<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=windows-1250">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";
panose-1:3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"E-mail Signature Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.E-mailSignatureChar
{mso-style-name:"E-mail Signature Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"E-mail Signature";
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<div>
<div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Diane Scherrer <a
href="mailto:dscherrer@mnarn.org">dscherrer@mnarn.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><strong><u><span
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Mercy Nurses Picket
April 15</span></u></strong><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>PLEASE SAVE THE DATE of Tuesday
April 15 1-4:30pm for an informational picket in support of Mercy
nurses in Springfield. Details to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Other Nurses’ news
below …<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###</span></strong><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Cooley Dickinson
VNA & Hospice RNs Call in Mediator</span></u></strong><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>NORTHAMPTON
-- </span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
Registered Nurses who work for the Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice have called
for a Federal mediator to join their contract negotiations. The nurses, who are
represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have been in negotiations
since August of 2007 and have now called for the mediator to move the talks
forward. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“We
provide services that range from highly skilled and technical nursing care, to
assisting patients with the essential activities of daily living. We love the
work we do, the patients and families we serve, and feel a sense of great
accomplishment about the quality of care we deliver,” said Sarah
Williams, RN who is Chairperson of the bargaining unit at the VNA and Hospice.
But, according to Williams there is a serious problem, “Many of us
don’t know how much longer we will be able to continue doing this work we
love. We are incredibly underpaid compared to nurses who work in the hospital,
and Management is seeking to have more control over our schedules, forcing us
into additional coverage beyond our regular shifts. We have children, families,
and bills and if we can make 30 percent more in the hospital setting, and have
defined hours of work, we owe it to our families to give it serious
consideration.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>While
treating patients in their homes, the visiting nurses see patients of all ages
and from all backgrounds. They are responsible not only for treatments and
dressing changes but also for constant overview and assessment of the patient.
The nurses are also teaching the patients and their families about self care
and healthy life styles. The Hospice nurses provide emotional support and
end-of-life care, including pain management, to terminally ill patients and
their families. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>While these
nurses are required to have equal training and the same license as RNs who work
in a hospital setting such as Cooley Dickinson Hospital, there is one area
where they are not equal, pay and benefits. At the present time a VNA nurse
with equal experience makes 30 percent less than her hospital counterpart.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The nurses
who care for patients in Hampshire, Hampton, and Franklin counties have seen
many changes in recent years. “I’ve been with the agency for ten
years,” said Williams. “Over those years I have seen the acuity, or
seriousness, of the cases greatly increase. With managed care and health care
reform we continue to see pressure to move patients out of the hospital sooner.
While many of our patients ten years ago would have stayed in the hospital, we
are now out there providing hospital-level care and treatments in the home. It
seems what hasn’t changed is our pay and benefits. It is our hope that
the mediator may help move the process along so we can reach an equitable
solution and stay with the agency and our patients.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'># # # <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><u><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Nurses file labor
complaint during contract talks </span></u></strong><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>GREENFIELD
--</span></strong><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
In the midst of heated negotiations, the Baystate Franklin Medical Center
registered nurses have filed an unfair labor practice charge after they felt
their freedom of speech was violated by the hospital. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The nurses,
who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, filed the charge
on March 21 with the National Labor Relations Board against the hospital for
''their unlawful attempt to silence freedom of speech for nurses and their
union.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>According to
a statement from the MNA, Baystate's director of human resources Jay Brady
removed information posted on MNA bulletin boards in the hospital. The posters
were put up in response to the heated negotiations that the MNA bargaining unit
in the hospital has been involved with the Greenfield hospital's parent
corporation, Baystate Health, since last November. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Amy Swisher,
the hospital's director of public and community relations, said copies of the
one posting were removed from a bulletin board at the hospital, ''as we believe
the information is unlawful.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The MNA
attached a copy of their poster, which is a list of nine slogans, including
''Talk about negotiations during break'' and ''Always know your contract.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The local
hospital is the only Baystate hospital that has a union for its nurses.
Baystate Health also operates Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Baystate
Mary Lane Hospital in Ware and Baystate Children's Hospital in Springfield. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Swisher said
the hospital has been engaged in extensive negotiations with the MNA and is
prepared to settle this contract for the nurses. But, she said, the MNA ''has
repeatedly stalled the negotiating process by canceling meetings and refusing
to schedule any meetings as they did all last month, creating unnecessary
delays that seriously harm efforts to finalize the contract.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The MNA
Monday cited some sticking points in the talks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>According to
the MNA, Baystate has put a proposal on the table that says ''the
Association/unit representatives will not post, permit the posting of, or
condone the posting of material which is inflammatory or derogatory to the
hospital, its board, administration or any of its supervisors, managers or
employees.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>''We have
told management since we first saw this proposal that we will never give them
the right to censor the material we post on our bulletin boards,'' said Ann
Lewin, registered nurse and bargaining unit chairwoman. ''We believe we, as all
Americans, have the constitutional right to post our union material on our
boards. This is clearly a matter of freedom of speech and we will not give in
on this issue.'' <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Charles
Rasmussen, MNA associate director of communications, said the posters at issue
were put up around the hospital about two weeks ago and within days, they were
being taken down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>One of the
lines of the poster read ''Call in sick or being on call is still our option.''
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The MNA said
the Baystate management has translated the comment to mean the nurses are
threatening a sick-out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>According to
Mary Colleen MacDougal, registered nurse and negotiating committee member,
management's claim is unfounded and false -- and that the line refers to two
proposals Baystate has put on the table during negotiations. According to the
MNA statement, one would allow Baystate to discipline or terminate a nurse who
is sick too often, even if it is documented and legitimate. The other ''demand
on the table'' would give Baystate the ''absolute unilateral right'' to cancel
scheduled shifts and to mandate overtime. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Rasmussen
said the new language proposed in the contract would make it easier to
discipline the nurses who take too many sick days. He said the nurses feel that
the language that exists now reflects that there are extenuating circumstances
why people have to take days and there is language that says nurses aren't
required to accept mandatory overtime.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>An employee
at the National Labor Relations Board in Boston said the board will first
investigate the claim to determine if there is any merit. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'># # # <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Diane
Scherrer, RN </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Western
MA Community Organizer</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Division
of Legislation</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Massachusetts
Nurses Association </span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>CELL: 781-363-3817</span><span
style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";
color:#333399'>"Without good and careful nursing many must suffer greatly,
and probably perish, that might have been restored to health and comfort, and
become useful to themselves, their families, and the public, for many years
after." ~Benjamin Franklin (1751)</span></b><b><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333399'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal> <span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>TO
UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email to wmjwj@wmjwj.org with a Subject of "Unsub
Worker's Rights”.<br>
<br>
Western Mass Jobs with Justice<br>
640 Page Blvd #101<br>
Springfield MA 01104<br>
(413) 827-0301</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG.<BR>
Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.1/1352 - Release Date: 3/31/2008 10:13 AM<BR>
</FONT> </P>