A “kind of” introduction to being on the Bargaining Team.

I served as a member of the RN bargaining team for the last contract negotiations. During the process, I learned that most members don’t really know what that entails. Since we’re asking so many more of us to be on the bargaining team this time around, I thought I’d briefly describe what to expect if you become a member of the team.

Being a member of the bargaining team is a lot like being a medical professional; you’ll be devoting your time, intellect, and communication skills to serving those in need. Except that, instead of doing it for sick people, you’ll be doing it for you and your coworkers. As a result, your coworkers will come to you for information and advice. You’ll probably develop a reputation; “Oh, go talk to So-and-So [i.e., you], she’s big into the union stuff.”

And, if you’re anything like me (which you obviously are, since you’re reading this), you’re not going to be too comfortable with it. At least not right away.

Being a member of the bargaining team can also make you something of a target. Strange it may seem, some people may actually blame you for things they don’t like about their work environment.

What I’ve learned is that those are exactly the people you should be most excited about. The only reason they’re talking to you at all is because they want action. They want change. And they’re not sure what do next, so they’re talking to you.

My answer to them, first and foremost, is to encourage them to get involved. If you don’t like what’s happening on the bargaining team, get on the bargaining team yourself. If you can’t commit to being on the team (and there’s no shame in that, by the way), then make a point to support the team anyway you can.

What are the best things about being on the team?

When one of your coworkers comes up to you, unbidden, puts his hand on your shoulder, and quietly thanks you for all the hard work you’ve done on their behalf…..well, that’s pretty cool.

But the absolute best thing about being on the team, for me, is when I’m at the table, with the team, working on some deal or proposal, and I look over my shoulder, and there are….oh….fifty or so of my coworkers sitting or standing behind us, showing their support. I can’t begin to tell you how awesome that feels.

Hopefully it’ll happen a lot in the coming negotiations.

Revving up for the contract.

Things are moving along. Nomination petitions (to elect members of the bargaining team) are being submitted as I type this. If you’ve got a hankerin’ to be a-bargainin’, there’s still time; forms are due by this Friday, and all you need are ten signatures on the form. The more the merrier. And, like I said before, this is going to be a bigger bargaining team than in the past, so we absolutely NEED more people this time around.

But we do need a bit of a push on another front. The union needs to collect as many contract surveys as possible before the end of next week, so as to help us more effectively craft our proposals and strategies. Ideally, we’ll get one from every member of the RN bargaining unit by July 8. There are about 850 members in the unit, but, as of yesterday, only 50 surveys had been submitted.

If you’re a new shop steward, this is something easy you can do to help—get your coworkers to fill out their surveys and give them to you.

Like, really soon.

Seriously. Let’s do this. Nobody’s going to do it for us.

Flyer from the SEIU RN bargaining unit meeting on June 11, 2011

For this blog’s first post, I’m cutting-and-pasting the new flyer from SEIU on what’s happening now in the bargaining process. The most obvious difference from three years ago is the size of the bargaining team; for the last contract, the team was composed of nine members (one of whom was absent for most of the sessions). This team will be twice as big, which will make a....err....big difference.

The other thing I’d like to point out is that the people elected to the team will be from separate “precincts” of ACMC, with each “precinct” having a number of members commensurate with how many RNs work there. Thus, half of the team will be from critical care and med-surg, since that’s where half of ACMC’s RNs work. But every area of the hospital will have a representative on the bargaining team. This is new, and should make for a much more representative blend of members at the bargaining table.

----------------------------------

“ACMC: Provider of Choice, Employer of Choice”

RN Negotiating Committee Nominations, Surveys & Departmental Meetings

It is time to prepare for negotiations for our full contract. The contract expires on October 31^st and it is our goal to begin negotiations in early August.  The first 3 steps are: 

Nominate and elect our Negotiating Committee.  We will elect 16 members based on a ratio of 1 committee member for every 50 RN unit members.  Nominations will be done by area and elections will be done house-wide.  

Nominees must have 10 signatures on a petition from RNs, MLPs, CRNAs, or CNMs in the same work area as outlined below.  If you are interested in running or nominating a co-worker, you can get petitions from your Shop Stewards or SEIU Local 1021 Union Reps.  The petitions are due back by July 1^st:

• RN Bargaining Committee – 16 members:

• Critical Care = 5 (includes ER, ICU, 5W-SDU and Trauma)
• MCH = 2 (includes all of 9^th Floor and CNMs)
• FACH = 1 (includes SNF and Acute Rehab)
• JGPP = 2
• Med-Surg = 3 (includes 5E, 7W, and 7E
• MLP = 1 (includes PAs and NPs)
• Clinics = 1 (includes Winton, Eastmont, Newark, K Bldg, GI, Infusion, and all other outpatient services)
• Surgical = 1 (includes OR, PACU, SDS, CRNAs, and Pre-OP)

Contract Surveys.  Every member’s opinion and concerns are important as we develop our goals and proposals.  Shop Stewards and Union Reps have surveys and will go over them with you.  The surveys are due back by July 8^th.

Departmental Meetings.  There will be several departmental meetings scheduled over the next two months in order to discuss what members prioritize as the most important issues and changes.  So it is important that you check the dates, times and locations of these meetings with your Shop Steward and Union Rep.


We will continue to work together to speak with one voice across ACMC and strive to make ACMC a Provider of Choice in our community and an Employer of Choice for current and future employees.