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...produced by CRONA nurses for CRONA nurses
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MEMBERS SPEAK OUT - No. 3 |
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These
are
letters we received in response to the letter from the nurses that
was sent by them to the hospitals.
June 16, 2010 A Response to SHC/LPCH
Posting of 6/11/10
One of the cornerstones to effective leadership is to lead
by example—“do as I do”. Its
corollary is to have people do only that which you would do
yourself. It is taught by successful organizations so as to
cultivate trust in its employees—the kind of trust that evolves from a
subordinate towards his/her superior in knowing that said superior
“walks the walk”. It is an issue of credibility.
(This letter was also sent to the hospitals) Conversely, tyranny’s main precept is to “do as I say or else”. That is the thinly veiled threat presented by administration as evidenced by their refusal to bargain. Adding insult to injury, the Human Resource (HR) Vice Presidents at SHC and LPCH goad CRONA nurses with a patronizing admonition to rise to higher standards as set forth by the PDNP. I wonder if these are the standards to which our HR Vice Presidents are held. More interestingly, why is it that the leaders in my chain of command are exempt from said standards? How is it that the hospital negotiating team reconciles this discrepancy? If it were in my power, I would propose that the PDNP standards be applied to anybody who has input as to my worthiness as a candidate for promotion. I want to know that my leaders/evaluators empathize with what I have endured to get to this point. Further, the PDNP standards should be applied to anybody in my chain of command—in other words, they should lead by example. It would be interesting if management had to show their merit for maintaining rank every year in the same manner as union nurses. But management is exempt. In fact, any RNs in union-exempt positions are excused from the PDNP. That is the quintessence of hypocrisy, and antithetical to the high standards that HR leaders ostensibly espouse for their union nurses. Such exemptions border on discriminatory employment practices. I am not lazy. I am pretty sure that I epitomize what is wanted by the PDNP—my co-workers would attest to this. I am a master’s prepared nurse. I am a: Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse, Certified APHON Chemotherapy Instructor, PALS instructor. I teach numerous Versant classes. I am a guest lecturer for the Master’s Entry Program for Nurses at UCSF. I do international volunteer work, most recently in Haiti. I have also worked in several pediatric oncology clinics in Latin America in the form of providing medical donations, clinical work on their units and teaching. I have spoken at several international conferences in a foreign language. I am on two committees (The Hospital Transfusion Committee, and the 1N Chemo Taskforce). I have precepted numerous nursing students and new graduates. I am a Daisy Award recipient. There’s more, but the reader should get the idea by now. After September, with all that I’ve done and continue to do, I will only qualify as a Clinical Nurse III level under the new program. It should be clear the lack of sustainability inherent in the PDNP. It is replete with point caps that hobble a nurse’s ability to accrue points. It is argued that limiting an RN’s ability to accrue points in a single area requires the nurse to diversify professionally. A more accurate assessment is that the program is designed to demote the overwhelming majority of senior RNs as a means of cutting costs. Diversify…diversity…now there’s a contradiction intrinsic to the PDNP. By my reckoning, it is culturally challenged. The most glaring example of this is that it overlooks rewarding a nurse who speaks a second language. In one of the most culturally demanding environments in the world, at the Number One Pediatric Hospital in the state, why is it that no weight is given an RN who can linguistically bridge a communication gap such that it might enhance a patient’s comfort or save his/her life? Deceit. It’s at the crux of why most of CRONA’s rank and file members rejected the Last, Best and Final Offer. In my opinion, the hospital never had any intention of negotiating with CRONA. I say this because on February 19th of this year, a former LPCH colleague informed me that she had been solicited for employment as a strike breaker at SHC/LPCH—she lives in New York. Those actions are not indicative of good faith bargaining. Administration knew their bottom line from the outset of negotiations. They started marshaling resources against union nurses because they knew the contract would be seen for what it was—flawed in the extreme. Those actions hardly engender faith…or trust. In my opinion, administration knew the contract was sketchy as evidenced by the $3000 prorated “incentive” they offered nurses to ratify the contract as quickly as possible. What is more disturbing is the administration’s perception of its nurses such that it thinks such a tactic would sway the vote. Yet, 90% of the CRONA membership voted on the contract. Of that number, 90% rejected the Last Best and Final Offer. That means 81% of the CRONA membership voted against the contract with 10% abstaining. 9% of the membership wants this contract to be ratified. 