Months of Unity Reap Big Rewards for Brooklyn Nurses

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by Regina Weiss

February 2004

The RNs of Long Island College Hospital (LICH) in Brooklyn won a precedent-setting agreement that not only brings them into the NYSNA pension plan, but gives them each up to 10 years of past service credit. In addition, the hospital agreed to provide $2,000 per year to subsidize health care coverage for retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare.

"The nurses had the pension plan in their hearts," said NYSNA Nursing Representative Maria Flores, RN. "They were totally committed to it, and mobilized together for more than a year, focusing on what they really wanted and on what they deserve."

Months of stonewalling on the part of the hospital were overcome by recent job actions by the RNs. On September 23, the fed-up nurses held an informational picket in front of the hospital that was very well attended, despite a driving wind and rain storm. In November, the RNs put the hospital on notice that they would not sign up for voluntary overtime during Thanksgiving week, highlighting the fact that the facility routinely relies on overtime to fill its staffing gaps.

In December, NYSNA sent a letter to hospital board members outlining the nurses' demands for parity, and detailing management's intransigence at the negotiating table. A settlement was reached just as the RNs were preparing to leaflet the site of the holiday party of the hospital's Human Resources Department.

"The nurses were strongly encouraged to prepare for a strike and a strike vote at the last membership meeting in December," Flores said. "This message spread throughout the hospital in a loud solidarity ROAR!"

The LICH nurses' negotiating team - comprised of staff RNs Loretto Gasmen, Hurdley Hill, Cheryl Powell, Joan Rowley, Julie Semente, and Celeste Walker - was tough. They were intently focused on obtaining what they could for their bargaining unit - and it paid off. In addition to pension and retiree health benefits, LICH agreed to extend flex time to almost every unit. The RNs also won three additional steps for experience differential pay, and 3.5% raises for each of the contract's three years. (Free healthcare benefits, staffing ratios for each unit by shift, and restrictions on the use of mandatory overtime had already been achieved in previous contracts and remain intact).

"NYSNA is proud of this team, and their untiring efforts on behalf of their colleagues," Flores said. "LICH management knows that we are a strong bargaining unit and a force to contend with. LICH has 52 vacancies at this time," she added. "We're hopeful, now that they have the NYSNA pension plan, and market rate salaries, that more RNs will want to come work at LICH."

Are the RNs satisfied? Well, their new contract was ratified by an overwhelming vote, during which a member stood and showed the NYSNA "Respect" button she was wearing. "See this?" asked Flores. "That's what this is all about." The nurses cheered.

As one measure of respect, the hospital was forced to drop its proposal to insert so-called "patient satisfaction" language in the contract, which would have held the RNs responsible for conditions over which they have no control - such as whether the hospital is sufficiently staffed and supplied.

"At last, the nurses at LICH have peace of mind that they will not retire into poverty," Flores said. "Going forward, we will work on improving communication and creating an atmosphere of better labor relations for the New Year and beyond.">>>

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