JANUARY 2019
A Newsletter for NYSNA RNs at Erie County Medical Center
should care about this? At ECMC, we are over 1,000 strong after Janus—we’re stronger than we’ve ever been before. Only two people didn’t sign up on the new membership form. Our nurses understand how important the union is. We’re getting geared up and educated about the purpose of public unions. I love teaching members. If I call someone and put them into action, they’re ready to go. We’re only as strong as the member standing next to us.
Q:What’s new about bargaining this time around? Ask a Nurse: Murnita Bennett, RN
Q: How long have you been a nurse? I’ve been a nurse for over 30 years. I was at ECMC in my early years, got my RN, and came back about 22 years ago.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about being a nurse?
I love the interactions with the public and the variety of jobs available to us at ECMC. I have worked in Psych, Emergency, ICU, Med-Surg, and now I’m in Utilization Review.
Q: How long have you been involved with NYSNA? I’ve been active with the union for 10 years, and on the Exec Committee for nearly 10 years.
Q: There’s a movement in this country to reduce
the power, the wages, and the rights of working people. The Supreme Court Janus case was part of this attack. What would you say to a co-worker who hasn’t been very involved in NYSNA about why they
Our leadership team has grown. We used to have only 6-7 delegates, and now we have 42-43 delegates and floor reps beyond the Executive Committee. Everyone will have a task to do during bargaining, and I’m happy to see our nurses take that extra step. We administered bargaining surveys and had small group conversations with members that backed up what the surveys said. In negotiations, we are using bullet points from the survey results.
Q: How did the first bargaining session go? I think it went very well. We left there feeling very optimistic about what’s to come. Management were surprised when we asked for open negotiations, but then they caucused a minute and agreed. Most of our members are very vocal, so we’ll need ground rules around how members caucus during bargaining, so they can raise issues as they come up.
Q: What are the next steps for members? Come to membership meetings, and turn in a survey if you have not already done so. Everything is open for negotiation at this point, except for our pension, which is part of the state system. February 6 is the next bargaining session, and also “Wear Red Day.” Sign a petition showing you support NYSNA nurses in negotiations, and get involved. Everyone has a purpose. It may be to hand out fliers or to spread updates on your units. It’s not just the committee doing negotiations, it’s all of us. We are the union.
