After several weeks of bargaining, the conversation at the table turned to economics on Thursday as the Union put forward its first pay proposal late in the day.
The Hospital remains committed to reaching an agreement on a new contract that provides fair, responsible, and competitive pay for Hospital Center nurses as the best path to attract and retain nurses.
The Union’s initial pay proposal is, however, complex and covers many areas. It will require significant analysis before the Hospital is in a position to respond.
WorkPlace Safety:
The bargaining teams also had an extensive discussion on addressing violence in the workplace.
Reports of violence at the Hospital Center are down 33 percent over the last fiscal year in response to safety initiatives already underway. But the Hospital remains fully committed to continue this work.
Mark Marino, RN, Director of our Violence Prevention Program, joined the discussion Thursday, taking questions and sharing data from Safety Net, Occupational Health, and OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) reports.
He provided updates on the numerous safety training, initiatives, and resources in place, as well as new pilot programs focused on:
Aggressive behavior related to mental illness, and
New protocols and risk tools for acute aggression in the Emergency Department, Med/Surg, and Behavioral Health
Nurse Cancellation Process Improvements:
Regarding conversations about staffing and cancellations, we reiterated our commitment to making every reasonable effort to assess staffing needs before initiating nurse cancellations. We offered to establish a review process for nurses who believe a shift was cancelled in error. If a cancellation is found to be incorrect based on the last-generated report, the nurse would be compensated at their straight-time rate for the scheduled hours. To support this process, we also proposed that nurses provide at least three hours’ notice for callouts.
The bargaining teams will determine the dates for upcoming sessions at a later date.