Documents
Local 4 President's Summary 2008
This has been a great endeavor for me since September! I’ve always said that you have to learn something new everyday…well I’m way ahead of my quota!! I don’t believe that I could have made it without the help of Valerie Wotton, Glenda Doerksen, Marise Frankel and the wonderful executive of Local 4. I would like to extend my gratitude to them! I cannot forget our general membership for Local 4 either! They sit very patiently during the meetings while I rifle through papers and ask for advice from someone! I’m happy to report that my sea legs are strengthening!
I have set aside Wednesday, Thursday and every second Friday for my President days. Between the office duties and meetings my days are full. We have received at least 1800 emails throughout the year and an average of 9 telephone calls a week. In the past year, 36 nurses have participated in the rehabilitation and return to work program. The numbers are higher but an exact count is not known related to the Union not being notified as required. These meetings are held approximately every two weeks per nurse for approximately 6-10 weeks if not longer. Article 7 7A06 addresses these meetings. These nurses need to be commended for their patience during their recovery and gradual return to work and others for a long awaited and anticipated accommodation.
Marise (current Labour Relations Officer for Brandon) and Glenda ( previously assigned Labour Relations Officer) and the President of Local 4 have attended 8 Union/Human Resources meetings throughout the year (Jan-Dec). These meeting are usually 4-6 hours in length. Many issues are discussed and settled preventing filing a grievance in many cases. Harmony between the two of us is essential and a priority.
New nursing positions have been introduced to Local 4! Those have been a LPN position to Prairie Health Matters, LPN pilot project for Day Treatment Investigation Unit, Ns III Liaison to CGP, Ns IV Public Health, and Ns IV Clinical Documentation Coordinator. As you can see, we are back to our original name of Local 4. This name was essential related to bargaining issues. We have many sites within our Local so to call it Worksite was not conducive.
Fairview invited me to their NAC in December. Those nurses do extremely well to do what they do on a regular basis. It was interesting to listen to their concerns and issues. With the collaborative effort that is in place, I believe that Fairview will overcome many of their obstacles!
The Crisis Stabilization Unit will be preparing for the initiation of NAC and U/M. As well, Homecare and Community are requiring those committees be established. Marise and I will assist in this.
New "no tolerance for violence" signage is coming soon. Marise and I have viewed it and await its release to all the areas.
In solidarity,
Sherie Tomiski
Union Management Summary 2008
The committee consists of three nurses, Pamela Burns (co-chair), Heather Eppert and Elsie Karnes, Sherie Tomiski (concluded in Jan/09). The committee met throughout the year and discussion took place around Standby /Call issues, sick-calls/Attendance policy, N95 fit testing, GRTW meetings, parking, nurse reclassification, ward situations and vacation planning.
- The Union is still awaiting the final draft of a revised Attendance management letter that is sent out to our members.
- N95 masks fit testing was partially done but related to a change in suppliers, this is on hold.
- Parking issues for the STEP program continues to be an issue. (3 years and counting). It has gone from department to department and it now is back to Union/HR.
- Vacation planning is always a time of discontent for everyone involved. There has been a misconception that the process has changed this year. It has not. The MNU Labour Relations Officers and Human Resources met with the Unit managers and secretaries to have a consistent process followed. Some areas were planning very differently! Thank you to Marise Frankel and Dan Kushneryk LROs!
- We look at nurses’ classifications and discuss whether it should be changed. ei: Nurse II should not permanently be in charge (should be shared amongst those qualified). That nurse should be considered a Ns III.
The committee works well together to come up with solutions or forward the issues to the departments to which the concerns have direct involvement with ie: Security, Nursing office, Unit managers etc.
We require an appointment of two members from Local 4 to hold a year term (As per Article 11 1101). They would sit on the committee with Pamela (VP Local 4). Anyone interested??
In Solidarity,
Sherie Tomiski (Co- chair)
Pamela Burns (Co-chair)
Heather Eppert
Elsie Karnes
Nursing Advisory Report Summary 2008
The committee Union members included Valerie Wotton (concluded in Sept); Sherie Tomiski; Carol McCaig; Pamela Burns (commenced in Sept). There were at least 58 Workload Staffing Reports submitted this year. We say this related to the fact that some have not been accounted for at the time of this report. Do these numbers truly reflect the potential and actual situations that affect our nurses’ and patients on a daily basis?
The process for filing these reports is continuously being reviewed. Written instruction will again be circulated to the wards for an easier processing of these documents. Look for these in the Union binders on each unit.
The areas most stated in the reports are workload/acuity, staffing levels (both support and nursing), and placement of patients.
The committee has often reminded the authors of the reports to discuss their concerns at a unit level. We encourage the use of action plans. They are measurable and can be evaluated. If recommendations are not working, tell one of us and we will assist you with other options.
As your Union representatives we truly commend you and your co-workers for the commitment to each other and your patients. It is not easy coming to work and dealing with challenges on a regular basis. Your situations can change, fill out the workloads and be part of the solution!
Anyone interested in sitting on this committee for a term position, please forward your names at the AGM!
In Solidarity,
Sherie Tomiski (Co- chair)
Carol McCaig
Pamela Burns
Grievance and Arbitration Summary 2008
There have been 6 individual grievance filed this year. From that, one of them has been directed to an arbitration hearing set for April 2009. One Union grievance has been filed and awaiting a ruling. This grievance relates to family ill time.
We believe that the regular MNU/HR meetings we have certainly helped to rectify many issues. I will be handing over the Grievance and Arbitration executive position to the new Vice President of Local 4, determined at the AGM. Presently Pamela Burns has been stepping in this position since Sept/08.
There continues to be many inquiries for an interpretation of our contract. This is encouraging; our members want to make sure that their rights have not been violated. Some of these have been grievable while others grippable. Remember that if these issues are important to you, discuss them with our PCBC representative.
The grievance procedure is in Article 12 of our Collective Agreement.
In solidarity,
Sherie Tomiski
MNU Board Report 2008
Click here to download the report (PDF format; Acrobat Reader required to open the file -- available free at Adobe.com).
Chief Ward Rep. Annual Report 2008
Click here to download the report (PDF format; Acrobat Reader required).
