JUNE 2019
A NEWSLETTER FOR NYSNA RNs AT ERIE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER
We Won’t Settle for Less Back in March, NYSNA nurses presented our economic proposals to management, with the hope we could build upon our current benefits to recruit and retain nurses to deliver the highest quality care. On May 24th, NYSNA nurses sat across the bargaining table from management as they responded to our proposals with their own. Management’s proposals fell far short of what we were hoping for. They proposed givebacks in several areas of our contract. “They really low-balled us,” explained Murnita Benett, RN, a member of the Negotiations Committee. “But we aren’t going to take it laying down. They don’t seem to understand the value of the nurses. Through this contract, we’re going to help them do that.” Management’s proposals would erode our overtime benefits, vacation time, sick time, comp time, tuition reimbursement, and health insurance benefits, including the HRA contribution. Under management’s healthcare proposal, coverage would decrease, while out-of-pocket costs would increase. The proposed hike in copays and deductibles alarmed retired nurses and those on the verge of retiring. The proposed salary increase of 2% over 4 years was also a slap in the face to ECMC and Terrace View nurses,
whose salaries are already below the average nursing salaries in the region. In the following bargaining session on June 13, we made some progress and came to tentative agreements on: 1) expanding bereavement leave to include domestic partners; 2) providing vacation guidelines 45 days prior to the initial sign-up period; 3) making a best faith effort to provide office space for NYSNA at ECMC; and 4) increasing compensation for clinical ladder levels three, four, and five. However, management is continuing to move in the wrong direction on several of our proposals. We expect the next sessions to cover a lot of ground, including retiree health insurance, wages, staffing, and job posting language, and other outstanding proposals. Murnita Benett concluded, “I don’t know how they hope to get magnet status, or even retain the nurses they have with this package. The things nurses are fighting for now, we built on in the past. We need to continue making gains, not giving back.” RSVP to Jennifer.Valentin@nysna.org for the next bargaining session, and remember to wear red that day!
Save the Dates! Bargaining & Wear Red Day: July 10, 18, 22 and 23
WE ARE NURSES, WE ARE NYSNA!
Nurses See Momentum in Albany Every year, nurses from ECMC and all over the state get on buses and head to Albany to advocate for policies that are beneficial to nurses and our patients. This year, nurses traveled to Albany with the mission of winning over more state senators and assembly members to safe staffing, fair funding of our public hospitals, and expanding healthcare for people with Sickle Cell Anemia. In past years when lobbying on safe staffing, we often met with a mix of supportive legislators who already cosponsored the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act, as well as those opposed. “Overall it was really good and productive, because we focused on those legislators who opposed safe staffing,” explained Kevin Donovan, RN. “We saw that many were more
open to the idea than they were last year. I think they’re realizing their economic argument doesn’t work because we have the example of California, and we brought out the more personal reasons to support safe staffing. I think we are moving them on the issue.” A mixture of veteran ECMC nurses and younger nurses who had never attended Lobby Day before made the trip to Albany. Kevin commented, “It was great to have new people there. So many people are disgusted by politics, but politics play a huge role in what nurses do and how healthcare runs. Getting more involved lets you see that there’s a way to change things, especially on the local level.”
NYSNA Celebrates Nurses Week
JUNE 2019
A Newsletter for NYSNA RNs at Erie County Medical Center
Liz: I love the grin you see from patients, even doing the simplest things like bringing them water. 99% of the time, I get to see people well enough to go home. It’s satisfying. Jen: It’s a good feeling to take care of people. A lot of residents are long-term, so we become like family members. Some don’t have family that visit, so it’s rewarding to fill that hole and do something good for someone else.
Q: When did you first get involved in NYSNA? Liz: About 8-9 years ago, I was approached by the Chair for Erie County Home to learn from her and help out. Still today, I’m learning new things all the time!
Ask a Nurse: Elizabeth McRae, RN and Jennifer McRae, RN
Q: Since this is an interview with a mother and
daughter, I’ll ask Mom first: how long have you been a nurse? Liz: I’ve been a nurse for close to 30 years. I started as an LPN and RN in the private sector, and I’ve been at ECMC for the last 17 years. I work in subacute rehab at Terrace View Long Term Care. Jen: I started at ECMC 10 years ago, and I’ve been a nurse for about 6 ½ years. I just got my RN a year and a half ago. I work a specialty unit, memory care, at Terrace View.
