Workplace Violence

We began the day with demands that the management take immediate steps to improve the hospital’s security. While we plan to make a comprehensive proposal on safety in negotiations, your team stood tall and asked management to take steps to protect nurse safety now! We demanded (1) increase in security personnel, preferably off-duty police and more guards, (2) immediate posting of large prominent signs announcing to patients and visitors Kadlec’s stated no tolerance policy for physical and verbal abuse by patients and visitors in every unit and patient room and (3) placement of guards on all patients with a history of violence in the hospital. While being non-committal on most issues, the hospital has taken a small first step by placing letter size signs announcing “Zero Tolerance” of all “Aggressive Behavior” at nursing stations.

Last week, management planned a meeting with the police to address workplace violence (“WPV")

We were supposed to meet with management and the police to address immediate security concerns, but management announced that the Officer they work with had been reassigned. Rest assured, this issue is being pursued and we are demanding the meeting on our scheduled session on Oct. 15. WPV must be addressed now!

Healthcare benefits

Management wants the right to force part-time employees to pay their entire health care premium, both for nurses and their dependents. They want a fight! We countered with a strong maintenance of benefits clause to force management to obtain your agreement to any changes to the existing Medical Plan.

Staffing and Staffing Committee

We proposed a comprehensive staffing proposal which adds strength to the new State Staffing law and (1) includes guaranteed safeguards to force management to vote with nurses on staffing issues and (2) requires that staffing be adequate to assure breaks, PTO and nursing safety and health.

Use of PTO for union members on our negotiating team

They have agreed not to force team members to use PTO by allowing them to take the day off unpaid.

Our next session is Oct. 9.

We will be having the following meetings with our members. Please plan to attend one of these meetings:

• Oct. 10 at 7:30 - 9 p.m. in the Columbia II (3^rd floor Mountain Pavilion)
• Oct. 11 at 7:30-9 a.m. in the Ringold room (1^st floor near the tower elevators)

Thank you to all those who showed support by wearing the #EndNurseAbuse stickers and wearing blue in solidarity.

We continue to collect your stories of workplace violence (WPV). We are asking you to take pictures of you/your coworkers wearing the #EndNurseAbuse stickers and holding signs of support and solidarity.

Please send those stories and pictures to WSNA Nurse Representative Carmen Garrison at cgarrison@wsna.org.

We show up, we stand up, we speak up.

In unity and solidarity,

Your WSNA negotiating team:

Jacob Garcia (CDU), Martha Galvez (Birth Center), Vanessa Douglas (ICU), Ryan McCauley (ICU) Toni Ledridge (PAS), Kathy Peot (Resource), Marianne Sturtevant (OR), Meri Bukovinsky (CDU), Joyce McMurphy (NICU), (Anthony) Tony Jones (Cath Lab) and Joy Barclay (DI)