…yep, that brings us to today… It was my understanding until last eve that once you announce a strike it was a done deal… the strike was happening. Period. Bare with me, I’m learning all this as we go too. It wasn’t until today that I realized that even today, after the announcement and even the media, that it very well still could have been avoided had the hospital come to the table and finally engaged in GOOD FAITH bargaining. In conference leading into the day, we all seemed to believe that there may have been some negotiations that could occur. The federal mediator was there and met with both sides and although somewhat remote of a change given the distance of our stands, I thought there was a chance. …even given the borderline demeaning approach the hospital’s representatives have had in the past at times. Expecting a counter at least with the removal of the offending conditions in the retirement and benefits proposals, we were ALL greatly disappointed and disgusted by what was presented to us. I can’t really put into words how offended I am for all of us. I want to say that I’m offended, but I’ve always gotten over things fairly easily. But I can’t aptly describe the disrespect that has been shown here, for all of us working at the Queen nursing and ancillary, for our profession. Not only have we been denied Equality and Fairness, Support… but several times now, they have seemingly flown their representatives up here from Orange for the primary purpose to tell us that we shouldn’t expect that Equality or Fairness. I truly wish every one of us could be a fly on the wall in those negotiations. You would be appalled. So what was handed to us we a stack of additional Take-Aways, a packet that listed reductions in our PTO accrual, removal of our retiree health benefit, reduced cap on the 401a contributions aimed primarily at our most senior nurses, and the total elimination of our Disability Reserve. I’m not sure if all of us know what the DR is, but it is that slowly growing number just below our PTO amount on our pay stubs. God forbid that any of us have to use any of it, but it has always been a comfort that it is there just in case. Lord knows that enough of us get injured at that place, in this career. Anyway, they are proposing (and automatically implementing to all non nursing staff) that they get ride of, take, …however you want to put it… GONE! Our accrued DR, and make us now purchase our own short term disability insurance.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 03:35:57 +0000