Local 5131 November 2026 Union Update

Happy fall everyone!

We have been very busy this month with catching up on our end of the year requirements and beginning to plan for the upcoming year. As a reminder as we move into this holiday season, all staff should be scheduled for their holidays as predetermined by their units holiday rotation. Cancellations are to be done based on seniority; the most senior nurse should be offered cancellation first, then down the seniority list, and if there are no volunteers the least senior nurse is to be cancelled. Over the summer we were able to win several grievances for nurses cancelled out of rotation, so don’t hesitate to (respectfully) speak up if you believe a cancellation is being done in error.

It has been a very busy year, but a productive year with many positive results. We have had approximately forty grievances throughout the year. We have won all but one, and two are pending arbitration. In January we held an event with special guest Donna Cardillo about work-life balance. We held three virtual member education sessions to help our members better understand our union. Six new reps have signed up and are trained to help those needing help. We held bimonthly staffing meetings which we discuss the over 280 short staffing forms that have been received this year. There were also bimonthly labor management meetings where we discussed issues such as standby and float pool scheduling.

Negotiations were held for case management, who voted to join the union this past spring. Last month they ratified their contract and are now officially part of our local. Sadly, we had to refer to the new layoff language that we fought for with our most recent contract when we were told of the closures of the Elmer and Mannington ICUs. Because of the changes we made, all nurses were able to find new positions and start within two weeks, and never had to miss a day of work. Ashley was brought on as a new officer in the beginning of the year. She is doing superbly in her new position and is able to give us valuable insight on issues in different units.

It feels like our work is never done. Aside from the two previously mentioned pending arbitrations, we are also scheduled to meet over changes in Elmer regarding the rapid response team, potential changes in maternity, and for a virtual discharge nurse desired by management. Despite the work being never-ending, we are proud of what we have accomplished this year and hope that you are seeing some of the results reflected in your units. Thank you for your ongoing support. If you are interested in becoming a union rep, click on the link: https://forms.gle/GvD7EdTrTo8uX1kb9. We can best help everyone when we have eyes and ears in every department!

In solidarity,

Your Local 5131 Executive Board