Anaheim ED Grievance Moves to Issue Resolution

July 2012

On Monday, July 23 management informed UNAC/UHCP that they will agree to work in partnership on the issue of implementation of Staggered/Static shifts. However, OC management also informed UNAC/UHCP that they plan to move forward with implementation of 8 to 8 shifts starting on August 5, for those RNs who currently work 7 to 7.

Here’s what happened:

On July 19th UNAC/UHCP Leadership’s Ken Deitz (President) and Suzanne Delaney (Assistant Director of Representation); KOCPA Leadership’s Terry McMurtrey with  Staff Representative Tamara Yildiz; along with ED RN Jeanne Duss, met with Karen Tejcka (Medical Group Administrator), Margie Harrier (AMC Transition Leader), Labor Relations from Pasadena and the OC Director of Human Resources.

UNAC/UHCP raised again 3 key points at this meeting:

1. There is no operational need for the change in scheduling.
2. The change is premature, since we don’t know the impact on the ED until the new hospital opens.
3. We have deep concerns regarding maintaining safe staffing ratios with the proposed change in hours.

At this meeting with management UNAC/UHCP took the position that Kaiser did not work in partnership. Ken Deitz, UNAC/UHCP President said, “This would have been a prime opportunity to use the partnership tools of Interest Based Problem Solving and Consensus Decision Making, which results in success.”

NEXT STEPS:

A team of three ED RN’s who are on Mid-Shifts will be selected by the union, with UNAC/UHCP and KOCPA Leadership, to work this issue in Interest Based Problem Solving and Consensus Decision Making. A neutral facilitator will guide the process. It is UNAC/UHCP’s belief that with this process, the nurses will be heard and be a part of any decision regarding mid-shift schedules. This work will be done as quickly as possible. Finally, it is UNAC/UHCP’s plan to keep the grievance on the table at this time representing everyone.

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