CWA-PIW Bargaining August 2019

The CWA Local 2336 Bargaining Committee reports:

CWA and PIW met this week on Tuesday, August 13th and Wednesday, August 14th. On Tuesday, the Union addressed a number of issues that have recently been impacting our members. We have received information about some of our members reporting that their pay has been incorrect or that their PTO has not been paid out timely.

The Union also reviewed information requests we had submitted to PIW regarding job descriptions for existing and newer job titles; schedules for blocks of time for different departments and timesheets that may identify pay issues.

Discussions on Wednesday continued to involve the exchange of information requests as well as reviewing the information with PIW. PIW has hired a new Human Resource Director, Theja Lowe. This the 4th Human Resource Director to come on board since we have been in bargaining with PIW. The absence of a competent PIW Human Resource Director has contributed to the pace of these negotiations.

During our 2-days at PIW, we continue to hear codes being called for searches or for Code Lavenders. Each of you is responsible for your own safety and for accurate record keeping. It is imperative that if you are understaffed on a floor that it is continually referred to the nursing supervisor. If you are unable to do checks, let supervision know right then and don’t fill out a form stating a check was completed.

Many of the situations getting created are due to a high patient-staff ratio. Average should be 6 to 1. At PIW there are days it is 15-2 or 12-1. Just pushing thru on days that you are not set-up with adequate resources will get you hurt or your patients.

Highlight the understaffing issues; highlight being placed in a role you are not qualified or certified to perform; identify payroll issues and expect them to be fixed right away not weeks later. Minimizing the important role you play at PIW to deliver quality patient care coupled with the disrespect many of you are enduring has got to stop. And you can collectively stop it.

Thank you to those of you who have been wearing your red wristbands, CWA pins and red shirts. Keep increasing the CWA red.

Remember we are stronger together.