What Are We Thankful for This Year?

Among the things our nurses have achieved by acting collectively:

• Through our contract we have addressed many retention & recruitment issues. FAHC has posted and filled job positions to increase our nurses from 1100 in 2003 to almost 1700 in 2008. We have one of the lowest nurse vacancy rates in the country.
• Model Unit Process to redesign each unit at FAHC to better serve patients and to support positive working environments.
• Voluntary On-Call available on any unit to provide better staffing to all units
• All Outpatient RN I's will be moved to RN II's
• Additional LNA's hired on units& in resource pool
• WICC nurses organizing to address on-going unit issues
• 150 Communication Team Leaders representing over 45 units recruited for 2009 Negotiations
• Job security in turbulent economic times
• Nurses who organized to problem solve issues within their unit.
• Increased housekeeping staff in units where nurses were performing housekeeping duties
• Nurses paid for missed meal breaks
• Negotiated Kronos agreement with FAHC
• Nurse Practitioners now receiving 1-Step for every 2-years as an RN
• Midwifery Program Services saved and celebrating 40-years of service
• Additional Stewards trained
• Working in a collaborative manner to solve RN promotions
• First 10 LPN's graduated from the LPN to RN program
• Baylor Plan for LPNs in the LPN education program
• An end to "at-will" employment
• Nurse being generous with CTO donations when other co-workers are in need
• CAT's nurses advocated for the importance of their role
• The ability to meet, as equal partners with management, to create change that benefits our patients and our healthcare worker colleagues
• A unified voice in our workplaces
• "Just Cause" discipline.
• Step-system for improved wages each year & so veteran RNs and LPNs are never "capped"
• Improved Per Diem differentials
• A ban on mandatory floating & float pay for nurses with skill/ability who volunteer to float to another unit.
• A fair grievance procedure
• Safe Staffing
• Language to protect orientation for new hires or members orienting to new units
• Hiring guidelines
• Concern Forms and Safe Staffing Reports to protect patients and/or to protect our licenses
• Significantly improved wages each year - including catch up steps for those who are not on the correct step based on all years in nursing.
• Labor Management Committee working collaboratively with FAHC administration
• A limit to the number of times a nurse can be mandated to take time off per month
• Preference in parking for members with 15 years at FAHC
• Better lighting and security in parking lots
• Scheduling protections- minimize shift rotation & 72-hours as full-time
• Urgent pay negotiated into contract to include outpatient nurses.
• No Mandatory overtime
• The right to information, including FAHC's annual audited financial statements.
• A committed Executive Board meeting monthly to build our professional organization and address contract implementation/enforcement
• Best Whistleblower protection in the country that includes the right to refuse to do anything that compromises the quality and safety of patient care.
• Ability to sell back additional CTO hours towards benefits
• Freeze in employee % contribution for health care benefits for three years, & we will be informed and involved in annual benefit planning and will be notified annually of cost changes in advance of their implementation
• Significant improvements to shift differentials and new differential for resource nurses
• Negotiated tuition reimbursement
• Education bonuses for members achieving RN, BSN, APRN, Masters degree & creation of dedicated education funding for APRNs
• Increased education funding for education days, unit education days, and conference costs for RNs & LPNs
• Increased certification reimbursement funding for all members including APRNs
• Ten $7,200 Scholarships each year
• Meeting with and working with community & political leaders on health care issues
• New hire bonuses negotiated each year.
• Several "me-too" clauses to ensure that members receive pension and benefit increases when and if other groups at FAHC receive such increases.
• The ability for each unit to work with their manager to negotiate the number of FTE's or hours permitted to be granted CTO as part of our vacation/CTO sign up procedure.
• Increased on-call pay to carry the pager.
• Committee appointments to address our concerns around safe patient handling and violence in the workplace.
• A significant change in the climate at FAHC from feeling discouraged to feeling empowered
• New equipment purchased and broken equipment repaired

We are thankful for the continued respect and support of the community

• For the thousands of signatures on the community petition to support safe staffing at FAHC.
• The cheers and kind words from community members at every July 4th and Labor Day parade
• For the awards from the Vermont Workers Center, VT AFL-CIO, and AFT
• For the support from the community leaders, the religious leaders and the political leaders across the state

We are thankful for all the healthcare workers at FAHC that work side by side with us to ensure that patients are safe and well cared for.

• For our members, the nurses that have been at FAHC for many years - we appreciate their expereince and willingness to mentor our newer nurses. We respect you and we need you to stay in nursing and stay at FAHC.
• For our members, the nurses that have recently been hired at FAHC. We want you to know that nursing is one of the greatest professions! We want you to stay in nursing and stay at FAHC.
• For all the other workers at FAHC that help us care for the patients and the community.

Use our contract to see these and other changes made on your unit.

Are you interested in helping other groups organize a union, so they have their own list of things to be thankful for next year? Call the office at 657-4040.