Q: Why did you decide to become a nurse? Liz: I always cared for people. My grandmother had diabetes, and I helped give her shots starting at age 12. I went into nursing right out of high school, paused to have a family, and then went back to school. Jen: Nursing was my first career choice. I guess it was first nature—seeing my mom do it, and then my older sister. I started right after high school. At one point, we all worked together!
Q: What’s your favorite thing about being a nurse?
Jen: I just recently got involved. My mom told me I should come to negotiations. I went to Lobby Day for the first time. It was very interesting and I learned a lot about what NYSNA does. I’ve been trying to attend more things and be involved.
Q: What did you think of Lobby Day? Jen: I was really interested to learn more about what we’re fighting for. I didn’t know about the public sector and sickle cell bills before going to Albany. Now I’m trying to get other nurses more informed and involved.
Q:
There’s been a concerted attack on unions for the last few decades. What do you think we as NYSNA members should do to fight back to protect our jobs, our patients and our union? Liz: My husband works for a non-union company, and he doesn’t always understand what we do as a union. I have to explain to him that when we advocate, it often affects more than just us. Being in a union, we have a bigger voice in issues that affect everyone. There are clear differences between working in the public sector in a union job and working non-union. From the healthcare benefits, to the salary. In a union, you can fight for your family’s health insurance. If my family didn’t have good coverage through my job, we would have had some really tough times. My husband’s health benefits can’t even compare. Jen: There are huge perks of working at ECMC—we have protection and stability, and we fight for each other. With a union, we have more of a voice and a say in how things are run—and that makes a huge difference.
UPCOMING EVENTS (For more information or to register, ask your NYSNA Rep)
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BARGAINING SESSION July 10, HR Training Room
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MEDICAL MISSION TO CUBA July 15-20, Cuba BARGAINING SESSION July 18, HR Training Room
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MEDICAL MISSION TO JAMAICA August 12-18, Jamaica
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PSYCHIATRIC NURSING CERT. REVIEW October 10 & 11, ECMC
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MED-SURGE NURSING CERT. REVIEW October 16, ECMC 3rd Floor Board Rm.
Interested in being a delegate and making sure your coworkers and issues are being represented? Contact Jennifer.Valentin@nysna.org
Stay connected: join our Facebook group! www.facebook.com/ groups/eriecountynysna/
Executive Committee
Kevin Donovan, Vice Co-Chair, 7 Zone 4 Karen Green, Terrace View Vice Co-Chair, Supervisor Heather Scott, Secretary, Behavioral Health Clinics Cathy Bystrak, Grievance Chair, MLK & Cazanovia Lisa Nowak, Terrace View Grievance Chair, Canal Ray Rebmann, Membership Chair, 7 Zone 1 Rachel Larkin, Behavioral Health Specialty 1, 5 South Sarah Ott, Behavioral Health Specialty 2, 5 South Tamara Barr, Critical Care Specialty Rep , TICU Chiqkena Collins, Critical Care Specialty Rep, MICU & Western NY Regional Director Loretta Palermo, Emergency Dept. Specialty, ED Dana Bellido-Clark, Med/Surg Specialty, 8 Zone 1 Shawntres Currin, Med/Surg Specialty, 7 Zone 2 Sherry Thomas, OR/Recovery Specialty, PACU Elizabeth McRae, TV Specialty 1, Naval Park Steve Bailey, Terrace View Specialty 2, Kensington Murnita Bennett, At-Large, Care Management
Floor Delegates
Dana Brown, Anesthesiology Dionna Vasquez, Care Management Shawn Mitchell, 5 North Alicia Geiss, PACU Shannon Mahar, 6 Zone 2 Matt Botticelli, 6 North Tara Hill, 9 Zone 3 Jennifer Greene, 9 Zone 3 Cynthia Dwyer, 7 Zone 1 Mackenzie DeCarlo, CPEP Ykeeta Henderson, CPEP Amina Shaibi, CPEP Ben Stanford, Delegate over all Unit Managers Colleen Casali, ASU Valeta Dunn, 8 Zone 1 Christa Poteat, 8 Zone 2 Lee Barnett, OR Liam Morrissey, OR Jennifer Brinkworth, 4 Zone 4 Avneet Jacob, 12 Zone 2 If you’d like to join our leadership team, speak to a Delegate, or contact your Rep.
GET ANSWERS/STAY IN TOUCH Your NYSNA Representative: Jennifer Valentín-Polanco jennifer.valentin@nysna.org 716-445-6319 Dental benefit questions: www.Aetna.com, 877-238-6200 Prescription benefit questions: www.optumrx.com, 888-691-0130 For all other benefits: www.lmhf.net, 716-601-7980
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