81%...in political circles that is termed a landslide. Administration’s latest tactic last Friday was pretty distasteful too. Via the hospital newsletter, they publicized the opinions of a relatively few dissenting RNs while making it appear as if they were some kind of silent moral-majority. Then, the specter of retaliation was raised by and for the moral-majority so as to publicly vilify the union and its president. I appreciate the difficulty of standing against a numerical majority, but the way in which administration conveys the dissenting CRONA RN’s points is suspect. The retaliation issue cuts both ways. How would administration respond to the assertion that I and other union nurses fear retribution by administration for voicing their opinions? Ostensibly with the same shock that does CRONA. There are those who say that the ends justify the means. It has been my experience that the ends are inherent in the means. When I analyze the means employed by the hospital administration to influence the public at large and leverage CRONA nurses, I conclude that their tactics and methods are questionable at best. They are coercive to say the least…not a pretty picture for an institution aspiring to achieve Magnet status. Sincerely, Richard J. Ramos, RN, BA (Personnel Administration/Human Resources Management), BSN, MS, CNS, PNP, CPHON, PHN 1North—Bass Center/Oncology-SCT, LPCH 6/16/10 Lori and board, In my personal opinion, I think "that letter" was created by the hospital themselves as a way to disrupt and bring a wedge between the nurses and CRONA. That was the most ridiculous letter I have ever read. I've been a traveler for years and have worked nationwide and have never come across a hospital that has implemented this kind of clinical ladder or "challenging" ladder, as they put it, and in the way they are wanting to implement it. Yes, we should feel honored to work for Stanford, but it’s the nurses that have represented Stanford up to this point that have made it what it has become. Without them, Stanford would not be ranked the way is has been. It's the hospital that should be honored by their nurses that have put so much work and effort into making them look good. Jennifer LPCH 6/18/10 Thank you Lorie and Crona Negotiating Team for your hard and stressful work to represent us, especially during this difficult time. I trust you 110%. I am grateful to have the benefits today because of all the work and sacrifices of the senior nurses in the past have worked until today. LPCH 6/16/10 GO CRONA! Though there are a handful of nurses that want to lie down and be swept away, they are the MINORITY!!! We work hard and want a just and fair contract. THEY DO NOT represent ME!!! We have asked for a fair and just contract and the hospitals are unwilling to oblige. CRONA PLEASE continue to stand up for Fairness and JUSTNESS. THANK YOU. SHC 6/17/10 You know, I just loved the observation someone made that CRONA invites discussion, and even disagreement, as we strive to forge a rationale, non-confrontational outcome for these non-negotiations, while the hospitals' management employees don't dare say a work in conflict with the company line for fear of reprisal. Paul Cole, LPCH 6/18/10 Here's another letter, please post: I see a lot of "why should we believe the hospital just because they said it".....Well, because the Hospital is bound by law to adhere to the terms of the contract, and anything else they've put in writing.... I have a better Question: "Why should I believe CRONA, just because they told me to?" I see a lot of emails stating that I should TRUST CRONA to make the right decision....Well, considering as a nurse, I'm taught, and bound by law to not blindly trust anything about my job, so why would I blindly trust CRONA to act in my best interest... I'm going to need more than just a "trust me". I'd like to see a vote to ratify, to see how many Nurses are backing this Contract or not.....What's the harm? At least Crona would get an accurate representation of how the Nurses are leaning.....But there's no talk of this from CRONA..... Brittany, RN BSN, Cancer Center, SHC 6/19/10 Hi Lorie, First of all I would like to clarify that the majority of the nurses in the ITA do not back the letter that has been circulating. I think most of us have the capacity to see how unfair this contract is and just how much the nurses will lose in the end. After all the Crona nurses have been through why stop fighting for what is right now. Bring on the strike vote Cancer Center, SHC 6/19/10 Dear Stanford & LPCH nurses: First of all I would like to understand why some people feel like they would rather give in to this contract because they just want something done. Something is being done. Your union CRONA is taking certain strategic actions to fight for your rights to get an acceptable contract we can live with for the next 3 years. Why do some members want to rush into a new contract? Everyone is currently working under the old contract which is way better than the Hospitals' LBFO, we are getting paid a decent salary, getting our medical coverage paid, gaining PTO, & leaves of absence are intact under the old contract. To those who were fearing a strike, at least these past few months has bought everyone some time to look for a backup job in case we do need to take a strike vote. Our CRONA executive board, negotiation committee and lawyer purposely did not call for a strike vote immediately after we strongly rejected the Hospitals' LBFO because that