Contract negotiations begin

On August 3, the Registered Nurses of Backus Hospital stood up, we stood together, and we stood proud. We accepted responsibility for the welfare of our patients, our hospital, our families, and our community. We sat at the table with management as equals. Forty eight nurses sat across from Mary Bylone, Theresa Buss, Ellen Crowe, Justin Sleeper, Becky Durham and the management’s attorney from JacksonLewis Tom Gibbons. We presented and explained our proposed contact. Management will now look it over and we will meet again on August 29 to negotiate. "Negotiate" is the key word. We have seen what happens in Washington when one side or the other refuses to negotiate. We are committed to making Backus Hospital a place we are proud of. Whenever possible we will work with management. We will negotiate, we will compromise, but we will never abandon our core belief, that RN participation in decisions is critical to good patient care. The negotiations are off to a good start. There will be disagreements ahead, but as long as both sides focus on what is best for the patients, we will agree on a contact that benefits all. We had a good turnout of members, but we need more. The strength of our local and our contract will be directly tied to the level of involvement of our membership. Remember, YOU ARE THE UNION!