Grievances

• The Union filed a grievance on behalf of a MEETH OR RN who was suspended without just cause for a medication error that never occurred. The grievance was heard on 8/23/07, and we are awaiting management’s response. The contract, of course, prohibits discipline without just cause, and this gives new meaning to the term. This disciplinary action demonstrates why unions are so necessary; only employees who enjoy the protection of a union contract are covered by the just cause standard.
• NYPNU will be filing a class action grievance against the Hospital’s policy of issuing final warnings for “no call/no show” first offenses. Our position is that these situations must be taken on a case-by-case basis with due consideration for the RN’s past history and extenuating circumstances. If you believe that you have been unjustly disciplined under this policy, please contact the Union office at 212-988-5565.

NYPNU Cruise

NYPNU is chartering a Circle Line Cruise on September 15th for our 2007 family gathering. Members are encouraged to bring a spouse or domestic partner and children. There will be entertainment for the children including a costumed character and a clown. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by August 31st with your name and the names of your guests so that we can compile a passenger list. To RSVP call Diane at the NYPNU office: 212-988-5565. You must arrive at Pier 83 by 11:00am and bring your LHH/MEETH ID.

Lactation Specialists

Bargaining to bring the Lactation Specialists under the NYPNU contract will commence in September.

NYPNU Student Nurse Program

The inaugural session of the NYPNU student nurse program concluded with a luncheon on August 17th. The program was an incredible success. The students excelled to such a degree that one of the nurse educators would recommend that LHH/MEETH hire 90% of those who completed the program. The students were so grateful to NYPNU for giving them such a challenging and rewarding experience that they had a beautiful freestanding glass plaque made with the following inscription:

They also expressed heartfelt gratitude to their preceptors and the other nurses with whom they worked. NYPNU would like to thank the following nurses who served as preceptors: Dionne Babb, Grisel Battista, Ida Bridgers, Delia Chua, Meredith Hudes Lowder, Marie Dominique-Louigene, John Noble, Caroline Rasmussen, Diane Schulman, Janet Silvera-Haye, Amelia Vaughan and Dawn Williams.

NLRB Victory

NYPNU successfully appealed to the National Labor Relations Board to allow Social Worker Case Managers to be in the NYPNU bargaining unit alongside RN Case Managers. Under the law, the presumption is that RNs in acute care facilities should be in their own bargaining unit. It is extremely rare, however, for RNs and non-RNs to work interchangeably in the same job classification as the Case Managers do here. In a precedent setting case, we convinced the board that this constitutes an extraordinary circumstance, which overrides the presumption in favor of an all RN bargaining unit. In light of this decision there will be an NLRB-conducted election, and bargaining will commence shortly thereafter.