Today I present to you a guest blog, written by Denise Parent RN, a nurse at Backus Hospital for 31 years. Denise has not been a union activist, she's just a loving nurse, concerned about her patients and her hospital. Her writting comes from her heart, and frankly, I wish I had written it. Thank you Denise for sharing this with us.
I Was Prepared
As I listened with great concern at the first Town Hall meeting seemingly years ago now, regarding how much this hospital was wasting, I was prepared to do my share of conserving! Until I found out it meant hiring a multimillion dollar company who’s sole purpose was to cut costs at the expense of employees and benefits etc…..
I was prepared, being a 31 year employee, to be fiscally responsible and donate my hard earned salary in order to keep my hospital functioning, until I found out that at least 5 Executives received $25,000 bonuses the same year we were told to tighten our belts.
I was prepared to weather this storm and work “short” until the news came out that our CEO in fringe benefits ALONE made $126,000, well over the starting salary of 2 new RN’s.
I was prepared to listen to their voice of reason; until it was revealed the nurses affected the most by these cuts were shift, weekend, and holiday employees. Unfortunately not all the nurses have been impacted equally, there needs to be understanding from both groups.
I was prepared to support my administration no matter what until I saw many of my coworkers leave or get fired, the LPNs who for decades were part of a “hospital family”, who last year were told, “SEE YA!”
I can’t believe, I’m composing this on Easter Sunday, I can go on and on. Yes everyone, it is for me all about loss. Loss of respect, loss of voice, loss of being appreciated and financial loss. This financial burden should not only be felt by employees, but especially by the administrative staff and board members who should lead by example.
But what you can count on is no matter what I have lost in salary and benefits, I will continue to deliver the same excellent care for my patients that I always have. My patients deserve and need that! I will continue to fill my locker with diet hot chocolate, peanut butter, soups and crackers to give to them at 4 am since it is no longer provided by the hospital as floor stock. I will not stop being proud of having been an employee at Backus for 31 yrs.
I will not stop, because now I am prepared.
Happy Easter
Denise Parent
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Past, Present, and Future
Because of the rate of turnover, there are so many new nurses at work that I thought it might be good to look back at the formation of our local to help them understand.
About a year and a half ago a group of Backus nurses started meeting and discussing working conditions. We all shared the same concern, that Backus was heading in the wrong direction and that the bedside nurse was helpless to stop this. Not being able to live with this conclusion, we decided to see what we could do. We felt that maybe we could effect change if we stood together, and that we needed to at least try.
Last May we voted and formed the Backus Federation of Nurses, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. AFT has 5 divisions, K-12 Teachers, PARAS, Higher Education, Public Employees, and Health Care. AFT Connecticut has 28,000 members, AFT national has 1.5 million members, and the AFL-CIO, which we are also affiliated with, has 11 million members.
We retain local autonomy and yet have the power of millions.
The decisions for Backus nurses are made by Backus nurses.
Since then, we have worked closely with other AFT locals, other labor unions, labor leaders in Connecticut and nationally, our state representatives and senators, the governor, our Washington representative and senators, community leaders, non profit groups and religious groups to build a coalition of mutual support.
We meet on a regular basis with the leaders of the AFT health care locals, the Southeastern Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO, our state representatives and senators, the Governor, and Representative Joe Courtney.
A special relationship had developed with the three L+M AFT locals. The Union has existed there for over 40 years and about 10 years expanded to a third local, now representing almost the entire hospital. We like to say that there are now 4 L+M/Backus locals, because we stand in solidarity.
We have also established a relationship with the United Way, with United Action Connecticut (an affiliation of religious and civic organizations) and with St Mary Star of the Sea Church.
We have held food drives and blood pressure checks and plan on expanding them.
We have what I see as the beginning of a professional relationship with our Director of Human Resources and our Vice President of HR, a relationship based on mutual respect. I appreciate this relationship because we will be working closely with them in the years to come.
We have growing relationships with local press and radio too.
I have spoken at the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, the Washington office of the AFL-CIO, and before the legislature in Hartford. Several of us have given testimony to the NLRB in Hartford and at our office in Norwich.
It's been a busy year and a half.
None of this has been easy, it's taken a lot of work by a lot of people.
Because of all this work we will soon have a first tentative contract.
Then we will all vote on it.
We will be like most other professionals, doctors, lawyers, upper management, we will have an agreement to exchange our time and skills for certain wages, benefits, and working conditions.
