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
