Upstate Highlights The past year has been punctuated by concerns over COVID, staffing, wages, and contracts. There isn’t a healthcare professional in the country, much less New York state, who hasn’t been impacted by these issues. This was therefore the focus for nurses Upstate and below is a list of highlights connected to staffing, working conditions, contracts and COVID-19: Allegany County – In 2020, the county attempted to eliminate flu clinic services noting they would reap a cost-savings and that the service was duplicative. NYSNA members fought back and there has been no elimination of flu clinic services to date. Brooks Memorial Hospital – Everyone should be assured of their health and safety when they go to work. This belief inspired NYSNA to take on the issue of workplace violence. The organizing intensified after a member was assaulted by a patient at Brooks, one of the few all professional units, represented by NYSNA. Consequently, the executive committee demanded personal safety alarms for members and other nursing staff and changes to supervision requirements. Elizabethtown – NYSNA members continued to organize in protest of problematic working conditions which compromise nurse and patient safety. After a nurse leader filed a Protest of Assignment over conditions in the Emergency Room, management posted two new positions.
The union’s political and community organizing department arranged a meeting with Erie County legislator April Baskin to discuss the importance of safe staffing and dangerous understaffing across various units at ECMC.
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Ellis Hospital – The Psychiatric units have been condensed to 18 beds with the Adolescent Psychiatric unit capped at 8. Due to increased code greys, staffing inadequacy, and other challenges, nurses successfully demanded increased security. A security room was created on B3. Security must round every hour and if a high-risk patient is admitted, security must remain on the unit. Separately, we currently have nine class actions regarding staffing violations and management’s refusal to follow the CBA staffing grids. A step one grievance hearing was held for all nine class actions. Ellis management responded with a $20,000 Retention and Recruitment Bonus and is currently meeting to discuss additional pilots and proposals. ECMC/Terrace View – NYSNA supported members at ECMC in submitting and documenting over 1,115 POAs (signed by over 2,900 nurses) over unsafe conditions at the facility.
Gouverneur – The Committee bargained Pilot Programs to address recruitment issues and staffing shortages. A Pilot was developed to provide RNs who agree to one year employment $10,000.00, another Pilot was developed to provide current RNs $5,000.00 for referring RNs who accept employment at the Hospital, and the last Pilot was developed to provide additional compensation to RNs who volunteer to work extra shifts. In addition to their regular/premium rates of pay, RNs who work an extra day shift will be paid $30.00 per hour and $40.00 per hour for extra night shift work. Horseheads Central School District – Negotiations continue with the school district. NYSNA represents nine nurses throughout the district who work in separate buildings. We’ve been working to dissuade the school district from increasing members’ contributions to the health insurance plan. We have also protested changes to the retiree plan. It has been difficult to move the employer off this position as other Unions have already agreed to managements offer. Nathan Littauer – A second-floor room was remodeled and dedicated strictly for nurses on-call. NY Dialysis Kenmore – We are gearing up for contract negotiations at Fresenius in Kenmore, NY, where NYSNA representS 3 members. During the Dec. 6 bargaining conference, members set priorities and expressed excitement about upcoming negotiations. Olean – After extensive organizing over hospital operations, the CEO of Olean resigned. The interim CEO has yet to meet with NYSNA but our push for the health system to resolve the staffing crisis continues.
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Continued on page 20 2021: We are one
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