Corona RNs: Frequently Asked Questions
April 2015
CORONA RNs: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
and the real answers Corona RNs need to know!
Q: What are some of the benefits of having a Union contract that I would not have as a non-Union employee at Corona?
A: Once a contract is in place, Union members are protected by the provisions of the contract which include but are not limited to: wages, benefits, working conditions, corrective action and discipline, retirement, and floating. Without a contract, management can change the way you do your job; they can take benefits away, close units, get rid of staff and they can discipline or terminate you without providing just cause.
Q: What can my Union do for me?
A: As your certified collective bargaining representative, UNAC/UHCP can:
- Negotiate a collective bargaining agreement on your behalf (that cannot be changed at the whim of management)
- Provide representation for RNs at Weingarten meetings with management
- Provide contract enforcement to make certain management is in compliance with the contract once it is in place
- Investigate allegations against RNs and file grievances on their behalf
- Provide RN education (including CEUs) regarding your rights under the contract
- Request information that employees would not otherwise know
Q: What is a Weingarten meeting?
A: A Weingarten meeting is an investigatory or pre-disciplinary meeting with management where:
- The employee has a reasonable expectation that discipline may result
- The purpose of the meeting or interview is to investigate an employee’s work performance or misconduct, where discipline of any kind is a possible result
- The purpose of the interview of the meeting is to elicit facts, the employee’s side of the story, or obtain admissions or other evidence either to determine whether discipline is warranted OR to support a disciplinary decision already made
Q: Who can I call to represent me if I am called to attend a Weingarten meeting?
A: You may call the UNAC/UHCP Office at (909) 599-8622 and ask for Thor Causing or Penny Brown, RN.
Q: How long do contract negotiations usually take?
A: Your bargaining team has been working hard since early September to negotiate your first contract. Your Bargaining Team is prepared at any time to meet and negotiate your contract in the best interest of the RNs at Corona. However, management has only been available a few days each month to negotiate. Your bargaining team has given management many proposals and management has not yet responded. In addition, the few proposals management has passed across the table are not written in the best interest of the RNs employed at UHS-Corona or the patients they serve. As a result, your bargaining team must continue to provide counter proposals and negotiate in good faith on your behalf.
Q: Why is management meeting with RNs and staff, encouraging RNs to give them a chance to make things better?
A: Simply stated, management is making empty promises again! Management is banking on you going against your own instincts! These instincts tell you a Union and a contract are needed to provide RNs a real voice in patient care. Nursing is an evidence based profession. What evidence has management provided to RNs that they will do the right thing by and for the Corona nurses? There is no evidence – just empty promises.
Q: I am an RN at Corona and I want to help us win a great contract. What can I do to help make this happen?
- GET INVOLVED! This is YOUR CONTRACT and YOU ARE THE UNION!
- Attend negotiations. Listen to the exchanges and read the proposals for yourself. We are 100% transparent!
- Help your Bargaining Team distribute materials and pass on information to your fellow RN members.
- Contact a Bargaining Team member, Thor Causing, or Penny Brown, RN, for more information on how you can help.
Q: When are the next negotiation sessions and where are they going to be held?
Corona RN Negotiations
May 20 and 21
Starting at 10:30 am with management
Ayres Hotel
1900 Frontage Road
Corona, CA 92882
(Off the 91 freeway at Maple)
Q: Do I have to stay at negotiations all day?
A. No. You can stay as little as 10-15 minutes or as long as you want. It is up to you!
If you are an RN and have questions or concerns not addressed above, you are encouraged to contact a Corona RN Bargaining Team member or Thor Causing at (909) 599-8622 for more information. Click here for a full PDF version of this flyer.