Summary of the Tentative Agreement between HPAE 5089 and Rutgers University

You can download a summary of the agreement here.

The signed MOA can be found here.

Click here to read the Rutgers Tuition Remission Policy (60.2.1) – applicable sections: B, C and D.

Click here for contract ratification voting instructions

With your support, your Bargaining Team has worked hard for the past year to bargain a Tentative Agreement with Rutgers University for “UMDNJ Legacy” Registered Nurses. This is our first contract since the breakup of UMDNJ and we were able to protect the standards we’ve already achieved and made a number of significant improvements.Your Bargaining Team strongly recommends that you vote YES to ratify our new contract.

1. Wages: We were able to maintain our experience-based scale for Staff Nurses and move everyone to the correct step despite management’s initial proposal that would have frozen the steps. We are one of the only unions at the University that has an experience based scale and we fought hard to protect it.
   1. October 2015(retro): Retro to October 2014, one step move based on experience* as of July 2012 or, if on Step 26 as of July 2012, $1,000 lump sum, pro-rated for part-time based on full-time equivalent (FTE).Retro to January 2015, one step move based on experience* as of July 2013 or, if on Step 26 as of July 2013, $1,000 lump sum, pro-rated for part-time based on FTE.

      Retro to April 2015, one step move based on experience* as of July 2014 or, if on Step 26 as of July 2014, $1,000 lump sum pro-rated for part-time based on FTE.

      All other staff nurses on Scale B ineligible for a step move based on experience will also receive each lump sum payment. This settles the outstanding step move grievance we filed during the last contract.

      >Advanced Practice Nurses and Nurse Clinicians: Retro to October 2014, 2% across the board increase. Equity Review within 45 days of ratification.

