Landmark HHC/Mayorals Contract Adds Two New Funds See Inside

HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 New York the official publicationnurse of the new york state nurses association

Landmark HHC/Mayorals contract adds two new funds See inside.

Information about our Education/Training, Child and Elder Care Funds

Anne Bové, RN Bellevue Hospital Center and President, HHC/Mayorals Executive Council 2 New York Nurse HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 New funds for RNs and our families Anne Bové, RN Public officials who are fair and open Bellevue Hospital Center and President, HHC/Mayorals are critical to NYSNA’s movement forward. Executive Committee

o givebacks. More than 19 percent wage increas- for-profit entity have shown a keen es. Retro pay. These knowledge and sensitivity on the are building blocks of issues. He continues to speak out Nthe contract we bargained for about healthcare disparities and the and won. absolute and essential need to bring There is more to this outstanding them to an end. contract: two new funds: one for education and training; the second A new election season for child and elder care. Public Advocate Tish James also As professional caregivers, we earned our backing and for good are very aware of the need to reason: her door has been open enhance our knowledge of nursing to us on all issues important to through education and training. As NYSNA. On the dialysis sale, she caregivers at home, we appreciate weighed in with force and clarity. the needs of our children, spouses It was Tish James who stood – time Candidate Tish James campaigns for and parents. after time – in Brooklyn to call for Public Advocate. What’s exciting about these new the protection of hospitals and the funds is that we can shape them communities they serve. to meet our needs, evaluate those We are very fortunate to have attention and review to New York needs and change them as our these two public servants, and State candidates. Advocating for patients. Advancing the profession.SM experience dictates. many others we endorsed and who We are making new endorse- This special issue of New York won their races, in office. ments at this time and ask that you Board of Directors Nurse helps explain these funds The election season is upon us give close attention to these candi- President and reports on the New York State again and NYSNA has given much dates. And vote!! Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, RN, MSN, FNP Patient Handling Act. First Vice President Patricia DiLillo, RN, MEd The importance of elections Second Vice President Marva Wade, RN Our elected officials have an Secretary important – sometimes direct – role Anne Bové, RN, MSN, BC, CCRN, ANP in our contract negotiations. Public Treasurer Patricia Kane, RN officials who are fair and open Directors at Large are critical to NYSNA’s movement Anthony Ciampa, RN Ingred Denny-Boyce, RN, BSN, MSN forward. Shirley Hunter, RN, MS For the first time – ever – we Tracey Kavanagh, RN, BSN Colleen B. Murphy, RN, MS weighed in last year to the local Grace Otto, RN, BA, BSN election process and endorsed Sean Petty, RN, CPEN Karine M. Raymond, RN, MSN local candidates in the New York Veronica Richardson, RN City and other races, including the Verginia Stewart, RN county legislatures of Westchester, Regional Directors Southeastern Michael Healy, RN Nassau and Suffolk. Our endorse- Southern Gwen Lancaster, RN, CCRN, MSN/Ed ments had a major impact and have Central Carol Ann Lemon, RN Lower Hudson/NJ Eileen Letzeiser, RN, BSN, MPH been cited throughout these locales. Western Kris Powell, RN In New York City, Bill de Blasio Eastern Martha Wilcox, RN was arrested along with NYSNA

Executive Editor leadership and members during Jill Furillo, RN, BSN, PHN his mayoral campaign to bring Executive Director attention to hospital closings in Editorial offices located at: 131 W 33rd. St., New York, NY 10001 Brooklyn. As mayor, he engaged Phone: 212-785-0157 x 159 in HHC contract negotiations that Email: [email protected] Website: www.nysna.org were fair and fruitful. His dealings Subscription rate: $33 per year with us in the proposed sale of four ISSN (Print) 1934-7588/ISSN (Online) 1934-7596 ©2014, All rights reserved HHC chronic dialysis clinics to a Candidate Bill de Blasio addresses members after his win in the mayoral primary. education/ training NEW YORK NURSE 3 HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 Union training and upgrading fund