One of the most important pieces is that we will no longer we an "at will" employee, able to be disciplined or discharged at the will of the employer. Now any discipline or discharge will need proof of a just reason and if we cannot agree we will have a grievance procedure and arbitration if necessary.
Beyond the provisions of the contract there is much for us to do. I envision food drives, health screening/blood pressure checks, a nurse speaker program for local school and civic groups, CEU education opportunities at our office, and more. There will be opportunities for everyone who wishes to become involved, based on their own interests and time availability.
Grand ideas, yes, but as the song says, "When you wish upon a star your dreams come true."
There were some who doubted we could get this far, not I. I know the dedication and commitment of health care workers. We are a unique group, dedicated to a mission of caring.
That's our story up till now, the future is up to you and I.
About a year and a half ago a group of Backus nurses started meeting and discussing working conditions. We all shared the same concern, that Backus was heading in the wrong direction and that the bedside nurse was helpless to stop this. Not being able to live with this conclusion, we decided to see what we could do. We felt that maybe we could effect change if we stood together, and that we needed to at least try.
Last May we voted and formed the Backus Federation of Nurses, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. AFT has 5 divisions, K-12 Teachers, PARAS, Higher Education, Public Employees, and Health Care. AFT Connecticut has 28,000 members, AFT national has 1.5 million members, and the AFL-CIO, which we are also affiliated with, has 11 million members.
We retain local autonomy and yet have the power of millions.
The decisions for Backus nurses are made by Backus nurses.
Since then, we have worked closely with other AFT locals, other labor unions, labor leaders in Connecticut and nationally, our state representatives and senators, the governor, our Washington representative and senators, community leaders, non profit groups and religious groups to build a coalition of mutual support.
We meet on a regular basis with the leaders of the AFT health care locals, the Southeastern Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO, our state representatives and senators, the Governor, and Representative Joe Courtney.
A special relationship had developed with the three L+M AFT locals. The Union has existed there for over 40 years and about 10 years expanded to a third local, now representing almost the entire hospital. We like to say that there are now 4 L+M/Backus locals, because we stand in solidarity.
We have also established a relationship with the United Way, with United Action Connecticut (an affiliation of religious and civic organizations) and with St Mary Star of the Sea Church.
We have held food drives and blood pressure checks and plan on expanding them.
We have what I see as the beginning of a professional relationship with our Director of Human Resources and our Vice President of HR, a relationship based on mutual respect. I appreciate this relationship because we will be working closely with them in the years to come.
We have growing relationships with local press and radio too.
I have spoken at the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, the Washington office of the AFL-CIO, and before the legislature in Hartford. Several of us have given testimony to the NLRB in Hartford and at our office in Norwich.
It's been a busy year and a half.
None of this has been easy, it's taken a lot of work by a lot of people.
Because of all this work we will soon have a first tentative contract.
Then we will all vote on it.
We will be like most other professionals, doctors, lawyers, upper management, we will have an agreement to exchange our time and skills for certain wages, benefits, and working conditions.
One of the most important pieces is that we will no longer we an "at will" employee, able to be disciplined or discharged at the will of the employer. Now any discipline or discharge will need proof of a just reason and if we cannot agree we will have a grievance procedure and arbitration if necessary.
Beyond the provisions of the contract there is much for us to do. I envision food drives, health screening/blood pressure checks, a nurse speaker program for local school and civic groups, CEU education opportunities at our office, and more. There will be opportunities for everyone who wishes to become involved, based on their own interests and time availability.
Grand ideas, yes, but as the song says, "When you wish upon a star your dreams come true."
There were some who doubted we could get this far, not I. I know the dedication and commitment of health care workers. We are a unique group, dedicated to a mission of caring.
That's our story up till now, the future is up to you and I.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The bottom line
It seems to me that in order to come to a contract agreement we need to first agree philosophically to what we are trying to accomplish. On this matter I actually think we can come to agreement. These are my thoughts on where we all stand at this point.
I think we can all agree that retention of qualified nurses is a good thing for the nurses and the hospital. Every several months the hospital hires a group of new graduate nurses into the residency program. Getting into the program is highly competitive and a considerable amount of time and money is spent on training. I think we can all agree that retaining the highest number possible is in every one's interest, from a financial standpoint and certainly from a patient safety standpoint.
