Nurses in contract negotiations with Henry Mayo officials are hosting a town hall Wednesday in Valencia, union officials said.
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Nurses union officials said Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital administrators are threatening patient care with their latest proposal, while Henry Mayo reps said the nurses union is ignoring the hospital’s latest proposal in order to pursue a “frivolous claim” while abandoning its “obligations under federal labor law.”
The town hall is set to take place at the Valencia branch of the Santa Clarita Public Library from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 17.
The sticking point for both sides has been a contractual condition proposed by the hospital, which addresses how the nurses’ group, CNA, and hospital administrators, agree to resolve grievances with the hospital.
Hospital officials want the nurses to agree to arbitration, which would allow the hospital to resolve disputes through an agreed-upon third party negotiator. Nurses’ union officials said the offer represents a threat to their constitutional rights to use the legal system to resolve a workplace dispute.
“We’re holding the town hall meeting because we want the public to understand how quality patient care is compromised when nurses’ rights are compromised,” said Susan Salkeld, a nurses’ representative. “You can’t have safe patient care in a work environment where nurses feel vulnerable to retaliation if they speak up about unsafe staffing and other conditions that threaten patient care.”
Hospital officials have repeatedly denied the union’s claims that the new deal would deny the hospital’s nurses any chance to bring forth a concern.
“In essence, while (the nurses union) has had a pattern of making inaccurate and inflammatory statements about negotiations, the truth is that we have a good deal on the table…” Puleo said, insinuating the union’s refusal was motivated by political concerns beyond hospital operations, not patient care.
“We are ready to meet with CNA representatives at any time,” Puleo said, “and we sincerely hope they will prepare a counter-proposal and schedule another bargaining session soon.”
Nurses and their representatives expressed concern over signing the most recent proposal because they feel it’s a threat to their right to sue if, for example, a nurse feel there’s been age discrimination, said Robbie Bailey, a member of the CNA who’s been active in past contract negotiations.
The new arbitration agreement mandates any grievance be filed within 10 days, making it harder for a nurse to make the kind of case necessary to prove systemic discrimination, Bailey said. The new deal would take away the efficacy of the complaints’ “cumulative effect.”
While both sides are still in negotiations, there has been no significant progress since the nurses did refused an April 29 offer, due to the aforementioned arbitration clause.
The nurses threatened a one-day walkout May 1, but called off the move April 24 ahead of those negotiations.
The nurses union at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has been without a contract since January.
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