nder the new contract NYSNA review courses in Critical Care, hybrid courses which mix on-line nurses can shape education Emergency Room, Pediatrics, with class work are permitted. Uand training to meet nurse Medical Surgical and Labor and Where demand is high, unions needs, bringing the collective knowl- Delivery are most common. have collaborated with colleges edge and dollars of nurses together. Under such funds, other unions to hold classes inside hospitals to That’s what the new fund for union have set up programs for admissions coincide with shift schedules. training and upgrading affords and career counseling, other forms Recently, new models have been NYSNA nurses. This fall NYSNA of tuition assistance, such as in tech- pursued. In order to expedite last nurses will begin to form the gover- nical programs, and for full time remaining credits towards the BSN, The contract win for nance of this new benefit fund, set scholarships. Free continuing educa- members in some unions receive HHC/Mayoral members is priorities and begin implementation tion courses have also been offered. one-day-per-week release time with one of the most significant of this important new educational It will be up to the NYSNA stipend. In both the City University I have known in my 30-year and training opportunity. membership to make specific deci- of New York and State University career with healthcare unions. By the terms of our new contract sions about the allocation of fund of New York systems, voucher pro- The contract terms entail a with the Health and Hospitals resources: what technical and grams have been set up, relieving substantial wage increase, Corporation, 75 cents of every $100 retro payments and a solid of payroll will be allocated by HHC benefit package; there are no to the new fund. At current levels, givebacks. And there are two that means that more than $5 million new funds in which you, the a year will be made available to nurs- members, have the say in its es for these purposes. The fund will formation and direction. It is increase with future raises in wages. truly a landmark contract. Your support and the input Fund oversight and benefits from each and every facility The new contract creates a jointly- and unit in the HHC/Mayorals administered independent fund for made this contract a reality. these benefits. This functions as an For those of us carrying independent committee, not a man- out the negotiations, the agement entity, and will determine bargaining team coordination, the types of benefits and amounts perseverance and focus were paid, priorities to be set and other at the highest professional rules of eligibility and access. level. Our team’s total Other unions have had strong commitment to this contract success in the administration and was demonstrated throughout direction of education and training "I'm going for my Masters. I go to Lehman to become a family the process. This coordinated funds in this fashion. Fellow care- nurse practitioner. I would be able to take on more courses and bargaining effort, in which I givers at 1199SEIU have enjoyed complete the program faster." participated, was outstanding these benefits for many years, Inez Stewart, RN (at left) and I am very proud of the with members setting direction team's work. "For me, education is very important. You have to take the and reviewing plan priorities on a For this effort, and others – in course and stay up to date even if you're not pursuing a degree." regular basis. In Seattle, 1199SEIU NYC’s private sector bargaining NW likewise shares in the admin- Olga Smuglina, RN preparation, new efforts with istration of a fund for the benefit of Woodhull Medical Center all RNs in the Capital Region, 24,000 healthcare workers, includ- a new push for single payer ing registered nurses. The fund degree programs will be given pri- members of up-front tuition pay- in Albany and our continued began in July, 2009. ority; and what role will seniority ments. Other programs also remove attention to safe staffing, I At the outset, during a start- play in funding distribution. the burden of up-front payment. can only say that NYSNA has up period, bylaws are drafted, “Life experience” credits are taken on a leading role in the fund trustees selected, staff hired Other funds at work being issued in some programs a protection of healthcare quality and fund budgets set. Once pro- It is important to stress that the popular way to accumulate credits. standards and the extension of grams are selected, a high priority needs and priorities of NYSNA Keeping skills current so that care to all New Yorkers. becomes the establishment of out- members are central to the new fund nurses can continue to provide qual- NYSNA: Caring for ALL reach so that all members are made for union training and upgrading. ity, professional care to patients New Yorkers. aware of fund offerings and can A democratic process of selecting remains NYSNA’s highest priority. Jill Furillo, RN choose to participate themselves. members to serve on the fund gov- Your participation is critical to the Executive Director In the realm of training and erning body will be in place. process of setting up these impor- NYSNA upgrading, BSN completion is Other healthcare unions give tant benefits. Your questions and in strong demand; course work high priority to BSN degree com- comments are welcome throughout towards a Masters Degree is also pletion, paying 100% for up to the process in establishing and ON THE COVER Maria Ragon, RN, supported. Certificate exam prepa- 24 credits a year towards a certi- administering NYSNA's Union Bellevue Hospital Center, casting her ration is also funded. Specialty fied, credentialed program. Often, Trainging and Upgrading Fund. HHC contract ballot. child/elder 4 New York Nurse care HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 Child and Elder Care Fund he new fund for child and elder For NYSNA nurses, whose care addresses some of the most responsibilities extend 24/7 at their essential needs of NYSNA mem- facilities, these burdens of caring bers: A toddler whose parent’s for children and elderly family work consumes long hours and members are even greater. must be watched and cared for on With these critical issues in T a daily basis; an aging, sick parent mind, NYSNA negotiated – and who requires regular care at home, won – benefits that now establish a sometimes during nights. Nearly Child and Elder Care Fund. This is one in four U.S. households pro- a very significant step forward for vided informal care to a relative or the union. friend 50 years or older in the past At the rate of 50 cents per $100 year, according to estimates. The of payroll, or more than $3.5 mil- hardship in terms of time, worry lion annually, the fund will provide and expense can be overwhelming. new resources to eligible members. Funds increase in step with wage increases. As with the Fund for Union Training and Upgrading (see page 3), the governance of the Child and Elder Care Fund calls for the creation of an independent, jointly administered fund for the benefit of members, wholly financed by the City but directed by nurses. For now, members must assess needs in these two areas and make allocations of fund resources on the basis of agreed-upon priorities. Drawing upon the experience of other unions in their administration of like funds will be useful. In the end, NYSNA members, through their own governing body, will be the decision makers regarding child and elder care funding.

