Seniority-Vacation-Straight Shifts

Hi,

We are a union hospital. RN's are in one union and all other non-administration staff is in another union. When you transition from a CNA or LPN to an RN you of course change unions. You retain all sick time and vacation time accumulated using your original date of hire.

I was hired in 1981 :) as an LPN, returned to school, graduated, and was hired in 2012, maintaining my full time status and never stopping employment. So my date of hire for vacation and sick time is 1981. We have a rule that after 20 years of continuous service (both unions have this) you can request straight shifts. The RN union is using date of hire in the RN Union for this benefit. This of course affects me and 9 other nurses. We would like to bring this to the bargaining table for the upcoming contract. We feel that continuous years of service should be from date of original hire.

My question is...

What do other hospitals (both union and non-union) do with seniority for vacation sign-ups and straight shifts/continuous years of service?

Thanks for your time!

Brenda

[klone, MSN, RN]

I don't know what you mean by straight shifts. But at our facility, RN seniority is determined by union start date, so it would be THAT union, not any union or hospital start date.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Vacations are done by seniority in the health system. Working a straight shift (being exempt from working a variety of shifts) is based on unit seniority.

[adnerbe1]

Straight shifts are one shift whatever you decide. How many unions do you have at your hospital?

[adnerbe1]

Thanks!

Brenda

[klone, MSN, RN]

Straight shifts are one shift whatever you decide. How many unions do you have at your hospital?

Ah - all of our staff do straight shifts unless they choose to take others.

We have 3 unions, I believe - one is for nurses (and that includes LPNs), one is for CNAs and unit secretaries, and then another union for EVS, biomed, engineering, etc.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I was never covered under a union. However, the health care system I work(ed) for included all of my years of service, even though they were interrupted by 8 years.

It's gonna be all about the administrative interpretation. I feel... first come first served with a vacation request.

[RNKPCE]

Our seniority date is calculated based on time within that particular union. So it wouldn't matter if you worked for the hospital for 20 years as a unit clerk in a different union, your date for vacation, bargaining for positions etc is based only on date within the RN union.