7.10 Updated5.Pub
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NEWSLETTER OF MNA REGIONAL COUNCIL 5 VOLUME ONE, ISSUE TWO • July 2010 Council Members CHAIR’S MESSAGE Fabiano Bueno, Chair Look well to the characters and qualifications of those you elect and raise to office and places of trust. Boston Medical Center Matthias Burnett, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Norwalk, 1803 Ginny Ryan, Vice Chair The Massachusetts Nurses Association Commonwealth. MNA created Faulkner Hospital (MNA) is a one-member/one-vote democratic the Nurse Practice Act and the organization where the members set the RN license designation, Betsy Prescott, Secretary St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center agenda. An elected Board of Directors is made developed a uniform up of frontline nurses and health care curriculum for the education of Ann Marie McDonagh, Treasurer professionals from across the Commonwealth. nurses, wrote the first code of Tufts Medical Center Nurses also have the opportunity to address ethics for nurses and passed, or local issues and to mobilize within their own helped to pass, nearly every MNA Board Rep (2009-2011) Fabiano Bueno Dan Rec communities through Region 5/Greater state law governing nursing Region 5 Chair Boston. practice, including the law MNA Board Rep (2008-2010) An important tool for voicing your opinions allowing nurses to unionize in Ginny Ryan is your vote - for your leaders who represent Massachusetts. At-Large (2009-2011) your interests and views. MNA will hold its Being a member of the MNA means you Ann Marie McDonagh & Patricia O’Neill Board of Directors election this September. should participate in voting , but also take the You should find and vote for a candidate that opportunity to participate on the various task At Large (2008-2010) reflects your views. By not voting, you give forces, committees and other events held on Karen Higgins & Dan Rec someone else the right to allow their views to the state level, as well as in your region. You Each of these Region 5 facilities holds directly affect you. should also participate in your local an elected voting representative at Since its founding in 1903, the MNA has bargaining unit, for the simple fact that in so Region 5 council meetings: been the most powerful and effective voice on doing you have a direct impact on your American Red Cross nursing and health care in the worklife and your professional practice. Boston Medical Center Boston VNA Regional Council 5 is also a vehicle for the Brigham & Women’s Hospital members to explore, learn and become active Cambridge Hospital in MNA and to influence the direction of your Carney Hospital professional association. Norwood Hospital The bargaining units are the point of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital origination for the identification of key issues Dana Farber Cancer Institute Dialysis Clinic, Inc. of concern for nurses and the place where we Faulkner Hospital identify and develop specific requests for Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates action and resources from the Board of Kindred Health Care—Braintree Directors to assist members in meeting their Medford School Nurses specific needs. You also have the opportunity Newton Public Health Newton-Wellesley Hospital to attend open meetings, special events, board Quincy Medical Center meetings and the MNA convention where you Radius—Boston can influence the direction of the organization. Radius—Quincy But none of this can happen unless you Somerville Hospital participate and unless you vote. Tufts Medical Center Please be sure to cast your vote this Whidden Memorial Hospital Unit 7 Representative September for the candidates you feel will best serve your professional interest. MNA Regional Council 5 340 Turnpike St, Canton 02021 In This Issue: 781781----821821821----82558255 TEL Convention 2010 Region 5 Reimbursements: 781781----821821821----82568256 FAX [email protected] R5 members are eligible for convention reimbursement. Bargaining Unit Updates Page 2 www.massnurses.org/region5 Harriett Duggan, Office Manager Contact the R5 office or check the R5 website for more Local Perspective Page 3 Brian Moloney, Cmty. Organizer information and reimbursement forms. Save the Dates Page 4 Page 1 Bargaining Unit Updates American Red Cross . No report submitted. lost another CNO. We are now working with our solidarity this summer, thanks to Karen interim CNO, a manager from one of our units Roberto's efforts at the MNA. Boston Medical Center submitted by Lisa appointed to cover by corporate. A national Swattelle. The ENC Campus ER is being closed; search is underway. We have lost 3 more unit Newton Public Health . No report submitted. 