is exactly what the Hospitals' wanted us to do... and they were prepared for it. Agencies were contracted and replacement RNs were trained & ready to take our place. The Hospitals knew that they were offering us a shady contract, that is why they tried to offer us a $3,000.00 bonus to accept it. Which is just another insult in that it wasn't a straight up $3,000 to all, it is prorated to your work commitment. If the LBFO was so wonderful we would have accepted it without a bribe. But we did not accept it by over 90% because it is not a fair proposal and its ramifications are damaging to us now and in the future. Does everyone understand that the Hospitals' are banking on us to become frustrated and be divided. Do we want our union busted and our membership weak? I certainly hope not. Now is not the time to become apathetic! You need to care because your future and all of our futures are at stake. We need to stay strong and stick together, now more than ever! WE CRONA RNs are what make coming to work at Stanford great. For most of us we enjoy our jobs because we are strongly connected together. We spend at lot of our lives with each other at work and also off the job. We come to work with each other and rely on one another to get through some of the toughest shifts together. Not only are we co-workers, we are friends and we are family. We don't come to work for the name Stanford, we come because we love our job and the people we work with. And to respond to the nurse who wrote that he/she could put the name Stanford on a resume because that would be impressive to another employer.....I guess this nurse has no intention on staying at Stanford for the long term so why should we give any credence to their preposterous opinions anyway. Obviously they have no loyalty to Stanford or CRONA. What this person doesn't understand is that we senior nurses that have been at Stanford & LPCH hospitals for many years do have a lot of loyalty to Stanford. We have weathered many contract negotiations & lived under many contract changes throughout this time. We want the Hospitals' to have the same loyalty to us as we have in them. WE are what makes the Hospitals have their world renowned reputation, not just the name Stanford itself. Its reputation will go away if all the experienced nurses leave and all that's left is inexperienced nurses who are pecking at each other and stressing each other out because they are trying to work under the Hospitals' demands and high expectations. Our CRONA Union has fought very hard for our working conditions including improving our Clinical Ladder throughout the years, improving nurse to patient staffing ratios, preserving our PTO system including accrual & its uses, offering healthcare insurance coverage which allows us choices (PPO, HMO, & Free plan), paid medical coverage for disability/pregnancy time off up to 6 months, strong CRONA representation for all nurses and filing & wining grievances for unfair working conditions. These are just a few of the many issues CRONA has & keeps on dealing with throughout the years. When I first read the letter that was written to Lorie Johnson from an anonymous nurse representing a certain unit in the hospital I was really angry. So I took a few days to compose myself so that I could respond in a diplomatic manner without interjecting too much of my unadulterated uninhibited "frontal lobe" reaction. However, even after giving it a few days I still felt upset, in fact downright mad. I felt I had to give this letter a response. I couldn't just let this one go. l was insulted that this person wrote such an obnoxious letter full of misguided half-baked opinions without having all the facts straight and to make it worse had the audacity to undermine our CRONA Union to send it directly to the hospital administration. Did this person think the Hospitals' would like him/her any better? Who made this person CRONA president and in charge of negotiations? Our elected CRONA board & negotiation committee is representing us and is listening to everyone's input. I would like you all to take the time to read your Emails and keep yourselves informed. I strongly urge you to attend any future general membership CRONA meetings so that you can participate and voice your concerns. I recommend you attend so that you will understand what is happening with this negotiation and not just rely on others to tell you. It is so important that you come to the meetings to let your CRONA union know that you are in support so they know which direction to take us. If no one shows up then they will think we do not care and I know we do. Remember YOU are CRONA, WE are CRONA. Let's stay strong and united! Keep positive! We will all get through this! Sincerely, Kristina Marin, RN D1 CRONA REP 6/19/10 Dear CRONA negotiating team, members and nurses, Let's move away from the hospital's plan to divide us. We should fight this battle on our terms, not theirs. CRONA nurses have voted against this contract loud and clear. CRONA nurses have not changed their minds. The ninety percent who are against the hospitals' proposal are still against it. The 10 percent who are for it are still for it...and they write emails: So what. When they move forward in pay and benefits because we have fought for it, they won't turn it down. That's a given. No more responding to the hospitals' message on their terms. No more bickering among ourselves; it doesn't help, in my opinion. Yes, we've