New Nurse / Patient Ratios Please be advised that as of December 1st, Nurse Patient Ratios have changed on the night shift. Please refer to Article XXVI Nurse Patient Ratio in Contract, p. 95.

Remember to fax Staffing Violation Forms to the NYPNU office.

Grievance and Unit Updates
OR Settlement Agreement Reached

NYPNU Leadership and the Hospital have agreed that on the weekends in the Operating Room, the charge nurse will be considered a resource nurse who has a patient care assignment. The resource nurse’s responsibilities will be limited to those outlined in Article XXVIII Charge / Resource Responsibilities. We will continue to monitor compliance with this grievance response.

Low Census
The hospital has informed us that due to the low census certain units may be closed temporarily until the census goes up. We will monitor the situation to ensure that contractual ratios are adhered during the closures and keep you updated on when units are expected to close or re-open.

NYPNU Student Nurse Program
Due to the success of the summer NYPNU Student Nurse Program we are proud to continue our sponsorship of 10 new nurses for the Winter session. The new Student Nurses will be on board from December 22nd- January 31st. Please greet and encourage them on your unit.

Parking and Transit
This benefit allows you to have money deducted from your salary, before taxes are withheld, to cover your work-related parking and public transit expenses. The monthly 2009 contribution limits are as follows: Parking $230, Transit $120. Please be advised that as of January 1st, 2009 RECEIPTS will now be required.

Sick Time Buyout
Do you qualify for the Sick Time Reduction Payout?
These are the requirements:

• An RN must have 112 sick hours of prior sick time accrual ("the bank") as of December 31, 2007.
• An RN can use no more than 23 hours of sick time from July through Dec.'08.
• An RN must have no unexcused absences.
• An RN cannot call in sick on any day of a week in which the RN is scheduled to work four (4) days as her/his regular schedule.
• RNs calling in sick must call three (3) hours in advance of their scheduled start time.

RNs who have met the above conditions may opt to be paid out in January 2009 as follows:

RNs who prefer to bank their unused sick time may choose to do so. If you meet these requirements, the hospital will contact you.

Environmental Report
Executive Board Member Pamela Threets submits the following report from the Environmental of Care Committee.

• Incident Reports
  Please be advised that you will now be able to fill out incident reports online at LHH ICONS on the desktop.
• Workplace Violence / Theft – Reminder
  Please be sure to lock your personal items in designated areas.
• Mask Fitting in Health Services
  Employee Health Services is in the process of fitting all RNs for masks. These masks will ensure protection from airborne pathogens such as TB.

Flexible Spending Account
The Flexible Spending Account lets you use pre-tax dollars to pay for certain qualified healthcare and / or dependent care expenses. Please note that Flexible Spending accounts do not carry over from year to year. The only way to participate in the FSA for 2009 is to enroll during the enrollment period. Your contributions will begin January 1st, 2009. Use Benefit Enroll to elect your 2009 Flexible Spending Account Contributions during the December 8 – 19 open enrollment period.

Annual Enrollment for Other Benefits
You many change your medical, dental, life and disability coverage, including adding or dropping dependants, during the open enrollment period, which will run from January 2nd – January 15th, 2009. Your new coverage will take effect on February 1st, 2009.

RN Health Care
The Hospital will continue to pay for the full cost of your medical (and dental / vision) plan participation for 2009.

Please take note of what is new in medical benefits for next year:

1. A New Plan
   For 2009, the Oxford PPO will replace the current Oxford RN Base Plan, and the 2008 Oxford 80% Plan will no longer be offered. The new Oxford PPO includes all the features of the current RN Base Plan, with one major improvement: you no longer need to obtain a referral to see a specialist.
2. No Referrals Needed
   Under the Oxford PPO, you will no longer need referrals to specialists. You are free to use any doctor or health care provider covered by the plan. Of course, if you use a network provider, you will receive a higher benefits level.

Monthly Meetings with Management
NYPNU leadership is currently formulating a plan with LHH administration to implement monthly unit meetings.

Your delegate and / or unit representative will be responsible meeting with the members in their respective units to discuss member concerns / issues.

The delegate and / or unit representative will then bring your concerns to your nurse manager or management representative.

We will record progress on concerns here at the Union Office. Your delegate will bring information back to your unit, updating members on management’s responses to their concerns.

We anticipate that this will improve communication on units, and facilitate information flow from management to NYPNU members.

For additional information regarding the implementation process, please see your delegate / unit representative or stop by the union office. The target implementation date is January 2009.

Weingarten Rights Reminder

Please be advised that you are entitled to Delegate Representation if you reasonably believe a meeting with management may result in discipline.

You should request a delegate prior to the start of the meeting and state the following:

“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative be present at this meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to participate in this discussion.”

If hospital management still insists that you meet with them without the benefit of representation, attend the meeting noting who was present and what was said and then immediately contact the union.