28 nurses to initiate bumping. A vote of no managers. A new model of PCD’s and unit confidence on the VP of Nursing has been taken managers is being considered. Staff nurses Newton-Wellesley Hospital submitted by by the bargaining unit and it was reported to the have been approached for these new roles. We Laurie Andersen . We are working hard to fight outgoing and incoming CEO. The committee has are in negotiations and are working closely with the increase in nurse-patient ratios on the been meeting frequently to accomplish positive Norwood and Carney on a mutually agreed upon medical-surgical floors. We have gone from 4 goals to members. Hospital administration benefit package, specifically addressing our patients to 5 and the charge nurses are now continues to have a hostile approach to the pension concerns. We are having joint taking patients when they weren’t before. All in negotiating committee and members. The negotiation sessions with all 3 committees. We the name of money and budget issues. We are hospital has contracted a firm to consult on cost are in the window of a JACHO review. encouraging the hospital to continue the new savings ideas. Management is trying to adopt a written script grad program even though we are not posting for hourly rounding which takes approximately10 many RN jobs at the moment. We hold a Boston VNA . No report submitted. minutes per patient. We hosted a CEU dinner monthly staffing committee meeting to discuss program on ‘Lateral Violence’ on June 14; it was unsafe staffing forms with the management Brigham & Women’s Hospital. No report posted on the Region 5 website and was open team, and recently have had some good effect submitted. to all Region 5 members. from the med surg areas writing up their nurse/ patient ratio issues, and the psych area Cambridge Hospital submitted by Susan Dana Farber Cancer Institute . No report verbalizing their discontent with the lack of Wright Thomas. We are facing tough submitted. professional staff numbers. After a three-year negotiations with take-backs and retiree health contract, we are now approaching a fall of insurance concessions on the table. We are Dialysis Clinic, Inc. submitted by Peter contract negotiations with one of our main holding firm and are confident of strengthening Costello. All is quiet. We recently issued a issues being nurse-patient ratios among other our contract. Recent reductions in force and the request for proposals to the members in essential issues including retirement, grave illness and passing of respected and preparation for upcoming contract bereavement and health insurance. We have loved colleagues have left many of us dispirited negotiations. Contract expires September 30. surveyed the bargaining unit and will open and discouraged. We do have good things hours in the cafeteria at NWH to discuss happening too. A considerable achievement of Faulkner Hospital submitted by Ginny Ryan. issues, to pass in surveys and to get in touch the Cambridge bargaining unit has been the Faulkner We ratified our 2 year contract in with the bargaining unit in general. establishment of the Nurse’s Development March and are concentrating on increasing Fund, the pooling of unused tuition member-involvement within the bargaining unit. Quincy Medical Center submitted by Joanne reimbursement funds from which we award In Sept. the exec. comm. will be hosting a Hart. After our last negotiating session iwith a scholarships to our members, their families and "Nurse Appreciation Day" to honor our federal mediator, the hospital declared CHA employees going into nursing. We also bargaining unit and to strengthen our Solidarity. impasse. The hospital wants financial give have a maintained a strong clinical ladder Elections will be held next year. backs and the nurses want clarification of program to recognize excellence in clinical current staffing language and an end date to practice. In June we held a dinner to honor the Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates no the financial concessions. As a result, the scholarship recipients and celebrate the chair/designee, no report submitted. hospital’s last and final offer was implemented. achievements of our clinical ladder nurses. A This included a 3% across the board pay cut grant from Region 5 made this possible and we Kindred Health Care—Braintree no chair/ for all RNs and a 5% increase in health are grateful for the support of MNA. designee, no report submitted. insurance. We filed an unfair labor charge. An informational picket was held in April. We have Carney Hospital submitted by Elaine Graves. Medford School Nurses submitted by Lucinda formed an action committee and are in the We’ve been in negotiations since November. We Riggin-Jay. In June our 11-member unit voted to process of meeting with city council members. have had about five negotiation sessions with reject an offered change in our current contract. If the labor board does not rule in our favor, we really no progress. We are working with the We voted not to defer raises. Our current have no doubt the nurses will take a strong Norwood and St. E's negotiating teams as a contract already reflects raise deferrals for this stand and do whatever is necessary to ensure group on PTO which the hospital wants badly so past year.