been slighted by the hospitals. We've even ruffled each other’s feathers. We know that. Let's walk it off. Stay on message: The PNDP will replace seasoned nurses with new nurses to make more money for an already successful hospital system. Stanford management is trying to put money before patient safety. The hospital should be putting patients first, just like CRONA nurses do. Patient care comes first with CRONA nurses; it's what makes Stanford, Stanford. Keep experienced, professional Stanford Nurses! Worried that the public isn't getting our message then it's because we haven't been putting our message out there. Need a you tube video? Make one. I'll be happy to help. Best regards and thanks to each and every one of you. -Spencer Miller RN Radiology 6/19/10 Hi Lori I was just wondering how we can really know if this letter was sent from nurses or penned by management if they remain anonymous. Do they really fear retribution from magnet level nurses, or are these the spineless visionaries the ones who are supposed to move the nursing profession forward in our institution? I too supported a revamping of our clinical ladder at the beginning of these negotiations but our employers inflexibility on working with the our professional body has created this deadlock. We deserve a clinical ladder that encourages and rewards all of our nurses who are progressive. Their tools of measurement for this clinical ladder are useless when taken alone, as anyone who has stayed late on their own time to hold a patients hand, deliver a baby, or console a family knows. There are numerous incidences when I l know that the extra care I took made an impact on my patients, when I felt, today I was a good nurse, but it did not happen when I finished a paper for school (I'm in the process of obtaining my BSN) or completed some audits. When our clients perceive good care then that's what they got. It doesn't matter how many awards are on the wall. Maybe our focus should be less about magnet and more about bedside care. Our tools of measurement should be our patients’ feedback and our outcomes, and maybe a bit less about how this affects the nursing budgets. If you want the nation’s best nurses, that does have a price, not necessarily monetary but your hiring a group of intelligent professionals who have standards and ideas on how to run their own profession. These business managers should be balancing their budgets not deciding how nurses should be graded. If this hospital feels there are too many high level nurses why don't they fire the people who created the problem, the managers, and run this hospital like a true shared governance. Too often I hear the words, "I deserve this". We have to realize that sometimes you do get what you deserve. If we allow this to pass , we deserve it. Just like RN anonymous deserves it and as much as I would like to give her/him what she deserves I'm prepared to do what it takes to make our profession stronger for everyone, our members valued and our patients knowing they still have nurses who can give them the best care possible and still be there for them in crisis as only a Nurse can. Thank you for your hard work CRONA Dympna Doherty, Cath Angio Lab |
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NEW NEWS |
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(Newsletters and CRONA nurses
comments from prior to the vote have been ARCHIVED.)
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| Members
Speak Out - No. 2 (June 16, 2010) Members Speak out - No. 1 (June 14, 2010) Trust CRONA to Act In Your Best Interests - Letter from Lorie Johnson (June 13, 2010) HOSPITALS THINK IT'S "COOL" NOT TO NEGOTIATE WITH CRONA (June 8, 2010) CRONA holds Membership Meetings; Hospitals Still Refuse to Bargain (June 4, 2010) LPCH Nurses To Take NDNQI RN Practice Environment Survey (May 31, 2010) CRONA's Request for Arbitration (May 19, 2010) CRONA Nurses get their message to the public (May 17, 2010) The Letters below are letters from the National Labor Relations Board, telling the hospitals about where to post there compliance posters since they were found in violation of the NLRB. Arnold Letter (May 14, 2010) NLRB Stanford (May 14, 2010) NLRB Packard (May 14, 2010) Hospital's Refusal to Negotiate is a Great Disservice to Our Nurses (May 13, 2010) Hospital Still Refuses to meet and the NLRB charge (May 12, 2010) Lorie Johnson Editorial response (May 5, 2010) The Hospital's official response to the April 28th proposal (April 30, 2010) Comparison between the Hospital's PNDP "Last, Best and Final Offer" and CRONA's counter-offer (April 30, 2010) CRONA's new proposal. (April 28, 2010) Hospitals Respond To CRONA’s Request To Meet By Saying “WE SEE NO PURPOSE IN MEETING (April 28, 2010) CRONA Makes Significant New Offer (April 27, 2010) CRONA TO MAKE NEW PROPOSAL: AGAIN REQUESTS HOSPITALS TO RETURN TO THE TABLE (April 26, 2010) Nurses' Week Info about picnic at Flood Park on May 2 (April 25, 2010) Nurses'Week & Hospital Misrepresenting the Facts (April 21, 2010) What Does CRONA Do For You? (April 15, 2010) CRONA and Community Speak Out (April 15, 2010) Lorie Johnson Letter to Chiefs of Staff (April 9, 2010) CRONA Responds to Hospital Posting (April 7, 2010) |
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© Copyright 2010 CRONA | www.crona.org 499 Seaport Ct Ste 202 Redwood City CA | 650-366-0156 voice | 650-366-0182 fax |
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