Catskill RN’s charge unfair labor practice

Strike vote if talks don’t improve

HARRIS, NY — Contract issues between the Catskill Regional Medical Center and its registered nurses have not been resolved.

According to a union statement, registered nurses at CRMC filed an unfair labor practice charge against hospital management on May 29 for their “antagonistic conduct during current contract negotiations.”

The statement went on to say that, “Because of their hostile actions, hospital management has forced the nurses to consider a strike vote.”

The hospital’s 130 RNs are represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA).

Their most recent two-year contract expired on December 31, 2002. The RNs are seeking to improve staffing at the hospital by improving working conditions. They want to reduce “floating”—the temporary transfer of RNs to units for which they have not been properly trained and the amount of overtime a nurse can be forced to work. RNs on the evening and night shifts in the medical/surgical units have often been responsible for eight to 10 patients, sometimes even more. The nurses believe such conditions pose a threat to safe patient care.

Hospital officials have countered saying that the current shortage of RNs makes the floating shifts a necessity.

The nurses also say CRMC has not addressed their concerns about their increasing share of medical insurance premiums.

The contract discord comes as NYSNA released word of a new contract between RNs and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, which provides a 20 percent salary increase over the next three years, and will increase starting salaries to $51,313 by 2005.