   2. July 2015(retro): Retro to July 2015, one step move based on experience* as of July 2015 or, if on Step 26 as of July 2015, $1,000 lump sum, pro-rated for part-time based on FTE.Advanced Practice Nurses and Nurse Clinicians: 2% across the board increase.
   3. July 2017: Effective July 2017, one step move based on experience* as of July 2017 or, if on Step 26 as of July 2017, $1,000 lump sum, pro-rated for part-time based on FTE. In addition to the step move, all steps will be increased by 1.25%.Advanced Practice Nurses and Nurse Clinicians: 2% across the board increase.
   4. Per Diem Staff Nurse: Effective within 30 days of ratification, the rate for per diem staff nurses will increase 2% from $45.00 to $45.90. Effective July 2016, the rate will increase 1% to $46.36. Effective July 2017, the rate will increase 1.25% to $46.94. When we began negotiations, management did not want to increase the per diem rate. This is the first increase to the rate in 12 years.
   5. CRNAs: Upon ratification a new CRNA scale will go into effect. CRNAs with 0-3 years of experience will be moved to $67.31. CRNAs with 4-6 years of experience will be moved to $76.93. And, CRNAs with 7+ years of experience will be moved to $85.39. Effective July 2016, CRNAs with enough credited experience will be moved one step. July 2017. Effective July 2017, CRNAs with enough credited experience will be moved one step.
   6. PD CRNAs: The rate will change from $108 to $110 per hour.
2. Term of contract: Retroactive to October 1, 2014 and expires June 30, 2018.
3. Tuition: Dependent children of full-time employees are eligible for tuition remission effective Spring 2016 in accordance with the Rutgers policy. Tuition refund for employees remains the same.
4. Holidays: You will now have 17 holidays and leave days per year – up from the current fifteen: (8) Holidays, (2) Personal Days, (4) Mandatory Leave Days (see 9 below), and (3) Administrative Leave Days. The new holiday schedule shall exclude Good Friday.
5. Transition to new Holiday schedule: You will have until June 30, 2016 to use your float holidays. You will also be given an additional six leave days: (2) Personal Days and (4) Mandatory Leave Days to be used by June 30, 2016. Beginning July 1, 2016, your holiday and leave allotment will be in accordance with the new calendar.
6. Mandatory Leave Days: In November of each year, you will receive four (4) Mandatory Leave Days. These days are to be used during the “shut-down” period (Christmas to New Years) if your department closes. If it does not, then you may use them when you wish. (In 2015, the days will be credited after ratification).
7. Fiscal Emergencies: In the event Rutgers claims a fiscal emergency (using the ‘subject to’ state appropriations language in our contract) and tries to freeze wages, they must first provide advance notice to the union, relevant financial information and the opportunity to renegotiate. If that fails, the union can file for arbitration and a third party (arbitrator) shall decide if Rutgers is unable to pay the wage increases
8. Health Insurance: During the term of the contract, if legislation is passed that increases your health care contribution rates, Rutgers will have to absorb the cost.
9. Seniority: Seniority for employees hired prior to July 1, 2013 will remain their UMDNJ date of hire.
10. Layoff and bumping: In the event of a layoff, you will now be able to have a Union Representative present when discussing vacancies and bumping opportunities with the University. Bumping is limited to HPAE titles only, however, no one from another union can bump you (e.g., supervisors attempting to come back into HPAE). CINJ is considered one unit for the purpose of layoff and bumping and no longer part of RWJMS.
11. Less-Than-20 Part-Time (‘.3’) Staff Nurses: For the first time, less-than-20 hour part-time (‘.3’) staff nurses in UCHC are part of HPAE and covered by a union contract. Less-than-20 hour part-time nurses are eligible for all raises to their respective wage scale and will be credited experience like other part-time staff nurses (two part-time years = one year). Discipline may only be for “just cause” and may be appealed through a grievance and binding arbitration procedure. Like per diem staff nurses, ‘.3s’ do not accrue benefit time, however they now have some seniority and layoff protections. Other current conditions of employment cannot be changed unilaterally and now must be negotiated. Throughout most of the negotiations, management insisted on a separate contract for the .3 nurses. Their inclusion now is a big victory for us.
12. Joining of HPAE UCHC bargaining units: As part of the effort to include less-than-20 hour part-time nurses and to increase our bargaining power, we’ve agreed to create one contract for all HPAE nurses in the prisons, inclusive of Mental Health and Medical Health RNs using the HPAE 5135 agreement. Except, all current Mental Health nurses will stay on their current wage scale and be eligible for all of the raises to their respective scale. Where the current agreements are different, the 5089 contract will be followed. All new UCHC Staff Nurses will be hired on the RB scale. The agreement ensures no employee will have their wage, salary, benefits or seniority adversely impacted in the process and enables us to negotiate together in the future. This agreement is also subject to ratification by HPAE Local 5135 at Rutgers. The contract will be jointly administered by both locals until we vote to merge our unions.
13. Staffing: Staffing concerns will be placed on the agenda at the quarterly Labor-Management Committee meetings where the University will provide information on daily staffing levels.
14. Joint bargaining: Side letter acknowledging the Union and University may chose to engage in joint bargaining with other HPAE unions at the University for future contracts.
15. Professional Recognition: Committee will be formed to explore the start of Professional Recognition program.
16. Alternate work schedules: You can now request a change in your schedule to accommodate taking credit carrying courses during the work day.
17. Pre-termination hearing: Prior to being terminated our members have the right to a meeting where they will be presented with the charges and evidence against them. They may then present any counter evidence/arguments that might change the outcome of the discipline.
18. State of Emergency: Staff members working in FXB Child Health Units are not required to work if the State closes those offices (due to weather for example) and will not be charged benefit time.
19. Non-hostile work environment: Members should be afforded a working environment characterized by mutual respect and dignity. Verbal harassment is unacceptable, and can be reported to the Office of Employment Equity and/or addressed in a conference with labor relations.
20. Non-discrimination: Updated to include religion, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, physical and mental disability, civil union or domestic partnerships, sexual orientation, genetic information and military or veteran status.
21. Direct Deposit: Rutgers will now change over to exclusive direct deposit for paychecks. Paper payroll checks are no longer an option.
22. Sick Leave: We are changing over from UMDNJ Staff Leave Donation program to the Rutgers Compassionate Leave Bank. Advancing yourself sick time is no longer an option.
23. Daily rate of pay: When systematically feasible, the daily rate of pay shall be based on actual work days in a year.
24. Pay period: The pay period will be changed to Saturday (12:00 am) to Friday (11:59pm). Date TBD.
25. Fiscal Year: We will move to Rutgers’ fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
26. Attendance Control Policy: This policy is to be eliminated. Certain disciplines may be expunged.
27. Dues and Agency Fee: Process for the University and Union to remunerate each other for mistakes in transmission of Dues or Agency Fee. If you transfer between HPAE bargaining units, your union status will remain unaffected.
28. Union Reps: We can now have one union rep for every 25 members and five officers recognized by the University. There are less “union days” for officers but a net gain in proportion to our former size at UMDNJ. A union officer can take a one year leave of absence to work for the union.
29. Information and data included in dues files: Clarifies information that HPAE is entitled to receive from Rutgers.
30. Elimination of references to University Hospital and other housekeeping items: There were a number of housekeeping agreements to clean up the contract where needed, including a global name change from UMDNJ to Rutgers and eliminating language only relevant to University Hospital (e.g, floating and staffing).

*Eligibility for a step move is based on your years of accrued experience at the time of each increase as defined by the current guidelines in Article 17 of the contract. Part-time staff nurses must work two full years in order to receive one step.