Maine Nurses Authorize Strike

[FineAgain]

Union nurses at EMMC in Bangor, Maine voted with a majority of 93% to authorize a strike if necessary. Management will not budge so a strike seems likely. At issue is staffing concerns! EMMC also wants to remove health insurance from the contract (so they can change it whenever it suits them); reduce PEP time to a max of 300 hours, make charge nurses take assignments, and only give pay increases to the lower tier of hired nurses.

Here's a link to the article in the BDN.

Comments on Unionized nurses at EMMC vote to authorize strike — Health — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

I have completed multiple contracts in Maine. Working conditions in Maine used to be very good but have gone downhill rapidly throughout the state in the last two years. Every hospital has increased ratios to unsafe levels. Mainahs are smart and tough and this job action should prove very interesting.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

I support the Eastern Maine Medical Center nurses.

If the hospital agrees to staffing ratios in their contract the cost of a strike and the loss of revenue for Medicare patients will save money, prevent suffering, and save lives.

Eastern Maine Medical Center RNs Overwhelmingly Vote to Authorize Strike

The RNS—represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC)—have been working under a contract extended until June 18, after their original contract expired on May 30. The next bargaining session is June 10, and nurses maintain that a potential contract settlement reached through this bargaining must address critical issues impacting patient safety, such as improved staffing, to reduce injuries such as falls, infections and bedsores that patients acquire while being treated at EMMC. If management continues to turn a blind eye to patient safety, nurses say, they are now prepared to strike.

As nurses, our first priority is our patients. While we would always prefer to be providing care, at the bedside, the reason nurses voted to authorize a potential strike is because management is putting our patients' lives and health in jeopardy. We cannot stand by and let that happen. We need more nurses at EMMC so we can provide the kind of care patients in this community deserve,” said EMCC RN Steve Akerley.

EMMC was recently cited by Medicare due to high rates of potentially avoidable mistakes that can harm patients, known as 'hospital-acquired conditions' (HACs)."

Penalized hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent over the fiscal year that runs from October 2014 through September 2015. Nurses say these avoidable mistakes highlighted by the Medicare citation are unacceptable—and point to improved staffing as the solution for ensuring patient safety.

Studies have shown time and again that safe nurse-to-patient staffing improves outcomes and saves lives. A recent study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing showed that for each additional patient per nurse on medical–surgical units beyond the baseline number, there was a 4 percent decrease in the odds of survival.

Nurses at EMMC, backed by studies such as these, maintain that if staffing were improved, patient injuries could be avoided—and along with them, the suffering of patients and their families subject to longer hospital stays and increased costs...

Eastern Maine Medical Center RNs Overwhelmingly Vote to Authorize Strike | National Nurses United

[FineAgain]

I guess nursing has been told by management not to be afraid to cross the picket line, that they will be bused to and safely escorted onto the property. The nurses I have talked to are not impressed. Is this even legal?

We support our fellow RN's! Standing with you EMMC nurses!

[JBudd, MSN]

I guess nursing has been told by management not to be afraid to cross the picket line, that they will be bused to and safely escorted onto the property. The nurses I have talked to are not impressed. Is this even legal?

We support our fellow RN's! Standing with you EMMC nurses!

Yes, it is legal... when we were on strike in 1988, the hospital cleared out almost all the beds and they drove the nurses in in a school bus (the driver was a cook, and she swung that bus around hard and fast, seemed like she was hoping to hit one of us). They ducked down so as not to be seen. There were only 2 staff nurses that crossed the line.

Recently we were on the verge of strike again, but since then our community hospital has been absorbed by a national chain with a lot of money. We were stuck on staffing ratios. They filled the local hotels with scabs, and we just were not going to be able to win. We lost a lot of contract protections, and did manage to get staffing level language; but even that lower staffing is consistently not met. The penalty used to be paying staff time and half for picking up the extra pt loads, but now is fines put into the educational fund.

So, we still have a union presence, you can't be fired out of hand, there are grievance procedures... our fight is now trying to get nurse/pt ratios into law through the legislature. Up hill battle, but every session we get a little closer.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I have completed multiple contracts in Maine. Working conditions in Maine used to be very good but have gone downhill rapidly throughout the state in the last two years. Every hospital has increased ratios to unsafe levels. Mainahs are smart and tough and this job action should prove very interesting.

I have to wonder if that is related to Maine opting out of Medicaid expansion.

[FineAgain]

Nurses Call Two-Day Strike at Eastern Maine Medical Center, Press Hospital to Address Safe Staffing | National Nurses United

Well, it's official, they are striking. I have a friend who works there and she has told me that they are encouraging people to cross the picket line. They are also being told in "hushed rumors" that a note will be placed in personnel files and future promotions could be ruined. Another rumor is that they will all be fired and replaced.

We need to stand strong with the nurses at EMMC!

[FineAgain]

An agreement for a three year contract was reached late last night! No strike and a victory for patient care!

[guest769224]

An agreement for a three year contract was reached late last night! No strike and a victory for patient care!

They will staff safely for 3 years, but then go back to unsafe staffing to save money? What's the details?

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Union, EMMC to avoid strike, tentatively agree to 30 new nurses

... An additional 30 RNs are to be hired to address staffing shortages under the agreement. Further details will be disclosed after the ratification vote, according to the nurses union press release. A vote to ratify the agreement is set for Friday, according to Vanessa Sylvester of the nurses union...

... This agreement will address important staffing concerns that we have for our patients in the community and region,” EMMC RN Steve Akerley said.

By having reduced patient ratios, we look forward to doing the kind of nursing we would like to do — which means providing the kind of care we would provide for our loved ones. The community has been especially supportive of this effort and we want to thank everyone,” he said...

https://bangordailynews.com/2015/07/08/health/union-emmc-to-avoid-strike-tentatively-agree-to-30-new-nurses/

[FineAgain]

I am being told that patient ratio on nights has been reduced to 6 instead of 7 (on the medical/ortho/neuro floors); that there will be a dedicated resource nurse from 11 am to 11 pm. Cardiac floor will have 5 patients at night. Charge nurses who have been forced to take assignments on most floors will "not ordinarily" take assignments and will not take a full assignment.

The other sticking points were pep time, raises and insurance. Don't know the details but am told there are "no take aways".

It's not perfect but it's a start, and it is better than what they had been offered.

[kspi355]

What is PEP time?