On many fronts this contract must stand in contrast to our last. So much has changed since 2019—our last negotiated contract. In the last four years we have been tested, we stood up for the challenges of the global pandemic. Our families were strained, their mental and personal health suffered during the last four years. We want to build on our last contract.

Dignity wants to radically transform our hospitals into one big float pool. They proposed that Nurses from all units be required to float to ER. They argued that a Nurse’s expertise lies not with their department, but with a patient population. For example, a med-surg Nurse could be required to float to any department to care for med-surg patients, with no accounting for setting. The insults to our profession didn’t stop there. They proposed floating Case Managers between campuses and getting rid of night shift Care Coordinators, leaving our units understaffed.

We say: no way. Your Bargaining Team understands that reality is still relevant. Context, competency, training, orientation, and expertise still matter. Our patients and their care are not hypothetical. Dignity, we will always stand up for patient safety, so come back and join us in the real world.