HPAE Local 5131

Updates from our staffing committee

Staffing committee update- transport nurse and floor renovations

Staffing committee update for mental health units

Here’s how to get to the short staffing form- click on clinical tile and then nursing tile. Click on staffing form and fill it out!

Register for the HPAE convention on Oct 17 and 18th! Our local will be presenting during one of the sessions!

Confirmation - 50 Years of Victories for Patients and Workers

Big shout out to our newest top fans! 💎

Sherri Barrett, Wendy Conrad

Holiday cancellations reminder!

If there are too many staff on the holiday, the most senior nurse should be offered off first. If the senior nurse wants to work then it should be offered to the next senior, etc. If no one wants off then the least senior nurse would be called off. STATUS (FT, perdiem) does not matter on a holiday- only seniority 🎉

Those of you who are enjoying this holiday at the beach. Relax, look up. HPAE safe staffing ratios banner will be flying high along the shore today.

Not only significant of the 4th but everyday. HPAE 5131, Strength in numbers when we all come together.

Welcome new rep Wendy Conrad!

Save the date! September 14th from 1pm to 7pm. Stop at the winery for giveaways, information, food and fun!

Grievance win and nurse paid lost wages!
A per diem nurse was cancelled out of turn. The unit had a nurse working OT who should have been cancelled before the per diem according to our contract. A grievance was filed and granted.

Standby reminder -
If you are placed on standby you can only be called in if your unit needs help. You cannot be called in so they can reassign someone to another unit 😊

Check in Oracle for your yearly wage increase. Log into Oracle, scroll down to the "Show More" button at the bottom of the column on the left. Scroll down to the Compensation category, and click on "My Compensation." This will show your new wages. It should align with our wage chart. Everyone should move over to the 2024 column and down a row.

It’s that time again. Don’t forget to renew your license 😬

Happy Nurses day! You all rock! 🥰

https://www.aacn.org/blog/2024-national-nurses-week-freebies-and-discounts

2024 National Nurses Week Freebies and Discounts - AACN To celebrate Nurses Week, AACN has compiled a list of freebies and discounts in appreciation of your tireless contributions. Take advantage of these offers and remember your value in the healthcare community.

Healthcare workers are standing together to fight for strong enforceable staff to patient staffing ratios in their contract. While we negotiate for these protections, take a moment to tell NJ policymakers to pass the Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act, so every patient can be assured that their hospital is safely staffed.

Congratulations!

FYI: A postcard went out about open enrollment, which starts Monday. Benefits will not roll over this year as it has in the past, so enrollment is mandatory!

KRONOS is officially up and running. The system is new to all of us, so there will be a learning curve. We brought some issues staff were having with KRONOS to management and here are the takeaways:

1. Balancing the schedule is based on seniority. This is to be done after all FT/PT staff have placed their required time in KRONOS.

2. If your floor has an on-call requirement, you can place your on-call shifts in KRONOS after your regular shifts are placed.

3. If you are having trouble accessing KRONOS or the self-scheduling part of the system, contact IS. They will be able to correct the issue.

4. If you want to pick up extra shifts outside of your home unit, you are permitted as long as your home unit is fully staffed. Your manager cannot deny you picking up extra time elsewhere to hold you in case of a potential call out.

5. Per Diems that have an on-call requirement cannot be placed on more than their required on-call shifts if there are no available shifts for you to pick-up. Your manager cannot just place you on additional on-call shifts to meet your requirement. Example- if your job requirement is one on-call shift and two regularly scheduled shifts, you should not be placed on three on-call shifts to meet your position requirement unless you volunteer.

6. PTO can still be requested per our contract language. Requests should be made at least four weeks prior to the start of the schedule in which you are requesting PTO. Management should then approve/deny the request within 4 weeks of the receipt of the request. The dates that were listed on the scheduling chart were too far in advance and incorrect. Keep an eye out for the corrected dates.

Grievance Win!

A per diem nurse picked up an open shift on her unit via UKG and it was approved. Before the start of the shift the nurse was told she wasn’t on the schedule and there wasn’t a need.
Later, it was discovered that a nurse from another facility picked up that afternoon and worked the shift.
A grievance was filed for violation of articles 46.2 and 71.

The grievance was granted and the nurse will be paid her lost wages!

FYI: W-2s have been posted on Oracle under Year End Documents.