MNU Local 97 General Meeting
May 15, 2007
R.A. Steen 980 Palmerston 1700 hours
Agenda Items
- Safety - Right to Refuse Unsafe Work
- Workload Load Staffing Reports
- Master Rotation - agenda item added by members
1. Introductions of the executive.
2. Education Part 1 - Workplace Violence Presentation from Darlene Leier
Education material courtesy of CAW/TCA Canada - Resisting Abuse A One-Day Course for Health Care Workers - taken by some executive members at MNU Labour School September 2006.
Definitions for the following were given and discussed; verbal abuse, threats, assault, sexual assault, near miss, poisoned work environment and psychological abuse.
Important Points:
- "Violence is Violence, Abuse is Abuse". Not telling management that things are happening and not calling it what it is devalues it to management.
- Employers should not be allowed to trade on worker's emotions to ignore aggressive residents, or to cut costs, related to health and safety protection.
- Nurses are to report every incident to help reduce abuse by making the problem known and by identifying and communicating trends in the workplace. (Ontario College of Nurses)
- Professor Katie Ricker - University of Alberta states "Allowing smaller crimes to go unpunished gives the signal that there are no ramifications for bad behaviour and may make it seem okay to behave badly and perpetuate sexual, emotional and physical abuse. It's not just dealing with the cases of health care workers reporting violence on their shifts, but dealing with them publicly and communicating that such behaviour is not acceptable and that there will be a penalty to pay. Administration needs to be sent a strong, clear message."
Dawn Thompson discussed that under Article 7A of the Collective Agreement and based on the Workplace Safety and Health Act the employer is obligated to "make reasonable and proper provisions for the maintenance of a high standard of health and safety in the workplace".
Dawn discussed based on a situation that occurred recently Local 97 is going forward with a formal complaint against the employer. There have been and continue to be meetings scheduled with management. The areas local Workplace Safety and Health Committee has an emergency meeting scheduled. Nurses need to continue to document and ensure they talk to the union representatives regarding safety issues.
Dawn discussed the right to refuse dangerous work. The web address for the Workplace Safety and Health Division of the Government is www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety . Please check it out to learn more about the right to refuse unsafe work.
Chris Wensel discusses the need to document even isolated incidents as they can lead to worse concerns.
A Workplace Safety and Health representative reports that her local worksite committee meetings spend a lot of time talking about specific site issues such as concerns with the electrical outlets in the building. Dawn encourages reps to speak out at the meetings about area safety concerns not just specific building concerns. For example if people are loitering outside of your office and it gets mentioned at the Workplace Safety and Health committee level it will be documented as an official concern. Official concerns at the committee level are looked into and the committee will attempt to make reasonable solutions to solve the concern. Dawn also reports that she or Chris can attend Local Workplace Safety and Health Committee meetings as invited guests. The Workplace Safety and Health Reps need to initiate this.
Education - Part 2 Workload Staffing Reports (WLSR)
Nurses should not be afraid to file a Workload Staffing Report. Remember, this is a joint Union/Management form and is for the use of management as well as the union. It is to be supported by management.
Workload Staffing Reports (WLSR) are to be filled out when:
- In the nurses opinion he/she determines that safe care was not able to be provided
- Breaks are missed (coffee/meal)
- Too many clients
- Incomplete referrals
- Unsafe situation or the potential for an unsafe situation related to workload and/or staffing
The first step, when ever reasonably possible, is to discuss the situation with the immediate supervisor in an effort to resolve the concern.
If space is inadequate, additional forms can be completed and attached. The WLSR # must be noted on all additional papers.
Once the form is complete; the pages are detached and distributed as follows…
1. One is kept by the author
2. One is given to the Local Worksite President or designate
3. One is given to the Nursing Administration Office
4. It is advisable to make a photocopy of the completed form to keep for your records
The completed form is given to the supervisor with whom the situation was discussed.
The Workload Staffing Reports will go to the Nursing Advisory Committee - A local can request that a report be prepared based in their worksite's specific issues.