Funds for child care Day care vouchers for children up to five years old are the most prevalent union-funded child care benefits in the U.S. Vouchers exist for both “documented,” that is, licensed centers, as opposed to the “undocumented,” or care at home or in another’s home with pay to care giver. Sliding scales of fund reimbursement are commonly employed by union funds for these "I'm excited about the child care services. My son always services, which largely depend wanted to go to camp, which is very expensive." upon two factors: number of house- G. Betty Alcindor, RN (at left) hold dependents and income. Some established union child "You have a respite from your responsibility. Financially care funds maintain their own and time wise, a few hours a month- flexibility with my time- would child care centers. The Future of be good." America Learning Center in the Genevieve Leonardo, RN Bronx belongs to 1199SEIU and Elmhurst Hospital Center has been in operation for 20 years, caring for children ages 16 months to five years. On the other end of the spectrum, family members NEW YORK NURSE 5 HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 Child and Elder Care Fund care for small children on an infor- That is why NYSNA, and many mal basis, such as a relative pro- other unions, include elder care in viding care, and may by the terms benefit funds. of the child care fund plan receive Elder care under the NYSNA some funding. Child and Elder Care Fund requires Other factors regarding fund member assessment and careful priorities are relevant. It is essen- consideration and assignment of tial that the views of members are priorities by the governing body conveyed during the process of the within the fund. Elder funds should establishing NYSNA’s Child and reflect real need of members. Elder Care Fund. The array of benefits available Democratic process in fund under child care plans is very oversight extensive. Among them are: refer- Interested members will join the ral fees for day care centers; fam- fund governing board by nomina- ily day care, summer camp costs; tion and election in a democratic counseling for college admission process. NYSNA encourages mem- and financial aid application; bers to participate in this process, college preparation course fees; step forward if you wish to serve, "The new fund takes off the tuition costs; arts programs; holi- and vote in fund elections. financial burden. I have two day programs. “Youth enrichment Members have a voice now in kids, 18 and 23. When they were programs” for teens are qualified in the establishment of the fund and younger it was very hard to find some locales. its rule of governance, proposals a camp that was not expensive. A benefit can be created around regarding an outline in the setting With a little income it could any real child care need that mem- of priorities and other matters cen- offset the expense." bers identify and for which the tral to fund rules. fund gives a priority. Your participation is critical Sharon Martin, RN The challenge is to elicit the ideas to the process of setting up these Woodhull Medical Center of all members with child and/ important benefits. Your questions or elder care needs and to keep in are welcome. place a mechanism for continu- Please see the survey on page ous assessment and reevaluation 7 and complete it. You can also of needs. A competent data system access it at www.NYSNA.org/ must be developed and maintained HHCsurvey. that reflects needs are they change with our member demographic. Outreach to members is critical to staying current and making known any changes to fund programs.

Funds for elder care For hotel workers in the San Francisco Bay Area, an elder care fund has provided up to $150 per month in reimbursement, paid on a quarterly basis. Elder care in this instance is home care provided by a relative. Elsewhere more for- mal care arrangements have elder relatives with healthcare needs in group settings. For this program, and others, “elder” care has an expansive defi- nition: the elder may be a parent or grandparent, or a disabled spouse or adult child. With an aging population, and limited government resources dedicated to care for the elderly and disabled, need for elder care funds is Leatrice Durant, RN, and Saramma George, RN, of Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, high- great and growing. five the new contract. 6 New York Nurse new law HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 Safe patient handling

