Victory! New Mandatory Overtime Law for Nurses in NY!

[1199SEIU RN]

After 6 years of lobbying, letter-writing, petition-signing, 1199SEIU nurses are celebrating a huge victory for nurses and patients in New York State.

This afternoon, the New York State Senate, Assembly, and Governor Paterson announced a three-way agreement on a new law to restrict the use of mandatory overtime for direct care RNs and LPNs to emergencies.

The new law will take effect in July 2009, and covers a broad array of health care settings in NY: hospitals, nursing homes, mental health facilities, and many more!

Great work everyone! For several years now, 1199SEIU has been working in coalition with other unions that represent nurses in New York State.:loveya:

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

And how about the poor CNA's who can be mandated to work doubles?

[1199SEIU RN]

Very important, but we have to start somewhere. I think Rhode Island is the only state that has been able to get CNAs included in their mandatory overtime bill so far.

[FutureRNelizabeth]

what does this mean please explain?

[1199SEIU RN]

This bill--once it is signed and actually becomes law--will prohibit employers from mandating nurses to work beyond their regularly scheduled hours of work except for emergency circumstances. These can be declared emergencies or disasters (9/11, blizzards, etc) or other unforseen events--a sudden spike in unit census that could not be anticipated. Even then, employers will have to exhaust all other possibilities before mandating--float pool nurses, agency or per diem nurses, calling for vounteers at home, etc.

Most importantly, a 'hole' in the schedule is not an unforseen event, so no mandatory overtime to fill it!

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

This is for all NYS RNs, right? Not just 1199 facilities....?

[1199SEIU RN]

This is for all NYS RNs, right? Not just 1199 facilities....?

Yes, it is for all direct care RNs and LPNs in most every healthcare facility in NY, including dept of corrections. Here is a link to current language of the bill:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11711&sh=t

Implementation will be July 1, 2009.

[Wsmith16, ADN, BSN]

Wonderful news :yeah:

[tabrown1]

Wonderful news :yeah:

Wow, thats great, I used to work at a job when the employer can mandate you to work extra hours. I didn't enjoy it at all. Maybe this can spin off to solve other nursing issues. Since they can't mandate us and they need more nurses. Maybe they'll look into how to open more nursing schools help solve the shortage.

[whoofers]

Wow, thats great, I used to work at a job when the employer can mandate you to work extra hours. I didn't enjoy it at all. Maybe this can spin off to solve other nursing issues. Since they can't mandate us and they need more nurses. Maybe they'll look into how to open more nursing schools help solve the shortage.

Nahhh. They'll just have less nurses handling more patients and blame it on the law.

I can see nurses turning on nurses. Imagine how you would feel if you started your shift and was told that Nurse X was not agreeing to overtime because her replacement called in sick, so now you would have to take her patients along with your own. They can't force Nurse X to stay because of the law, but nothing is stopping them from giving you an unsafe ratio. Most likely, Nurse X will be looked at as the non team player, not as someone who was well within her rights to leave.

[tabrown1]

whoofers,

Although you believe they won't change the law to allow more nursing schools. You also mention that you'll look like not a team player for not working overtime. To me as long as they can't fire me, myself and other nurses can't do it everytime. They'll have to figure something out.

PS - I'm not a nurse yet, but Sept. is my last semester

[Wsmith16, ADN, BSN]

Nahhh. They'll just have less nurses handling more patients and blame it on the law.

I can see nurses turning on nurses. Imagine how you would feel if you started your shift and was told that Nurse X was not agreeing to overtime because her replacement called in sick, so now you would have to take her patients along with your own. They can't force Nurse X to stay because of the law, but nothing is stopping them from giving you an unsafe ratio. Most likely, Nurse X will be looked at as the non team player, not as someone who was well within her rights to leave.

Whew...that's another side of the story I haven't even looked at. But you know what we have to take a stand somehow even if it's a small step. Is it fair for Nurse X to stay, she's prob EXHAUSTED & in the end it could lead to an error.

The whole situation sucks. But we gotta take some steps even though it's baby steps.

In the end this all makes me want to further my education even more & get out of the bedside as as I possibly can. It's deplorable the way administration treats nurses & how fellow nurses treat each other.