Particular Examples of when to fill out a WLSR:
Incomplete Referrals cause extra work time and possible client safety issues and thus a WLSR needs to be filled out. Specific examples include no supplies sent from the hospital, no medication orders, incorrect medication orders, wrong client address, wrong client telephone number etc.
Chris discussed that if a nurse has a large amount of time specific medication related nursing visits and care is compromised due to medication being late this is an occurrence/near miss not a WLSR. Occurrence reports are very important to fill out as well as it makes the NRC's and SC who plan our days realize what constitutes a reasonable amount of time specific medication visits. Plus occurrence/near miss reports ensure that the employer is aware when patient care is compromised.
3. Master Rotations - a member discussed at the meeting that they have been told by their NRC's that the new Master Rotations will be making nurses work more weekends. The nurses were concerned as they felt this was a roll back. A letter was read written by a nurse who was unable to attend and read by another member. The letter indicated that the nurse felt that RN's should work every third weekend as the community has different concerns. The letter asked the executive to help the Home Care Nurses keep their every third weekend schedule. The nurse also noted that she wished mileage could be increased. The member discussed that she wished the Collective Agreement be changed so that Home Care Nurses could work every third weekend.
Dawn replied by indicating that she is not aware of what the final version of the Master Rotations look like. At the last Master Rotation meeting in May the union and the employer reviewed the Master Rotation in draft form. Dawn notes some inconsistencies were notes and they were given back to the Team Managers for revamping. Dawn indicates the Master Rotations are being made so that they are fair and equitable for all members. The Master Rotations are owned by the employer. The employer when making the Master Rotations has to follow the Collective Agreement. Under Article 15 of the Collective Agreement "alternate weekends off shall be granted as often as reasonably possible, with each nurse receiving a minimum of every third weekend off". Under Article 4 of the Collective Agreement "the employer has the right to maintain efficiency and quality of patient care; the right to direct the work of its nurses". Dawn states the employer has not violated the Collective Agreement in the scheduling of the Master Rotations.
Dawn discussed the changing of the Collective Agreement. The Collective Agreement language is based on Central Table Negotiations and other nurses from the rest of the province will not support the Collective Agreement to be altered based on weekends. Dawn maintains when we enter nursing we realize that nursing is a 24 hour a day service with nurses working days, evenings and nights. Dawn maintains she empathizes with the members as she herself if she had her choice would not work any weekends at all. Dawn discusses that the MNU office recently sent out a letter to all members asking them what they wished from their Provincial Collective Bargaining Committee (PCBC) reps. The response from Home Care Nurses was extremely low. The weekend issue did not come up as something nurses were interested in having the Bargaining Committee fight for.
The member responded by stating that the home care nurses were not aware that there was the possibility of Home Care Nurses having to work more frequent weekends and thusly that is why they had not come forward with this until recently.
Dawn responded by saying the local and the employer have continued to make nurses aware that the Master Rotation could be altered.
A member from the original Master Rotation Committee spoke and maintained when she was on the committee over two years ago there was discussion with the employer that there was the possibility of making Home Care Nurses work every second weekend. The working of more frequent weekends was always a reality because that is what is written in the collective agreement.
Chris discussed that we the nurses have partly created our own mess. He maintains some of the nurses see clients who should be decreased or discharged. When a nurse sees many non essential visits on a weekend this creates the need for extra staff. The master rotation is based on the needs of the community areas. If nurses were able to decrease the numbers of clients on the weekends the possibility exists that we may not have to work as many weekends.
Dawn discussed mileage rates. Dawn maintains the mileage of nurses is based on the Province of Manitoba rates. It was submitted to the PCBC representative that nurses wanted to have the rate be as is utilized by CAA.
Dawn reports that Home Care nurses have a huge amount of respect for the nurses who work in the Personal Care Homes and work with the people that we have nurtured and cared for ourselves. Some of the smaller Long Term Care Locals are unable to afford to attend conferences such as MNU Labour School or the MNU Annual General Meeting. Home Care Local 97 intends on paying for a nurse from Holy Family Nursing Home to attend Labour School in Gimli, Manitoba in September 2008.
4. Meeting adjourned at 18:40