Nurses at all other union hospitals know what they will be making from year to year because they are on a step system. They can even tell, 10 years from now, what they can expect. Having said that, it's important to realize that these steps are not set in stone. First, the nurse must continue to perform up to standards. Second, from contract to contract these steps must be adjusted for inflation and changes in the economy. This includes, not only upward adjustments for inflation, but wage freezes and even wage givebacks if the hospital in question is facing hard times. Our union has negotiated such givebacks and freezes, because it is no one's interest for a hospital to go bankrupt. Such relative certainty has proven positive in retention of qualified nurses.
When we talk retention we must talk both wages and insurance premium costs, because it's not how much you make that's the most important, it's how much you keep.
I believe that the starting point of discussion must be the point where a nurse does not fall behind. If take home pay decreases from year to year we will have poor retention, high training costs, and poorer patient care and safety. It cannot be "another day older and deeper in debt" and be sustainable.
As currently proposed by management, insurance premiums will increase by year 3 of the contract between $46-$138/week, depending on full time, part time, employee only, employee + 1, or family.
For us to retain nurses we need to at least balance wages and insurance premiums, it's that simple.
Under our current management proposal wages would increase $14-$18/week for the resident nurse by year 3 of the contract.
This results in a net loss of $2,139-5,877/year, again depending on full time, part time, employee only, employee +1, or family.
We need to balance these and provide a modest overall increase if we wish to retain qualified nurses.
Financially we are lucky in that Backus is in good position. The financial figures just released by the hospital to the state for the fiscal year that ended last fall show an operating margin of just over 9%, the highest of any hospital in Connecticut, with a total net profit of just over $25 million. This is good news for us. It means Backus will be able to meet it's financial responsibilities, including wages, and is in great position to expand should the opportunity arise. I commend the financial people for a job well done.
Looked at another way, if management needed, they could increase each nurses salary by $35/hour and break even.
I do not think such an increase is needed. I believe a modest increase each year, after increases in insurance premiums are factored in, and the relative certainty of a wage step scale will be enough to retain qualified nurses and ensure the continued financial strength of our hospital and the safety of our patients.
We meet again for negotiations on this Monday, April 9th, 6:00, at the Courtyard Marriott. I would like us to come to the table in philosophical agreement on this issue. I believe that if we do we can work out the details to be in every one's interest and, as the governor said, "get it done."
I think we can all agree that retention of qualified nurses is a good thing for the nurses and the hospital. Every several months the hospital hires a group of new graduate nurses into the residency program. Getting into the program is highly competitive and a considerable amount of time and money is spent on training. I think we can all agree that retaining the highest number possible is in every one's interest, from a financial standpoint and certainly from a patient safety standpoint.
Nurses at all other union hospitals know what they will be making from year to year because they are on a step system. They can even tell, 10 years from now, what they can expect. Having said that, it's important to realize that these steps are not set in stone. First, the nurse must continue to perform up to standards. Second, from contract to contract these steps must be adjusted for inflation and changes in the economy. This includes, not only upward adjustments for inflation, but wage freezes and even wage givebacks if the hospital in question is facing hard times. Our union has negotiated such givebacks and freezes, because it is no one's interest for a hospital to go bankrupt. Such relative certainty has proven positive in retention of qualified nurses.
When we talk retention we must talk both wages and insurance premium costs, because it's not how much you make that's the most important, it's how much you keep.
I believe that the starting point of discussion must be the point where a nurse does not fall behind. If take home pay decreases from year to year we will have poor retention, high training costs, and poorer patient care and safety. It cannot be "another day older and deeper in debt" and be sustainable.
As currently proposed by management, insurance premiums will increase by year 3 of the contract between $46-$138/week, depending on full time, part time, employee only, employee + 1, or family.
For us to retain nurses we need to at least balance wages and insurance premiums, it's that simple.
Under our current management proposal wages would increase $14-$18/week for the resident nurse by year 3 of the contract.
This results in a net loss of $2,139-5,877/year, again depending on full time, part time, employee only, employee +1, or family.
We need to balance these and provide a modest overall increase if we wish to retain qualified nurses.
Financially we are lucky in that Backus is in good position. The financial figures just released by the hospital to the state for the fiscal year that ended last fall show an operating margin of just over 9%, the highest of any hospital in Connecticut, with a total net profit of just over $25 million. This is good news for us. It means Backus will be able to meet it's financial responsibilities, including wages, and is in great position to expand should the opportunity arise. I commend the financial people for a job well done.
Looked at another way, if management needed, they could increase each nurses salary by $35/hour and break even.
