NEW YORK NURSE: May 2010
A new eleven-month contract, approved on April 19, will require management of this New Rochelle facility to meet with nurses on a regular basis to evaluate staffing on various units. The contract will provide the 330 RNs with a 3% increase in base salary this year, increase the medical reimbursement for RNs who decide to take early retirement, and includes a contractual reference for the nurses’ Medicare wrap-around policy. The contract sets up guidelines to allow some departments to take part in self-scheduling, stipulates that RNs will not be required to work mandatory overtime except in specifically designated emergencies, and prohibits RNs with at least 20 years of service from being required to float. In addition, a controversial provision to provide bonuses based on patient satisfaction surveys was eliminated.
On March 31, the 1,055 nurses of Staten Island University Hospital-North ratified a nine-month contract running from April 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2010. Highlights of the agreement include a 2.5% increase in base salary effective May 9, additional RN staff added to the emergency department, an increase in the education differential and an improvement in tuition reimbursement. Also, a 28th step has been added to the experience differential scale.