ESCANABA - More than 100 registered nurses joined in an informational picket outside OSF St. Francis Hospital along U.S. 2 & 41 Thursday, as Economic Reopener negotiations reached a standstill.
The picketing RNs are part of the Michigan Nurses' Association (MNA)?and have been negotiating with hospital officials for several months. A federal mediator was present at a recent negotiation.
The MNA is based in Okemas, Mich., and serves as representative and advocate for registered nurses and the nursing profession.
According to a press release issued by the MNA Wednesday, the nurses at OSF have been going above and beyond in working with the hospital, but have recently become exhausted by what they deem as unreasonable requests.
"The registered nurses of OSF St. Francis, represented by the Michigan Nurses Association, have been open to economic measures, including a wage freeze," stated the release. "Now, OSF St. Francis management is asking nurses to give up 70 percent of their sick time and take a reduction in their benefit time. That's too much to ask. The nurses are picketing in support of a fair contract that protects both the nurses and the community and surrounding areas."
In a press release, OSF CEO and President Peter Jennings noted that a rejected offer was submitted to the MNA June 29.
According to the release, the hospital "informed the MNA that it was exercising its legal right, under federal law, to implement some or all of the proposals contained in the hospital's 'last, best and final' offer."
Lanna M. Scannell, OSF community and government relations manager, added Friday that the hospital is not threatening the sick time currently held by RNs.
"In response to comments that nurses are losing sick-time benefits, hospital President and CEO Peter Jennings stressed that no sick time is being taken away," she explained. "In the past, Jennings stated employees at OSF St. Francis Hospital, including registered nurses, were able to accumulate up to 800 hours of sick time. Employees who have 800 hours accrued get to keep the 800 hours. The new sick-time benefit accrual maximum for OSF Healthcare System employees is 240 hours."
The offer is comparable to many of OSF's employees, notes Scannell, and the hospital has also created an opportunity to supplement the proposed cap on sick time accrual.
"A new short-term disability policy is being implemented at no cost to employees," she said. "The hospital's offer on sick-time benefits for registered nurses is the same as that for all of the nearly 13,000 OSF HealthCare employees, including the management team and all professional/technical employees at OSF St. Francis Hospital."
The OSF proposal rejected by MNA members also included a general wage increase of 1.5 percent, in addition to a 1.6 percent average step increase, which would have resulted in an average total wage increase of 3.1 percent in December 2011, the last year of the contract. Starting salaries for new, full-time registered nurses would increase to $45,094 per year and the most senior nurses would earn a base wage of $64,875 on a full-time basis, not including overtime, shift and weekend differentials, according to hospital officials.
Sara Kofsky, MNA chairperson and OSF RN, said Thursday that the offer submitted by the hospital was not fair and that the picket is not about money, but some semblance of equality.
Kofsky also felt the RN wages reported by the hospital were not accurate. According to Kofsky, the highest paid nurse at OSF makes around $56,000 a year. Kofsky said RNs have been on a wage freeze since May 1, 2009, and agreed to a postponed general wage increase until Dec. 1, 2011. She added that the RNs of OSF are merely fighting for the sick time, which is "nearly impossible for the nurses to access."
While they fight to hold on to their sick time, Kofsky said the nurses have significant support from community members.
"We have an overwhelming amount of community support, and are very happy with this support," said Kofsky. "The community seems to be behind us."
As the negotiations between OSF and the MNA nurses remain in limbo, Kofsky reiterates that they RNs of St. Francis are looking for nothing more than to be treated with the same respect as hospital administration and to receive the benefits afforded to them.
