We Are Nurses: Westchester March 2018

MARCH 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS

(For more information or to register, ask your NYSNA Rep)

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VIOLENCE IN HEALTHCARE & SAFE PATIENT HANDLING

March 28, NYSNA WMC Office

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NYSNA MEMBERSHIP MEETING

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LOBBY DAY

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MULTI-UNION LOBBY DAY

April 4, TCC Conference Hallway April 23, Albany May 8, Albany

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LEADERSHIP TRAINING PT. 2

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SINGLE PAYER LOBBY DAY

May 15, NYSNA WMC Office June 5, Albany

Save the Date: Seminar at Sea May 12 - 19, 2019

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Claire Maggio, RN, President Nursing Operations, 7S, 7NW, 6 S, 6N, 5S Jules Hatzel, RN, 1st Vice President PACU, Main OR, AMB SURG, Children’s PACU, Children’s OR, VIR, ENDO Debra Coyne, RN, 2nd Vice President CCU, Cath Lab, Heart Institute, MICU Zina Klein, RN, Grievance Chairperson EICU, PMR, CDU, ER, 3SW, Neuro ICU, NSDU, TICU

Members on the Move

David Long, RN, Grievance Co-Chairperson CCU, CCU,CTICU, 5 N, 7NE, SICU

First Victory in the Battle to Protect Nurses’ Scope of Practice

Jayne Cammisa, RN, Secretary & NYSNA Release Time Representative PICU, NICU, Peds 31, Peds 32, Outpatient Radiology, OPD, outpatient Transplant Coordinators, 2 South. L&D

Earlier this year, NYSNA learned about a renewed attack on nurses’ scope of practice from Albany. A “Community Paramedicine Collaborative” bill could replace nurses with EMTs and Paramedics in nonemergency home care settings—lowering the standards for patient care and putting patients at risk.

Deb Cava, RN, Night Chairperson Nursing Operations, BHC-A1, A2, B1, B2, B3

GET ANSWERS/STAY IN TOUCH NYSNA WMC Office: Phone 914-493-8329, Fax 914-493-7175 WMC Health Benefits: 914-493-7144 or BenefitsHelp@wmchealth.org NYSNA Welfare Plan Benefits: 800-537-1237 or www.asonet.com SPAN: 800-457-7261 NYSNA Nursing Rep: Christine Laperche, RN, BSN, Cell 914-819-8513 christine.laperche@nysna.org

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A NEWSLETTER FOR NYSNA RNs AT WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER

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Nurses at Westchester Medical Center learned about this renewed threat at an LBU meeting and began speaking out. Nurse educator, Rosemarie Hartney Bridges, RN, researched the issue for a college course last year and had this to say, “Licensed nurses have the education, knowledge, training, critical thinking and expectations to do this work well. It’s a patient safety issue to have untrained, non-nurses work in a nurses’ role in the home where the least resources are available, just because someone is trying to save a buck. I think it comes down to—how are we keeping families safe in the home? If my loved one is in that spot—who would I want at the bedside?”

Westchester Medical Center nurses organized quickly and signed over 650 Scope of Practice cards, which were delivered to legislators in Albany. Our legislators heard us. When the NY State Assembly released

its one-house 2018 budget proposal bill, it did not include the “community paramedicine pilot project!”

The NYSNA legislative advocacy team extended our gratitude to members of the State Assembly, and to Speaker Carl Heastie and Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried for their leadership on this issue.

Our team continues to work with the Senate and the Executive to protect our scope of practice and to make sure this issue does not re-emerge as the state budget is debated and finalized this month.

Congratulations to everyone who signed cards and spoke out for nursing practice and safe patient care.

Keep up the pressure so we can defeat this attack on our scope once and for all!

Come to Lobby Day April 23 There is still time to register for Lobby Day April 23rd.

This is your opportunity to have your voice heard by lawmakers in Albany. They need to hear the facts from the bedside nurses, not just the hospital and special interest lobby groups who come out in full force. This is an important part of advocating for our patients.

They deserve and have a right to an RN at every bedside in a safe environment with a safe staffing ratio.

This is how we make it happen. RSVP online at http:// bit.ly/nysnalobby2018. Any questions, please reach out to a NYSNA Representative at 914-493-8329.

WE ARE NURSES, WE ARE NYSNA!

need a strong voice that comes from the unity of our colleagues and the backing of a union now more than ever in the era of “do more with less” corporate healthcare.

