President: Bill George
Phone: 401-831-3647 ext. 22
E-mail: bgeorge@unap.org
Memorial Hospital UNAP Campaign for Respect
Important Information for Members
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Have Questions? Need Answers?
United Nurses & Allied Professionals, Local 5082
Management continues to interrupt staff and the delivery of care, insisting on imposing their views on everybody. As a result, there has been a lot of rumor and speculation. We thought we'd put out a fact sheet to answer some commonly asked questions. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call us at 508-399-6393.
Contract Expiration/Dues Deduction
The contract expired on August 6th. What does that mean?
All terms of the contract remain in full force effect except for the arbitration and dues deduction provisions of the contract.
Will the hospital stop deducting dues from our paychecks?
Yes. The hospital has notified the Union that it will no longer be deducting dues starting next week [August 24th].
Do I still have to pay dues?
Yes.
How do I pay my dues?
You have two options. First, you may pay your dues in the amount of $22.32 on a bi-weekly basis by check. Please make checks payable to UNAP and forward to 375 Branch Ave., Providence, RI 02904. Your other option is to pay on line by clicking here, and then clicking PayPal and following the instructions. You do not need a PayPal account to exercise this option.
10-Day Strike Notice
What is a 10-day strike notice?
Federal law requires that the Union give a 10-day strike notice before going on strike.
Do we vote on giving a 10-day strike notice?
Yes. In fact, we had such a vote a few weeks ago at which 90% of the members gave the Union negotiating team the authority to issue the notice.
What happens when the 10-day strike notice is given?
The hospital must make alternative arrangements for patients and submit a strike plan to the Department of Health. Also, a federal mediator will be assigned to assist the parties in reaching an agreement.
How will we know if the notice has been given?
Each member of the Union will be called immediately.
After the notice is given, must we strike or is there another vote?
There will be another vote based on what is on the table at the end of that period of time.
Layoffs
May the hospital give employees layoff notices after the 10-day notice is given?
Yes. As the hospital makes alternative arrangements for patients, the census goes down, which will result in layoffs. The hospital must give employees at least one week's notice prior to the effective date of the layoff or one week of pay instead of notice.
Are employees entitled to unemployment benefits while on layoff?
Yes, after the first week of layoff.
Are employees eligible for unemployment benefits if they are on strike?
No.
What is the difference between being in layoff status and being on strike?
If employees are laid off because the census has dropped, but employees have not gone on strike, employees are in layoff status and eligible for unemployment benefits. If, however, employees vote to go on strike, and refuse to go back to work when the hospital recalls them, such employees are on strike and ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Are employees entitled to unemployment benefits if they are locked out?
Yes. If, for example, employees go on a strike for a limited time, such as 3 days, and are locked out when they attempt to return to work, they are entitled to unemployment insurance.
When should employees apply for unemployment benefits?
Upon receipt of a layoff notice. The number to call is [401] 243-9100.
Medical Insurance Coverage
What happens to my medical insurance if I am laid off?
The hospital must continue to pay its share of the cost of the medical insurance for the first full month of a layoff.
What happens to my health insurance if I am on Strike?
The employer-paid health insurance will continue through the end of September. At that point, employees will then be able to exercise their rights under COBRA. Specifically, the hospital must notify you in writing of those rights. You must be given the option to continue coverage at the group rate at your expense. You must be given 60 days from the notice to decide whether you will pay at your own expense. You must be given an additional 45 days to pay the premiums if you decide to continue coverage at your own expense. So, you can pay immediately, or wait and see whether you need care during that period and/or see what happens with the strike.
If you have other questions, please give us a call at [508] 399-6393.
Press Release
August 27, 2006
UNAP Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against Memorial Hospital.
Today, the UNAP, Local 5082, filed an unfair labor practice charge against Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island with the National Labor Relations Board [NLRB]. The basis of the charge is that the hospital ordered employees to remove Union buttons in violation of federal labor law. "The law permits employees to wear buttons that are harmless. The buttons Union members are wearing, like the buttons management is wearing are harmless. The hospital's insistence that employees remove them, therefore, is illegal," said Christopher Callaci who is a Field Representative for the Local and an attorney. "Apparently this employer is willing to do just about anything to silence employees," said Callaci.
"Telling our members to remove their buttons is not only illegal, it is the height of hypocrisy," said Rita Brennan, a registered nurse at Memorial. "They are letting managers, supervisors, administrators and non-union employees wear buttons, but are refusing to allow Union employees to wear buttons,"said Brennan. "If that is not discriminatory, I don"t know what is," said Brennan. The Union buttons speak to the issue of respect.
"The hospital's claim that they are concerned about the patients seeing the buttons is equally hypocritical," said Brennan. "Managers have been distributing anti-union literature throughout the hospital for weeks now. They have also been disrupting the delivery of care by insisting on discussing the labor dispute with employees while they are on duty," said Brennan.
The charge will be processed by the NLRB in Boston.
