December 01, 2024
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23 April 2018

Nurse staffing shortages come to Michigan hospitals – with a twist

By Mark Gruenberg PAI Staff Writer

MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (PAI)—If you’re a registered nurse and your union contract with two hospitals includes safe-staffing ratios, what do you do if the hospitals break those pact provisions?

The answer from Office and Professional Employees Local 40, which represents 1,000 nurses at two hospitals in the upscale Detroit suburb of Mount Clemens, Mich., is you hammer at the issue in bargaining sessions, file labor law-breaking complaints with the National Labor Relations Board – and raise hell in public.

Which is what the local did, convening a Town Hall meeting in Mount Clemens on the evening of April 19 to tell the community what’s going on, and take questions, Local President Jeff Morawski said in a pre-meeting telephone interview.

Safe staffing is a nationwide problem, as insurers lean on hospitals to cut costs by cutting down the number of nurses available per shift. The firms’ tactic is to deny reimbursements for claims, arguing they’re paying too much for too many people. One result is doctors’ short visits with patients.


31 July 2017

Patience Leads to McLaren Greater Lansing RN Agreement

After long, difficult negotiations marked with hospital proposals for significant concessions, Local 459 secured a new contract that maintains healthcare for registered nurses at McLaren Greater Lansing (MGL).
9 May 2017

#OPEIU Northeast region activists storm Capitol Hill today to meet with our legislators. #nursestakedc #opeiunursescouncil #opeiulegislativeday #whatrain?

9 May 2017

OPEIU Nurses Take Capitol Hill to Demand Nurse Safe Staffing Legislation

“It’s Your Health, Your Families and Your Constituents We’re Fighting to Protect”

Washington, D.C. – Nurse members of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, from around the country will descend on Capitol Hill on Friday, May 5, 2017, to meet with their legislators and demand safe nurse to patient ratio legislation aimed at protecting nurses, patients and their families.

The nurses, represented by the OPEIU Nurses Council (ONC), will also participate in the Nurses Take DC Rally for Safe Nurse to Patient Ratios, joining an anticipated 10,000 nurses from around the country who are gathering to raise public awareness of the dangers posed by unsafe nurse staffing levels in hospitals and medical clinics. ONC Vice Chair Julie Murray, RN, is among the scheduled speakers.
Safe Staffing Saves Lives 13 April 2017

Safe Staffing Saves Lives

Two new safe staffing bills have been introduced in New York and Ohio. Democratic Senator Michael Skindell from Ohio has proposed SB 324 to the Ohio legislature. This bill mirrors the staffing ratios set in California in 2004. New York Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther has proposed A01532 titled the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act. This bill also sets ratios and also addresses the issues of long term care facilities by determining staffing according to a minimum of care hours per resident per day for RNs, LPNs and CNAs. For RNs it would be figured at 0.75 divided among all shifts 24 hours a day divided amongst all shifts for seven days a week. For LPNs it is 1.3 hours and CNAs are at 2.8 hours.
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Download the OPEIU App!

The OPEIU app is available for free download. It’s a great way to stay connected to your union, learn more about your membership benefits, find links to OPEIU’s social media networks and much more. Available for free download for iOS devices on the App Store and for Android devices on Google Play by searching OPEIU.

 

About the ONC

The OPEIU Nurses Council (ONC) was established by OPEIU members who are nurses, giving them a means to participate in the resolution of issues affecting their nursing practice. The ONC helps foster a climate of professionalism within the nursing community, promoting best practices regarding patient care, safety concerns and compensation issues. The ONC advocates for legislation to improve working conditions and improve patient care, including measures that address nurse-to-patient ratios and violence against health care workers. Its primary goal is to advance the professional image of the nursing profession. 

For more information, please email us at info@opeiunursescouncil.org

 

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The ONC is a council of the OPEIU, which represents 103,000 members in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, including more than 10,000 nurses and healthcare professionals. Click Here for More Info