Our collective bargaining agreement with JFK Memorial management outlines what is expected of all JFK RNs when it comes to working the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Simply stated, Article 11, Subsection H of our contract says:

• Requests to work on a holiday or to not work on a holiday is awarded based on seniority.
• Day shift Registered Nurses will be required to work at least ONE of the following three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s.
• Night shift Registered Nurses shall be required to work at least ONE of the following three holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve.
• Should the hospital require more RNs to work during these three holidays, the employer shall assign RNs by inverse seniority (beginning with the least senior Registered Nurse) to work the designated holiday.

There is nothing in our contract that requires RNs to work President’s Day and/or during the JFK Christmas Party.

Mandatory Overtime

Mandatory overtime is not allowed in most instances year-round, including holidays. Following is what our contract states about forced overtime:

“Acceptance of overtime and shifts beyond the Registered Nurse’s schedule shall be voluntary and in accordance with state law or regulations, except where patient care would be endangered by an internal or external emergency declared by state, local or federal government or declared by the administrator on duty. An external or internal emergency, for the purposes of this section, is defined as an unexpected situation of sudden occurrence of a serious and urgent nature that demands immediate attention, such as an unpredictable or unavoidable occurrence at unscheduled or unpredictable intervals relating to healthcare delivery requiring immediate interventions and care such as natural disasters, situations of mass casualties or an internal emergency endangering patient care such as fire, structural collapse, bomb threats, hazardous material spills or any other unanticipated event that would result in the closure of beds required for patient care.”

Called Off / Flexed RNs Off the Schedule

According to our contract and applicable any time of year, including holidays:

“Once called-off, a Registered Nurse is considered off the schedule and shall not be required to maintain contact or be available to work, unless the Registered Nurse has agreed to accept Standby status and is compensated accordingly, for the shift or portion thereof.” (Article 11, Subsection L)