I do not think such an increase is needed. I believe a modest increase each year, after increases in insurance premiums are factored in, and the relative certainty of a wage step scale will be enough to retain qualified nurses and ensure the continued financial strength of our hospital and the safety of our patients.
We meet again for negotiations on this Monday, April 9th, 6:00, at the Courtyard Marriott. I would like us to come to the table in philosophical agreement on this issue. I believe that if we do we can work out the details to be in every one's interest and, as the governor said, "get it done."
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The washing of feet
Truly this is a special time to many people. This week Christian churches celebrate Holy Week and Easter, our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate Passover and Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate next week. In the Passover meal we share a common heritage. Passover celebrates the Israelites freedom from slavery. It was the Passover meal that Jesus and his disciples celebrated in what Christians now call the Last Supper.
During that meal, Jesus gave us what I think was the greatest example of how to be a leader.
He washed his disciples feet.
In doing so he showed that a leader's role was to serve those he leads. He said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."
Saturday was César Chávez's birthday. Here was a man who truly believed and lived the example of the washing of other's feet. He saw the dignity of every human being and worked to uphold that dignity and improve their lives.
May this be a time for all of us to reflect on what is truly important in life.
During that meal, Jesus gave us what I think was the greatest example of how to be a leader.
He washed his disciples feet.
In doing so he showed that a leader's role was to serve those he leads. He said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."
Saturday was César Chávez's birthday. Here was a man who truly believed and lived the example of the washing of other's feet. He saw the dignity of every human being and worked to uphold that dignity and improve their lives.
May this be a time for all of us to reflect on what is truly important in life.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Why
Monday, as people drive on Washington St in Norwich, many will ask, "why are the nurses picketing?".
We learned in nursing school that we must be advocates for our patients. It's the the most solemn duty of a nurse. Over the last several years we have seen our ability to fulfill this duty at Backus erode. No longer can we speak freely to advocate without the fear of retaliation. So, last year, we nurses banded together and formed a federation.
We affiliated with health care professionals from Danbury Hospital, Johnson Memorial, L&M, Manchester Memorial, Natchaug, Rockville, UConn, Windham, the VNA of Southeastern CT, and others, as well as teachers, paraprofessionals, school personnel, and public service employees from across Connecticut, some 28,000 members of AFT Connecticut, 1.5 million members of the American Federation of Teachers and 11 million members of the AFL-CIO.
Since May we have been working for our first contract, a contract that will give us the ability to advocate for our patients and fulfill our responsibility to them.
Management has not cooperated. The Federal Government has set a May 14 trial date, charging them with failure to negotiate in good faith.
We want the people of the community, the people we care for, to know about our plight. We hold your hand when your children are born and when your loved ones die. We feel confident that you will be there for us if you know know and understand.
So let us know you care on Monday by honking your horns, give a wave, or come out and walk with us awhile. Tell your neighbors and if you know any Backus management or board of directors members tell them also.
Being a nurse is a special thing, much more than a job, it is truly a vocation, a life commitment to caring. It is an honor for us to care for you. We just want to be able to do it well.
We learned in nursing school that we must be advocates for our patients. It's the the most solemn duty of a nurse. Over the last several years we have seen our ability to fulfill this duty at Backus erode. No longer can we speak freely to advocate without the fear of retaliation. So, last year, we nurses banded together and formed a federation.
We affiliated with health care professionals from Danbury Hospital, Johnson Memorial, L&M, Manchester Memorial, Natchaug, Rockville, UConn, Windham, the VNA of Southeastern CT, and others, as well as teachers, paraprofessionals, school personnel, and public service employees from across Connecticut, some 28,000 members of AFT Connecticut, 1.5 million members of the American Federation of Teachers and 11 million members of the AFL-CIO.
Since May we have been working for our first contract, a contract that will give us the ability to advocate for our patients and fulfill our responsibility to them.
Management has not cooperated. The Federal Government has set a May 14 trial date, charging them with failure to negotiate in good faith.
We want the people of the community, the people we care for, to know about our plight. We hold your hand when your children are born and when your loved ones die. We feel confident that you will be there for us if you know know and understand.
So let us know you care on Monday by honking your horns, give a wave, or come out and walk with us awhile. Tell your neighbors and if you know any Backus management or board of directors members tell them also.
Being a nurse is a special thing, much more than a job, it is truly a vocation, a life commitment to caring. It is an honor for us to care for you. We just want to be able to do it well.
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