Descrimination: A full hot meal or soup and a sandwich

[Truth66]

Just when I thought our management couldn't get any more pathetic. Well, they have pushed the envelope even further.

At the begining of December the dietary manager decided (without notice) that the meal times during the day were going to change. Staff were not going to be served a full hot meal until after 12:30 pm, after the residents have all eaten their lunch. However, there are two categories of workers that usually have their lunch earlier which is 10:45 am and 11:15 am. They are the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides. For these workers they will only be entitled to have hot soup and a sandwich.

Well this didn't sit too well with these workers. So they decided on their own to change their lunch times in order for them to have the same full hot meal options that the rest of the workers were having in the building. Well the Director of Nursing got wind of this and she was not impressed. She ordered the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides to go back to their previous meal times and any change in staff meal times must go through proper channels and put to a vote with the union.

I have since filed a descrimination grievance and nothing will be looked into until after the first week of January. However, with this particular union's lousy track record of not wanting to hold the employer accountable on anything, I'm not holding my breath. So for over a month the Practical Nurses and the Care Aides will be served the equivalant of a soup kitchen at lunch time, even though their shift starts the same time as other departments (including the R.N.'s) in the building and will be treated as second class health care workers. This has created enourmous amounts of unnecesary tenstion through out the building.

[MAISY, RN-ER, BSN, RN]

Originally Posted by MAISY, RN-ER

To the student: Work for a year as a nurse before judging anyone or even offering an opinion unless you have worked in a facility and can base your opinion or personal knowledge.

Maisy,

RN

,-ER.... you dont know anything about me or the experience I have to have the balls to say what i should know or do before offering my opinion. For your info I do have experience in LTC and I see it everyday. Hot head

Rn

's like you that make the LPN's and CNA's work experience hell because they think they are better. " I wasnt judging before but now I am HA HA HA!!!" From what I see there is not a support system it's all for yourself. I didnt come here to argue with anyone (and im not) or be told that my opinion will not be acknowledge by anyone i dont care how many years of experience you have or what your title may be. We all put our pants on one leg at a time no one is above the other. And again that my few pennies!!!

If you aren't a nurse you don't have a clue of the responsibility involved, so I stand by my statement.

If you've never had to run a department, division or had a budget then you have no idea....before people get cut, the fat gets cut.

If anything the truth is everybody better belt themselves in, the economy is terrible and personally I think this is ridiculous....you have jobs! If your facility is in the Northeast, you won't have to worry....there are so many new nurses without jobs, there won't be any CNA jobs anywhere. As for the statement about job cuts, I have no doubt they will be following. We have lost our Baylor program, travel nurses as of this month, and no more agency fill ins. I fully expect money to be next. Our cafeteria has raised prices, and shortened their hours. AND YES, WE ARE UNION.

So you see this is happening in all types of businesses, union or non-union.

My point, fight for healthcare, fight for staffing, fight for safety, fight for wages.....if giving a little here keeps your facility afloat, go with the flow. I am far from a hot head, I think......and am not just a (union, management, or martyr) nurse, I am a educated professional who's been around for awhile.

Oh and I do have brass, just not balls:rolleyes:.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I can understand the strong feelings on both sides. However, please let us debate the topic without name-calling or singling out other posters for attack. Thank you. Not directing this at any one person, just a friendly reminder.

[EllenRNorman]

I agree this adds to the ever present stress that nurses and caregivers are under. We give lots but get little in return. Respect would be nice, a hot meal is great.

[MsTn81]

I can understand the strong feelings on both sides. However, please let us debate the topic without name-calling or singling out other posters for attack. Thank you. Not directing this at any one person, just a friendly reminder.

Thanks for the friendly reminder because I had a great comeback. :hehe:

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

I'd like to second the staff request from Elvish to keep things friendly and reasonable. I'd alos like to ask that we keep the thread on-topic. I have read every single post on this thread, all 159 of them and would like to offer the following recap of the actual issues...

Truth66 is an RN in a unionized Canadian long-term care facility. The prevailing collective agreement in place provides for all staff members to purchase their meals on-site. Recently the dietary department of the facility changed the availability of the "meal of the day" such that the LPNs and CNAs are no longer able to purchase this meal and are being offered soup and sandwiches instead because the timing of their lunch breaks as dictated by the DoN, is outside the hours that the "meal of the day" is being served. The RNs, administrative staff, housekeeping, social work and therapy staff are all able to access the "meal of the day". Truth66 feels that this is discriminatory toward the LPNs and CNAs and has brought the issue to this forum for validation of her opinion that this is unfair and should be addressed. The meals are not free, as some posters here have argued, and the issues are fairness toward a lower echelon of employees in their access to the better quality "meal of the day" and the legalities of unilateral deviation from a negotiated and legally-binding contract. Let's use roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots and apple pie, compared to chicken noodle soup, egg salad sandwich and apple pie. It connotes a caste system where the upper class receives a much higher level of benefit than the lower class. What Truth66 is advocating is equality across the board. I believe that she would be satisfied if ALL staff were in the soup-and-sandwich category, because that would be fair. The other issue of contractual tinkering is also valid and grievable.

