ACTION ALERT: Cayuga Medical Center Nurses Need Your Help!!
About six months ago, a number of Registered Nurses (RNs) from Cayuga Medical Center (CMC), came to visit with the Tompkins County Workers’ Center about their desire to form a union of RNs at the main hospital in Tompkins County. After going through a number of options, including the possibility of forming an independent union, the RNs decided to work with the Service Employees International Union 1199, the largest health care workers union in the country. The following is an account by the unionizing RN’s at CMC:
The Registered Nurses at Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) are organizing to form a union at CMC (read Frequently Asked Questions about why RN’s want to unionize here). This is a grassroots campaign which was started and is being led by nurses. We currently have representation from every inpatient and outpatient unit in the entire organization. Why do nurses want to unionize at Cayuga Medical Center? Multiple generations of nurses have shared the same concerns about persistent patterns: under staffing, threats to patient safety, low wages, capricious schedules, arbitrary management decisions, and no meaningful voice in making key decisions. (See more details here.)
Please show your support for the nurses in your community as we work to improve the safety and quality of care we deliver to you. We encourage you to write Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed articles to local publications, and to join the hundreds of community members who have signed our petition (click on Take Action below or here to sign the petition), asking that the Cayuga Medical Center engage in a moral and ethical code of conduct as we approach and carry out our election. Please contact us to find out how else you can support our campaign.
November 14, 2015 @ 10:52 am
During my time at Cayuga Medical Center I was always impressed by the nursing shared governance presence, the nursing education council, coordinating council as examples of professionals linking nursing practice to the highest level of quality patient care. Professional nurses that had a clear, strong voice as change agents, lowered nurse to patient ratios, addition of cardiac monitor technicians, and unit cross training opportunities that allowed for ongoing education and opportunity to work to your fullest potential. Communication was two-way open, honest, respectful between all disciplines and given the justification needed to remain a viable center for the community leadership diligently and thoughtfully made every effort to provide staff with the necessary tools to be successful. I’m a bit saddened by the news that nurses feel they need a bargaining unit in a center that encourages both personal and professional growth within and amongst each and every employee.
November 14, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
Kevin Flint was a former director of the 4th floor South and North units, as well as, I think taking responsibility for outpatient infusion before he left. Under his tenure, the 4th floor experienced one of its most stable periods, with the remarkable achievement of retaining all of the nurses who were oriented in one year, for more than a year past their date of hire. With his managers such Mike Doan, there were unassigned charge nurses on both 4 North and 4 South. There was also an admissions nurse who facilitated patient flow. Press-Ganey customer service scores for the 4th floor reached an all-time high during his directorship. Whether CMC pushed Kevin out or whether he left for greener pastures depends on who you talk to. Most of his accomplishments were dismantled soon after he left with CMC citing budgetary reason. With all due respect to his excellent leadership and past accomplishments, he speaks from a director’s perspective which is out of touch with the current state of affairs at CMC.
November 14, 2015 @ 5:21 pm
Kevin Flint was an amazing leader, and CMC should mourn his loss. It was through his tireless efforts that the 4th floor became a place people desired to work, not just some place they WOULD work to gain their experience and then move on. I cannot begin to tell you the number of times he spoke with severe frustration about administration. How hard he had to fight to get the changes made that he got done. Our VP of nursing at the time (which, interestingly at CMC is not referred to as a Chief Nursing Officer) did not understand the business issues he brought forth. Administration is seriously disconnected from the front line staff.
Mr. Flint taught me that our job as nurse leaders was a “servant-type leadership.” We asked the staff, “What do you need to do your job, do it well, and do it safely?” We then worked to do just that, be it equipment, supplies, education, training, or staffing. Take care of the staff, and the rest falls into place.
What remains now is an, “I run a tight ship,” authoritarianism mentality.
With the type of leadership Mr. Flint displayed and mentored, perhaps a union would not be necessary. Alas, that is no longer the case.
ACTION ALERT: Cayuga Medical Center Nurses Need Your Help!! : Single Payer New York
November 20, 2015 @ 8:48 am
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