manager in many areas.  Nursing Administration has appointed Joanne Hogan to serve as the nursing liaison for areas without an Executive Director and Joanne will also be studying the issues and making recommendations to the hospital.  We will continue to follow this issue.

Please continue to keep us updated with any issues or concerns!