Click here to send a message to Memorial Hospital CEO Frank Dietz.
Hundreds of Memorial Hospital UNAP members have taken a stand against the disrespectful and uncaring attitude that Memorial Hospital administration has shown to employees during negotiations for a new Union contract.
While Memorial Hospital says it cares about its employees, here are the facts:
* Memorial Hospital wants to financially penalize employees who don't get their hospital care at Memorial Hospital.
* Memorial Hospital is unwilling to make reasonable efforts to avoid the unsafe practice of mandatory overtime.
* Memorial Hospital refuses to provide health insurance to domestic partners.
* Memorial Hospital insists that employees use vacation time when a relative dies while the employee is on vacation.
* Memorial Hospital refuses to create a wage scale that would fairly compensate employees based on their experience.
Memorial Hospital UNAP members are united and determined to win the respect and fair treatment that they deserve. On July 21, over 90% of Union members voted to authorize their negotiating team to issue a strike notice to the Hospital, if necessary. On July 24, over 250 Memorial employees picketed outside the Hospital to demand that Memorial show respect for its employees.
On August 4, Union members voted 229 - 58 to reject Memorial Hospital's final offer. The local will continue with its public campaign for a fair contract. The local will also be meeting to discuss issuing a 10-day strike notice.
To send an email to Memorial Hospital CEO Frank Dietz, click here.
To read recent Providence Journal coverage, click here.
To read recent Pawtucket Times coverage, click here.
In a recent strongly worded decision, the National Labor Relations Board has found Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island guilty of threatening and disciplining employees for wearing buttons and stickers to protest the hospital's positions on issues such as mandatory overtime and medical insurance benefits. In addition, Judge Wallace Nations found that Memorial Hospital illegally interrogated employees on the issue of whether or not they would cross a picket line in the event of a strike.
With respect to Memorial Hospital's attempt to ban Union members from wearing Union buttons and stickers, the Judge wrote:
"The purpose of the ban and the discipline issued for violating the ban was not founded in any concern for patients' feelings, but rather, from management frustration over the progress of contract negotiations and was an attempt to punish the union."
The Judge also criticized hospital president Frank Dietz for issuing a dishonest press release that was calculated to mislead the public:
"This press release appears to me to be trying to create an issue around the button to garner public support for the Hospital's bargaining positions. It is also patently untrue. The button is clearly not inflammatory and there was no showing of any stress caused by the button on the part of any patient or family member."
In response to the decision by the National Labor Relations Board, the UNAP issued the following statement:
"It is a disgrace that hospital management broke the law just to prevent union members from speaking out against the unsafe practice of mandatory overtime. Frank Dietz and hospital management owe our members and the entire community an apology for breaking the law and putting patients and the staff at risk."
CLICK HERE to read Pawtucket Times / Woonsocket Call article.
CLICK HERE to read Providence Journal article.
Today, the members of UNAP Local 5082 voted overwhelming to reject Memorial Hospital's final offer. Members voted 229 reject to 58 accept. The local will continue with its public campaign for a fair contract. The local will also be meeting to discuss a 10-day strike notice.
As of January, 2006, all hospitals in Rhode Island must report their nursing staffing plans for every patient care area and shift to the RI Department of Health. This new Hospital Staffing Disclosure law was passed as a result of the tireless efforts of many UNAP members and our allies.
The UNAP intends to assist health care professionals and the general public in evaluating and monitoring hospital staffing plans.
Click here to see Memorial Hospital's current staffing plans.
Click here to see Memorial Hospital's 2006 staffing plans.
BREAKING NEWS!!!! Friday, September 01, 2006
Today members of the Memorial Hospital UNAP met throughout the day to debate and vote on two issues:
1) Whether to accept the Hospital's final offer or reject it and strike
2) Whether an 80% majority should be required to authorize a strike
Our members voted 159 to 158 to reject the final offer and strike. They also voted in favor of requiring an 80% majority to authorize a strike. Since 51% voted (ie, less than 80%) to reject the final offer and strike, the Hospital’s latest offer has been accepted.
The Memorial Hospital UNAP Local 5082 and the Memorial Hospital of RI met through the night last night. At about 5:00 a.m., the Hospital modified the final offer that it had insisted it would not modify for the last three weeks. The modification came with respect to wages. Contrary to the Hospital’s position that many employees would lose their raises this year, NO EMPLOYEE WILL LOSE THEIR RAISE THIS YEAR.
Because, however, the Hospital has failed to address the mandatory overtime issue in a meaningful way at the bargaining table, we are going to make Memorial Hospital the ‘poster child’ for why we need the General Assembly to pass legislation banning mandatory overtime.
With these negotiations as a backdrop, Senator John Tassoni and Representative Raymond Gallison, at a recent press conference, said they would be pre-filing mandatory overtime legislation this legislative session provided that they are re-elected. The UNAP and the Memorial Hospital local are committed to continuing the fight to end mandatory overtime.