Hello,
The third negotiating session began with several MNA nurses sharing information about their experience with specific shifts they worked and their general feelings about staffing. We actively listened and offered appreciation for their willingness to share.
We talked about the comprehensive proposal that the hospital made to integrate the patient placement nurses into the contract. We believe it is important that the terms and conditions of their employment reflect the unique and valuable work they perform.
In response to the staffing presentation MNA shared during our last session, we presented our perspectives on the need for a flexible and dynamic approach to staffing grounded in data and informed by the complexities of the health care environment. We firmly believe it is important that staffing decisions are based on accurate data and not on snapshots in time.
More specifically, I presented several charts which provided actual staffing levels across the hospital. On average, our RN staffing levels are within the grids and our quality is improving. RN turnover at Aspirus St. Luke’s is consistently better than national RN benchmarks. We have achieved all these things without ratios and financial penalties proposed by MNA.
We remain opposed to staffing ratios, which are static numbers that only account for the number of patients and the number of RNs. As an EMTALA facility and mission-driven hospital committed to serving our community, we must always be here for the patients who need us – paying particular attention to those who need a higher level of care. There are many complicated factors that impact staffing, including the supply of nurses, unanticipated absences, average FTE of nurses, and additional factors beyond the hospital’s control that must be accounted for.
A number of MNA’s proposals have significant economic impact. We continue to stress that we are unable to make meaningful progress until we receive a full economic proposal and we do not understand the MNA’s unwillingness to provide it.
On a positive note, we reached our first tentative agreement, creating a new section in the contract dedicated to Seniority.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for June 11.
Sincerely,
Theresa Hannu, CNO
and the Negotiating Team