ith the passage of the ting is twice the national average. mum, one committee member must New York State Safe For nursing home workers the rate be an RN who provide direct care; W Patient Handling Act is three times the national average. another must be one non-nurse members have a uniform policy The worst instances of over-exer- direct care provider. for the protection of patients and tion are manual lifting, moving and nurses in patient handling. The Act repositioning of patients. Committees’ focus covers all hospitals, nursing homes, Almost half of reported injuries The duties of these committees diagnostic treatment centers and for nurses and support staff in the include the following: establish clinics licenses under NYS Public most recent BLS filings were mus- policy for pursuant to the Safe Health Law Article 28. culoskeletal disorders – injury to Patient Handling Act; conduct a The Act reflects conditions in limbs, neck and back. BLS studies patient handling hazard assess- the workplace where nurses suf- say that 87% of nurses report lower ment; provide on-going training fered increasing rates of injury as a back pain and a large percentage of and education of safe patient han- result of patient manual handling. these require time off or leave work dling; conduct incident reviews and Increases in patient obesity, an altogether. recommend plans for corrective aging workforce, and nurse staff- Safe patient handling programs actions; conduct annual program Look out for THE NEW ing shortages have contributed to radically reduce injury rates, have performance evaluations; and con- NYSNA workshop: physical demands of nurses. reduced workers’ compensation sider feasibility of incorporating Studies have shown that the costs by 95% and have almost safe patient handling equipment Avoiding Workers substitution of manual patient han- entirely eliminated lost work days when construction or remodeling Compensation Claims dling with mechanical equipment tied to these conditions, according is underway. through Ergonomics has positive results for patients to numerous case studies. This measure is also key to the and leads to dramatic declines in effective safe patient handling pol- and Safe Patient healthcare worker injury rates. In Overview of the Act’s requirements icy and procedure and is on each Handling. the end, employers save money by The Act calls for the establishment committee’s agenda: to develop a implementing these policies. of a Task Force this fall which will process by which employees may The schedule for this workshop will begin this fall! implement the new law in detail. refuse to perform patient handling Rates of hospital worker injures The Act requires each covered or movement that is reasonably are high facility to establish a safe patient believed to expose a patient or The Act comes at a time of handling labor-management com- employee to the risk of injury. extreme need. According to the mittee by January 1, 2016. Half For more details on the Act government’s Bureau of Labor of committee membership must see http://assembly.state.ny.us/ Statistics (BLS), the injury rate for be comprised of front-line, non- Press/20140312i/ over-exertion in the hospital set- managerial employees. At a mini-

Nurses celebrate their contract at Elmhurst Hospital Center, Queens. NEW YORK NURSE 7 HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014

Get to know your new Funds and let us get to know your needs! MEMBER SURVEY If you wish, you can complete this form on-line at www.NYSNA.org/HHCsurvey Or fill out this form, detach and return to your Rep or mail to: Yvonne Miller, NYSNA, 131 West 33rd St., 4th floor, NY, NY 10001 The following questions relate to NYSNA’s new benefits in the Training and Upgrading Fund and Child and Elder Care Fund. These answers allow us to begin the process of gathering information relevant to the set up of the funds and in the implementation of fund disbursements.

1. Are you an active NYSNA registered nurse at HHC or Mayorals? Yes___ No___ 2. Are you pursuing additional professional education? Yes___ No___ a. In Continuing Education? Yes___ No___ b. Towards other course work? Yes___ No___ i. BSN completion Yes___ No___ ii. Masters Degree Yes___ No___ iii. Specialty Review courses Yes___ No___ iv. Other ______3. Do you have children? Yes___ No___ a. Are your expecting a child? Yes___ No___ b. How many children do you have under five years old? ______c. How many children do you have under 12 years old? ______d. How many teen age children do you have? ______e. How many children live at home with you? ______4. What are the regular care needs of your children? a. Licensed day care for children under five? Yes___ No___ b. After school care for children? Yes___ No___ c. Care for children as a result of late shifts? Yes___ No___ d. Summer/holiday/weekend care? Yes___ No___ 5. What are the special care needs of your children? a. Tutoring Yes___ No___ b. College preparation for tests, admissions and financial aid Yes___ No___ c. Cultural Arts programs Yes___ No___ 6. Are you responsible for the care of an elder relative? Yes___ No___ a. Grandparent or parent Yes___ b. Disabled spouse Yes___ c. Disabled adult child Yes___ d. Other ______7. Does your elder relative live with you? Yes___ No___ 8. Does your elder relative live elsewhere? Yes___ No___ a. On his/her own? Yes___ b. With other relatives? Yes___ c. In an institutional setting? Yes___ 9. What are the care needs of your elder relative? a. Full-time care Yes___ No___ b. Part-time care Yes___ No___ c. Special care Yes___ No___

10. What percentage of your household income is dedicated to child care? ______%

11. What percentage of your household income is dedicated to elder care? ______%

12. Are you interested in becoming involved with the formation and direction of the new funds? If yes, indicate interest below a. Union Training and Upgrading Fund? ___ b. Child and Elder Care Fund? ___

Name: ______

Address: ______

Email: ______

Workplace: ______Non Profit Org. NEW YORK NURSE U.S. Postage PAID L.I.C., NY 11101 HHC/MAYORALS SPECIAL ISSUE 2014 Permit No. 1104

131 West 33rd Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10001

Survey for Funds: please turn to page 7 and fill out the survey – your answers make the difference.

NYSNA will march with other unions. Labor supporters meet at 11:30am at Columbus Circle (59th St./8th Ave.) march down Sixth Ave., rally at Javits Center