That’s why nurses and working people throughout the country are anxiously awaiting a Supreme Court case, “Janus vs.

AFSCME,” which is being heard on February 26. The ruling could allow public sector workers to stop paying union dues, while continuing to benefit from union rights and representation. This ruling by the majority-conservative Supreme Court could lead to a dramatic weakening of unions and ultimately, of workers’ power.

A Message from Your Executive Committee: Nurses and Patients Need Unions to Have a Strong Voice Eliminating mandatory overtime for nurses. Making assault against a nurse a felony crime. Introducing safe patient handling programs in hospitals. Keeping safety net hospitals open for care. Protecting our scope of practice. Winning safe staffing one unit and one contract at a time. Advocating for our patients without fear of retaliation. None of these victories would be possible without nurses organized into a powerful force by unions.

To quote Frederick Douglas, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never has and it never will.”

All of the advances in the nursing profession have been won because nurses have demanded it, not because healthcare corporations have freely given it out of the goodness of their hearts. Nurses may be the most trusted profession as far as the public is concerned, but earning that trust and respect from hospital management, which too often puts profits before patients, often feels like an uphill battle. Nurses

How long do you think we could survive if members withhold their share of yearly dues while still enjoying union representation? Programs and benefits for all of us would be diminished. Education services, Reps at our facility, passing legislation that elevates our profession, support during contract negotiations, equal pay, job security, RNs at the bedside — all would suffer. Please take a moment to read up on this case that has the potential to cost you and your family much much more than monthly dues.”

—Zina Klein, RN Nurses are the patient advocates. When we are under attack, our patients are under attack. When we are not empowered to speak out about unsafe conditions in our facilities, we know that patient care will suffer.

You will soon be hearing much more about this issue and the ways you can help educate and empower your colleagues. On April 4th, NYSNA nurses at Westchester Med will launch a new membership card drive that will not only reaffirm the importance of our union membership, but deliver some exciting new benefits. Stay tuned!

MARCH 2018

A Newsletter for NYSNA RNs at Westchester Medical Center

Political Corner

S

helley Mayer, longtime Yonkers Assembly Member, is running for State Senate in an important special election on April 24. She is running for the seat that George Latimer vacated when he was elected Westchester County Executive in the fall.

Shelley is a long-time supporter of nurses. She walked the picket line with Westchester Med nurses during the contract fight, and has spoken out in support of safe staffing and healthcare justice during NYSNA Lobby Days in Albany. NYSNA’s PAC was proud to endorse Shelley for State Senate.

Welcome to our newest members!

Stephanie Fiore, 7NE Katie Mitts, 7NE Renee Zambelletti, NICU Lorena Loaiza Aries, NICU Katherine Rancourt, NICU Sherry Marino, B1 Patricia Howley, B1 Lauren Dawil, ED Lisa Lisnak, B2

Remember to vote on April 24 in the special election!

Justin Russell, 4S

To join a Labor Walk for Shelley, or to volunteer to get out the vote, contact Corey.Ellis@nysna.org.

Joseph Cowan, 4S

Building Solidarity with Nurses in India In late February, a delegation of five NYSNA nurses traveled with our firstever Solidarity and Medical Mission to India.

“I was really excited and happy to be part of the mission and want to do more,” said Westchester Medical Center’s Roshan Cherian, MSN, RN. “I want to contribute my knowledge and time to help people and help society. Nursing is a calling—we are here to help people in need.”

NYSNA nurses lent our support to striking members of the United Nurses Association, a recently-formed union of nurses in India, bringing muchneeded media attention to their struggle. Explained Roshan, “The union here is young and we gave them a lot of motivation. We told them how to raise strike funds, and explained how we run a bargaining campaign. The nurses have very little political support or respect in India, so our help really meant a lot.”

The delegation attended the UNA’s first convention, as well as an International Nursing Conference in New Delhi. They also toured a range of healthcare facilities—from big for-profit hospitals where medical tourists stay, to small public health centers, to rural villages where some residents have never seen a doctor.

Originally from the Southern Indian state of Kerala, Roshan practiced nursing for five years in India before moving to the United States, where she has been a nurse for 15 years. “I would especially encourage Indian nurses to go on a Solidarity and Medical Mission. As nurses here, we have so many more rights compared to the nurses in India, and so few people in India have access to healthcare. We have a responsibility and the ability to support those back home.”