United Nurses & Allied Professionals - All UNAP News

UNAP to host Professional Issues Conference on Tuesday, June 10

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:21:42 -0400

The UNAP will host its bi-annual Professional Issues Conference on Tuesday, June 10 from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at the RI Convention Center. For more information, click here.

Local 5086 elections coming up in May

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:43:10 -0400

May 19, 2008 is the next Membership meeting. We will be voting on the budget and also holding elections that day. The meetings will be at 8am, 2pm and 4pm, the place will be announced.

Retreat contract signed

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:55:57 -0400

The new Retreat contract was signed on Monday, April 7. We are waiting to get the copies back from the printer. As soon as we receive them, we will distribute them to all our members. Stay tuned...

Danielle Perry joins UNAP staff

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:02:26 -0400

Former Local 5086 President and Brattleboro Retreat RN, Danielle Perry, is now working with the UNAP in Rhode Island as a union organizer. Danielle's responsibilities include organizing LPNs, Techs, and support staff at Fatima Hospital, where the UNAP already represents RNs, as well as Kent County Hospital, the second largest hospital in Rhode Island. Danielle can be reached at 401-831-3647, extension 19.

Rhode Island's new mandatory overtime now in effect

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:24:34 -0500

Rhode Island's new mandatory overtime law became effective on Tuesday, March 4. The new law prohibits hospitals from forcing nurses and nurse's aides to work beyond their scheduled shift, except in true emergencies.

The UNAP has prepared a variety of materials to educate members about their new legal rights -- including posters, fact sheets, badge cards, mandatory overtime documentation forms, and additional questions & answers. For printed copies of these materials, contact the UNAP at 401-831-3647.

State House rally urges override of mandatory overtime veto

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:20:46 -0400

On Monday, September 24, over 100 health care workers and allies gathered outside the RI State House to urge the Legislature to override Governor Carcieri's veto of a mandatory overtime bill that would prohibit hospitals from forcing nurses and nurse's aides to work beyond their scheduled shift, except in true emergencies.

UNAP President, Linda McDonald, called the Governor's veto a "travesty," and accused the Governor of turning his back on patients and caregivers in Rhode Island.

Click here to read Providence Journal coverage of the event.

Click here to send an email to your State legislators urging them to override the Governor's veto.
To urge the House leadership to override the veto, call 401-222-2466.
To urge the Senate leadership to override the veto, call 401-222-6655.

Override the mandatory overtime veto!

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:10:55 -0400

This past June, the Rhode Island House and Senate unanimously passed legislation that would prohibit hospitals from forcing nurses and nurse's aides to work beyond their scheduled shift, except in true emergencies. Unfortunately, this legislation was vetoed by Governor Carcieri.

However, the Legislature has the option to override the Governor's veto, and we need your help to persuade them to override the veto this fall.

It is extremely important that your legislators hear from you on this issue. To send an email to your State legislators urging them to override the Governor's veto, click here. To urge the House leadership to override the veto, call 401-222-2466. To urge the Senate leadership to override the veto, call 401-222-6655.

To read highlights of the mandatory overtime bill, click here. To read the complete mandatory overtime bill, click here.

Memorial Hospital found guilty of multiple unfair labor practices

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:20:44 -0400

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:

New contract ratified at RI Hospital

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:40:13 -0400

July 17, 2007

After five membership meetings, a new contract was ratified today by the RI Hospital UNAP. The vote tally was:

YES: 323

NO: 224

Among the highlights of the agreement are:

Wage increases ranging from 16Â½ - 33% over the life of the contract
Improvements in shift differentials
Improvements in on-call pay
Continuation of double-time and all other overtime premiums
Continuation of sick leave buy-back options
Protection of all health insurance benefits
Elimination of Lifespan Master Agreement
Continuation of Labor-Management Liaisons

All members will receive an immediate 5% pay increase retroactive to July 1. The new contract will expire on June 30, 2011.

CLICK HERE to read a detailed summary of the agreement
CLICK HERE to read FAQs (frequently asked questions)
CLICK HERE to see the new wage scales.

