Local 5131 Membership Updates, June 3, 2021
It may seem hard to believe but negotiations are quickly approaching. Our contract is due to expire in May of 2022. Typically we start negotiations with the hospital around the end of March of 2022. That means that we are starting to prepare now in order to achieve the best contract we can. That will mean that members will need to be active and involved in the process. We are planning to have a membership meeting in October. There will be more negotiation updates then, so please try to attend. Based on what we have heard so far from members, a big concern is the issue of standby. Management presented standby usage as an occasional occurrence that will be utilized only when census is very close to needing another nurse. This is not how it is being utilized. We are asking members to help us collect data on the over use of standby on their units. What is census when they place a nurse on standby? Is there more than one nurse being placed on standby? If the nurse is called in are they being used on another floor? A form will be dropped off to each unit to help keep the data collection organized. As the forms fill up, screenshot them and text them to an officer, or they can be turned at the October meeting. Please let us know when you need more forms. Management always wants proof in writing of issues we bring up. The more evidence we have of an issue, the greater chance we have of correcting it.
New member orientation used to happen for an hour prior to GEO and we had time to explain what it means to be a union member at Inspira. But because of COVID we have not been allowed to do in-person orientations. Filling out a membership card is a condition of employment. Every single bedside nurse at Inspira is a member of HPAE and this makes us stronger when we are together. If you are or know a nurse that has been hired recently, the link to fill out the membership application is on our web page. Search HPAE 5131 and our page pops up.
We still have a few openings in our new street team. This is a great opportunity for nurses to get information from our union to their coworkers. Street team nurses are member mobilizers that help get information out, promote and assist at events and member activities. Reach out to Karen Bailey to get signed up.
The newsletters are a thing of the past. Tune into our HPAE Local 5131 Facebook page for up to date information. To keep our members better informed, there will be monthly updates sent via email. In order to make sure you receive the email communications we send out, please Google search HPAE 5131. On that site, you can update your contact information. You may also want to check your spam folder to make sure our emails aren’t be inadvertently being sent there.
In solidarity,
Local 5131 Executive Board