Arguments based on the state of the economy, decreased reimbursements, potential layoffs, potential facility closures and so on are not germane to this discussion because in Canada our economy is somewhat more stable due to the degree of regulation our banking industry is subject to. There is a collateral effect from the extreme pressures in the US but our economy is much healthier at this time. Our health care facilities are publicly funded and unionized; the likelihood of closure is very small. Canada does not have the bed capacity that would allow for any of them to be lost. There will be some belt-tightening but since there are already insufficient nurses or ancillary staff for the workload, layoffs aren't likely to be included. Again, the issue as raised by Truth66 is one of fairness.

[withasmilelpn]

It doesn't matter if YOU (whoever management, people reading this thread) think this is silly (and maybe it is), the LPNS and CNAs at this facility are unhappy. Management would be wise to try and come up with something more equitable. Discontents can magnify and multiply once people feel slighted even when they truly aren't being treated differently. Perception is everything.

[stormyfeathers]

There is NO institutional food out there that is GOOD for you to eat to begin with....You are safer eating your own food....You keep eating their food and you'll end up a patient!

[patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP]

It matters to me, I think it is funny. I am curious though, withasmileLPN, what would your solution be to the problem ?

If you ask me, make sure the people on the lower end of the totem pole get to eat the full meal such as the CNAs and the LPNs and lastly the RNs get to eat the sandwich meals. But then again, that comes from my military background.

Sure treat everyone with respect, but at work, people are treated according to the work that they do.

[Atheos]

Well with the recap of events this entire argument is kind of bunk. LEt me lay out why.

1. The agreement states that ALL employees have the opportunity to buy lunch.

This has not changed in the least. The lunches available at different times may be different but the contract doesn't say 'the same lunch' just lunch.

2. There is not REALLY any discrimination of lower echelon employees.

Everyone is considering the LPNs and CNAs the lower echelon employees. Umm what about housekeeping. They are lower than CNAs. Yet, due to the flexibility of housekeeping they can eat whenever.

3. Is this REALLY a valid complaint?

Of ALL the things that go on in LTC is this the BIGGEST issue?

If this is the biggest issue be HAPPY. After being in nursing for 9+ years I've come to realize that if they gave us all cars and 500000 dollars a year salary soemone would complain that the cars weren't BMWs...

4. Complaints of a caste system.

Sorry to bust anyone's bubble but there IS a caste system and rightfully so. The CEO is worth more than the middle manager is worth more than the DON is worth more than a floor RN is worth more than a CNA is worth more than a housekeeper. Despite that, there is NO indication that this is 'discrimination.' At most this was a business decision that didn't take into account the 'feelings' of LPNs and CNAs. While a little rude, there is nothing inherently wrong with their decision.

5. Broken contract???

If the contract stipulates 'Food' then you are out of luck. If it stipulates 'The same food as the RNs and Admin' then you have a case.

ETA:

I think we need a thread to discuss what 'Discrimination' really means. Pfft...

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

It's amazing how long this thread it and the passion it evoked in some of the members here. Fascinating.

[withasmilelpn]

It matters to me, I think it is funny. I am curious though, withasmileLPN, what would your solution be to the problem ?

If you ask me, make sure the people on the lower end of the totem pole get to eat the full meal such as the CNAs and the LPNs and lastly the RNs get to eat the sandwich meals. But then again, that comes from my military background.

Sure treat everyone with respect, but at work, people are treated according to the work that they do.

I already think that if it were up to me, I'd change it so that soup and sandwiches are for lunch for everyone.

1. It would save the facility money.

2. It is fair.

I'm sure that the kitchen probably had a good reason to change their policy, maybe not enough help?

3. Rotating lunches seemed like a good idea, but the DON seems opposed to it. Maybe because they did it on their own?

[withasmilelpn]

well with the recap of events this entire argument is kind of bunk. let me lay out why.

1. the agreement states that all employees have the opportunity to buy lunch.

this has not changed in the least. the lunches available at different times may be different but the contract doesn't say 'the same lunch' just lunch.

2. there is not really any discrimination of lower echelon employees.

everyone is considering the lpns and cnas the lower echelon employees. umm what about housekeeping. they are lower than cnas. yet, due to the flexibility of housekeeping they can eat whenever.

3. is this really a valid complaint?

of all the things that go on in ltc is this the biggest issue?

if this is the biggest issue be happy. after being in nursing for 9+ years i've come to realize that if they gave us all cars and 500000 dollars a year salary soemone would complain that the cars weren't bmws...

4. complaints of a caste system.

sorry to bust anyone's bubble but there is a caste system and rightfully so. the ceo is worth more than the middle manager is worth more than the don is worth more than a floor rn is worth more than a cna is worth more than a housekeeper. despite that, there is no indication that this is 'discrimination.' at most this was a business decision that didn't take into account the 'feelings' of lpns and cnas. while a little rude, there is nothing inherently wrong with their decision.

5. broken contract???

if the contract stipulates 'food' then you are out of luck. if it stipulates 'the same food as the rns and admin' then you have a case.

eta:

i think we need a thread to discuss what 'discrimination' really means. pfft...[/quo

if they are upset, it needs to be addressed-silly or not. good places to work consider their employees, bad do not. "feelings" can festor and are part of what motivates people.