RI Hospital contract details

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 10:00:20 -0400

The United Nurses & Allied Professionals and Rhode Island Hospital have reached an agreement on a new four-year contract that will make Rhode Island Hospital nurses, technologists, therapists and other allied health professionals among the highest paid in the State. The agreement was reached on Monday, July 2 after nine bargaining sessions, including a marathon, sixteen-hour session on June 28.

CLICK HERE to read a detailed summary of the agreement.

CLICK HERE to see the new wage scales.

CLICK HERE to read FAQs (frequently asked questions.)

Find out your hospital's staffing plans!

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 18:21:54 -0400

In 2005, the UNAP led the way in successfully passing the Hospital Staffing Disclosure law, which requires hospitals to submit their staffing plans each year to the RI Department of Health. The plans must specify the number of RNs, LPNs and CNAs that will be scheduled on each shift, based on an average daily census for each unit.

To see the official staffing plan for your unit, click here:

In order to compare hospital staffing plans with hospital staffing reality, the UNAP recently undertook an effort to monitor staffing levels during the month of February, 2007. We are currently compiling and analyzing this data, and will issue a report and recommendations in the coming months.

To learn more about the UNAP's "Eye on Staffing" campaign, click here.

End Mandatory Overtime -- Contact the Governor!!!

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:28:26 -0400

Thanks to the active participation of hundreds of health care workers and supporters, groundbreaking legislation to end the dangerous practice of mandatory overtime has been passed unanimously by the RI House and Senate.

The bill is now on Governor Carcieri's desk awaiting his signature. PLEASE contact the Governor to urge him to sign the mandatory overtime law. To send an email to Governor Carcieri, click here. We ask that you also please call the Governor at 401-222-2080.

To read highlights of the mandatory overtime bill, click here. To read the complete mandatory overtime bill, click here.

A special thank you to Representative Ray Gallison and Senator John Tassoni and the entire RI legislature. You have made a real difference for health care workers and patients in Rhode Island!

Governor vetoes mandatory overtime bill

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:01:29 -0400

June 29, 2007 - Yesterday, Governor Carcieri vetoed the mandatory overtime bill that would prohibit hospitals from forcing nurses and nurse's aides to work beyond their scheduled shift, except in true emergencies. The Governor took this action in spite of the fact that the bill was passed unanimously by the RI House and Senate and has widespread public support.

The Legislature now has the option to override the Governor's veto. It is extremely important that your legislators hear from you on this issue. To send an email to your State legislators urging them to override the Governor's veto, CLICK HERE.

To read the Governor's veto message, click here. To read the Union's press release regarding the Governor's veto, click here.

Contract Update - Tentative agreement reached

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 18:54:52 -0400

July 2, 2007 â€“ After one final day of negotiations, a tentative agreement for a new contract has been reached between the United Nurses & Allied Professionals and RI Hospital. Among the highlights of the agreement are:

Wage increases of 16 Â½ percent (plus anniversary and longevity steps)
Improvements in shift differentials
Improvements in on-call pay
Continuation of double-time and all other overtime premiums
Continuation of all sick leave and vacation buy-back options
Resolution of all leave of absence issues
Continuation of Labor-Management Liaisons
Elimination of Lifespan Master Agreement

Full details of the tentative agreement will be sent to all Union members in the next few days. Membership meetings and ratification vote will be held on Tuesday, July 17. Location and times to be announced.

Lifespan's refusal to expand health insurance for college students triggers new legislation

Fri, 25 May 2007 15:43:19 -0400

Senator Rhoda Perry, the prime sponsor of a new Rhode Island law that allows full-time and part-time college students to remain on their parents' health plan until age 25, has introduced new legislation to address Lifespan's refusal to follow the new law.

Senator Perry's recent legislation provides that a hospital would only be eligible for disproportionate share (DSH) payments from the State of RI if the hospital provides health insurance coverage for its employees' dependent full-time or part-time students up to age 25.

DSH payments compensate hospitals for providing care to the uninsured. Senator Perry's legislation was designed to reduce the number of uninsured college students, and her new bill is intended to motivate hospitals to do their part by expanding insurance coverage to the depent college students of their own employees.