HPAE Local 5091 at Bergen Regional Medical Center
Local 5091 Member Alert – Making our Workplace Safe
September 9, 2015
After HPAE filed complaints with state and federal agencies over repeated violent incidents at BRMC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations over BRMC’s violation regarding Workplace violence.
We Must send a clear message to Administration that we will not tolerate violence of any kind from any source in our workplace. Come to a local membership meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the BRMC Auditorium. Meetings are scheduled at 7:30 AM, 12:00 PM and 3:30 PM.
Download the member alert here.
Survey on the Future of BRMC: We Need Your Input
April 29, 2015
We are surveying the members of Local 5091 in order to create a platform of demands and priorities for the future of BRMC. The county executive, Jim Tedesco, has created a task force charged with finding a new health care management organization to run BRMC. We know what is needed to run a safe and quality health care facility.
As staff, we must speak for ourselves, the patients and the community. Please take a few minutes to do an online survey to provide your input. The answers will be tabulated and discussed by a member focus group. We will then present our demands and priorities to Tedesco and the public. Please provide us with any additional comments you may have in the space provided below each question.
No identifying information will be shared with Management and only statistical information in the aggregate will be collected or presented to the public. This survey should not be completed by supervisors or managers.
Click Here to Do the Online Survey
Local 5091 Joins with Other HPAE Locals in Lobby Day
March 16, 2015
Lobby Day was a great success. Over 300 members of HPAE and other healthcare unions in the Coalition for Patients Rights and Safe Staffing (CPRSS) came to Trenton to talk to state legislators about the need for staffing legislation, including nurse to patient staffing ratios, which ensure quality care and patient safety.
HPAE members throughout the state of New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania were enthusiastic and excited to participate in Lobby Day. During the day, we held 23 meetings with state legislators, many of whom pledged their full support for a safe staffing bill.
Local 5004 and Local 5091 members with State Senator Gordon:
Tedesco Speaks Out on the Future of BRMC
February 1, 2015
At HPAE’s Strategic and Bargaining Conference, Bergen County Jim Tedesco spoke strongly and personally about his commitment to keep BRMC a public entity and to increase services. (Photo on left: Tedesco with HPAE President Ann Twomey, Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Rosen, and Local 5091 leaders.) He proposed several ideas, including getting federal funding to build a stand-alone Veterans Administration facility on the campus.
Read a Bergen Record Article on His Speech at the Conference
Local 5091 Holiday Party
December 17, 2014
We held our holiday party Monday, December 15, at Biagio’s Restaurant in Paramus, from 12 Noon to 9 pm. Over 120 Local 5091 members attended the event; they had a delicious meal and a great time talking with co-workers and family members. There were winners of various prizes from the holiday event. We will announce the winners in the next newsletter. Thanks to everybody who attended!
Bergen County Executive Tedesco Appoints HPAE President Ann Twomey to His Transition Team
November 18, 2014
Together, we campaigned for and elected Democratic Freeholder James Tedesco to Bergen County Executive! Last week, Tedesco appointed a transition team of 80 elected officials and community leaders to evaluate Bergen County department issues and to recommend policies. HPAE President Ann Twomey was appointed the chairwoman of the Health Services Committee, which will make recommendations about Bergen Regional Medical Center and other health services in the county.
Transitions: A Comment by Local 5091 President Jeff Peck
April 2, 2014
This past March 15 marked the 16th anniversary of the day that a for-profit company called Bergen Regional LP (Limited Partners), which is a subsidiary of Solomon Health Services in Colorado, took over Bergen Pines County Hospital and converted it to Bergen Regional Medical Center. The anniversary was not marked by any celebrations or fond reminiscing among HPAE members, whose work has been made more difficult by cuts in services and staffing.
There are now less three years left of the 19 year contract for Bergen Regional LP to manage the facility. We have seen valleys, peaks, and more valleys in the past 16 years. One thing I have learned is you can never assume the management can’t get any worse, the staffing can’t get worse, or patient care standards will impede the search for profit.
Some members have asked why management is denying so many requests for time off. The assumption is that if time off is not granted early in the calendar year, it would have to be granted late in the year. Based on past behavior by management, specifically their past attempts to avoid paying out sick pay, we wonder if management wants our accrued benefit time backed up so that, when they finally leave, they will never have to pay all the benefits that we have earned. This concern was specifically mentioned at the last labor management meeting. It was not confirmed or denied. Coincidently, labor-management meetings are now being scheduled quarterly instead of monthly.
Do not expect any positive changes by management in the remaining years of their contract. After 16 consecutive years of budget cuts how could anyone not anticipate 3 more? What can we do about it? We have to stay united and make sure that our contract is enforced. That means that all of the members need to know what’s in your contract. You also need to know who you’re nearest Union rep or officer is. We must stick together and protect our rights.
The upcoming changes do not have to lead to a doom and gloom scenario. The changes do mean that we have more adjustments to make to ensure that we provide the best possible care to our patients and residents. They will be at the heart of everything we do from now until the end of the 19 year contract. Long after the current management is gone, we will still be providing professional, quality care to our patients.
Inclement Weather and Accrued Benefit Days
March 9, 2014
Anyone denied accrued benefit pay after not being able to make it to work during one of the many inclement weather days we endured this past winter should contact Donna Winterich, A2 evening shift, at 7602, or 201-560-8298.. Or you can contact Jeff Peck, A1 night shift at 7608 or 973-445-9489 & leave a message.
Please contact one of us by March 15th. Management has given us a short list of members they believe were affected, We want to be sure the list is complete. It would be better to get an extra phone call than to have someone fall through the crack.
