Let’s All Work Together to Improve Encino
Since Prime Healthcare acquired Encino in 2008, Prime and Encino RNs have worked well together as a team. Prime’s turnaround of our hospital was almost instantaneous. In 2009, Encino showed a profit for the first time since 2002 and, according to the most recent OSHPD data, the hospital had a strong first quarter in 2010. We have significantly increased revenue from private insurers, kept a better handle on supplies, and made other changes to bring our hospital to profitability.
We, Encino Registered Nurses, are doing our part to help our hospital succeed — sticking with our hospital through thick and thin. We have provided our patients with the best care possible during much uncertainty, working extra as needed and accepting call-off as a part of our sacrifice to improve our hospital’s bottom line. We are proud of our hospital and stand committed to our patients.
Our bargaining team would like to make sure this partnership continues. On January 18, we met with management and presented many of our non economic proposals. Many of these proposals are no change or contain minor changes, such as in articles on the Patient Care Committee and disciplinary language.
Toward that end, we are moving forward. We made four tentative agreements on standard issues of Non-Discrimination, Harassment, Sub-Contracting and Savings Clause.
The hospital provided us with many of their non-economic proposals and we are hoping that they will change their approach. Several proposals contain takeaways that would limit the effectiveness of our stewards and representatives. Management wants to reduce the number of hours a steward can spend representing co-workers who may be wrongly disciplined, as well as change our Union Security language. This could weaken our power by eroding our Union’s resources. These articles allow our Union to hold management accountable, enforce our contract and protect workers from unfair discipline. Our team will stand firm to retain these provisions.
“Our staff is dedicated to the delivery of patient care and we need motivated, positive-thinking staff to deliver the best care possible. We will stay united in support of our proposals and our union contract.” — Nene Ruelo, Bargaining Team
“I am on the bargaining committee because this is our Union and we stand for improving the nursing profession and our current standards of care. In no way should we ever compromise our standards.” — Grace Haidenthaller, Bargaining Team
Our Bargaining Team
Nene Ruelo
Grace Haidenthaller
Muti Jarrett
Homer Marmol