Your elected MNA-UMPNC bargaining team continued negotiating with Michigan Medicine’s administration on issues related to safe staffing, mandatory overtime, and recruitment and retention of RNs this week.
Addressing Turnover
Yesterday (4/7), Nurse Recruiting and Retention gave us a presentation. Data was provided to our team. We discussed the high rate (15.8%) of staff turnover in the first year of hire. Insufficient staffing is the number one factor that contributes to nurse turnover according to the 2021 NSI National Health Care Retention and RN Staffing Report.
The Employer claims that Michigan Medicine recruits beyond the number of nurses leaving for retirement, resignation, and terminations.
The average cost to hire and orient an RN is $44,000.00. Retention measures that reward and recognize frontline staff will save money in the long run. The cost to replace 500 nurses in a one-year span is $22 million. Finding a way to invest in nurses who are already here would be good for patients, good for nurses, and even good for Michigan Medicine.
Addressing Mandatory Overtime
From the bargaining survey MNA-UMPNC nurses have filled out, it is clear that one of the membership’s top priorities is not to be mandated to work overtime. We have had numerous discussions during the past few negotiating sessions revolving around how to safely staff the hospital without unfairly relying on mandatory overtime.
We have highlighted to management the contractual provisions that are already in place that would allow Michigan Medicine to safely staff without relying on mandatory over-time.
MNA-UMPNC nurses are hired to work an agreed upon number of hours. No more, no less, unless voluntary. Just as we should not be mandated, so too should we also not be down-staffed and lose our regular work hours.
Our Proposed Solution
Staffing to our proposed ratios will address many of our concerns. We believe it is vital to staff in a way that allows for coverage for breaks and lunches and that provides nurses opportunities to complete mandatory education. We also believe that staffing to contractually mandated and enforced guidelines would help to decrease number of patients that are held in Emergency Departments waiting for a bed.
Here’s the bottom line: Management should be staffing for beds not butts.
Building Solidarity
Keep wearing RED on Wednesdays! We can’t overstate how inspiring it is to see all of the unique and different ways MNA-UMPNC members have found to express the solidarity with each other. Our employer wants to divide us, but nurses know that our strength comes from being UNITED. That’s why we are Union Strong!