Nearly 1,500 Women & Infants union caregivers vote for unfair labor practice informational picket as nearly 3,000 CNE workers set to bargain new contracts

From an SEIU 1199 press release:

Nearly 1,500 frontline caregivers at Women & Infants Hospital, constituting 99.9% of workers who participated, voted yes to authorize an unfair labor practice informational picket on November 12. Since October, over 2,000 Women & Infants employees of SEIU 1199 New England have been bargaining with their employer to settle a new contract. They were joined by frontline staff at Butler Hospital, who, together with VNA (Visiting Nurses Association), make up nearly 3,000 Care New England employees engaged in contract bargaining over the next six months. 

In the last three bargaining sessions with the Union, Women & Infants’s management offered proposals that would erode job standards, trample union rights, and fail to solve the staffing crisis at the Hospital. Even more concerning, the Union has identified numerous categories of behavior by the Hospital that are both unlawful and unacceptable to the union members, including,

1. Refusal to bargain over several changes in the terms and conditions of employment of Union workers;

2. Refusing to provide the information requested to formulate bargaining proposals and respond to the Hospital’s proposals and;

3. Intimidating, threatening, and, in the most extreme cases – engaging in impermissive physical acts against union members and staff in retaliation for their testimony against the Hospital in a federal unfair labor practice trial before an Administrative Law Judge of the National Labor Relations Board. These clear and numerous violations of the National Labor Relations Act have prompted the Union to file multiple unfair labor practice charges against the Hospital. 

“For decades, we had a great working relationship with management,” said Melissa Blais, a Registered Nurse in the Labor & Delivery Room who has been at Women & Infants for 24 years.¹ “During our last contract negotiations in 2020, they assured us that we would work and collaborate on our continued shared issues to ensure both parties would meet their needs. They have done the exact opposite. In the last few years, we have had the most grievances and arbitrations that I have ever seen. They are trying to run the hospital without listening to the input of our frontline workers. What’s even more frustrating today at the current bargaining table is that the hospital won’t even give us the information we are entitled to to bargain fairly. This is against the law and why we voted YES for an unfair labor practice informational picket.”

This filing of unfair labor practice charges and the subsequent vote for an informational picket is the culmination of a growing frustration from workers who have felt their concerns about staffing, patient safety, working conditions, and respect have not been taken seriously by management. In March of 2023, nearly 1,400 Women & Infants caregivers voted no confidence in management, citing many unresolved grievances and arbitrations, a dire staffing crisis, and an ongoing lack of clear, respectful communication. In the year that followed, little has changed. 

“Recently, the hospital has opened a Med Surg unit, which has significantly increased the volume of diagnostic imaging. Staffing has been a constant issue, especially on the second and third shifts, which generally is very difficult to fill,” said Doreen Engeian², who has been a Diagnostic Imaging Technologist at Women & Infants for 30 years. “This administration’s solution has been to mandate the worker on the off-going shift to cover the vacancy, which translates into a 16-hour shift. This has become management’s normal practice. Forcing staff to work double shifts is unhealthy or unsafe for patient care. This situation needs to change immediately.”

Staffing shortages are just one of the critical issues SEIU 1199 bargaining committee members attempt to address through their bargaining proposals, wage increases, unified job standards regardless of CNE facility, and fostering inclusivity by having the employer offer all policies and materials in multiple languages. In response, management has refused to address union workers’ proposals and has offered proposals in return that would reduce parental leave by half, limit union activity, and provide jobs to non-union workers. At its core, a lack of respect and concern drives many workers’ decision to vote for the informational picket. 

“Cleanliness at a hospital is key to safe patient care. But we are constantly running short on supplies - Purell, mops, and even soap. We have tried raising these issues with management for years, but our concerns have been brushed aside,” said Alcidia Mota, who is a member of the bargaining committee and has worked in Environmental Services for eight years and in Dietary before that for 13 years. “I had a manager slam a door in my face. Despite our department having multiple Portuguese and Spanish speakers, management refuses to send out materials in any language besides English and has stopped holding meetings. We need better communication and respect and to be paid more for our work.”

The Women & Infants union contract expires at the end of November, and caregivers at Butler Hospital and the VNA will begin bargaining shortly.

For 10 years, Dawn Williams³ has been an RN at Butler Hospital.

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District 1199 SEIU New England represents 29,000 health care and service workers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Southeastern Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, 1199 SEIU NE represents over 4,000 members. 1199 SEIU NE is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – a union of over 2 million members across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. SEIU has been a national leader in pushing the growing Fight for $15 and a Union movement.

1. Melissa Blais is a Registered Nurse in the Labor & Delivery Room who has been at Women & Infants for 24 years.

“My journey at CNE began at a very young and naive age of 15, first as a volunteer, also once known as a candy striper. 

“But the kitchen, the dietary department was my first actual real life job. There I would spend countless evenings after high school serving food trays to our excited new moms; and other times sitting and crying with our newly diagnosed oncology patients. The Housekeeping department was next up, from there I learned what a physically demanding job felt like.

“While attending CNE’s accelerated nursing program I worked as a secretary. I started learning computer systems and medical terminology. I figured it would only aid in my development into becoming a competent and well rounded nurse.  

“Being able to transfer between different departments was imperative to helping me grow as a professional. These departments helped guide me towards my real passions. My passion for helping others.

“Whether helping a patient, a visitor or my coworkers I knew, I never wanted others to feel alone while in time of need.

“Especially the ones who were too intimidated, shy or lacked the ability to advocate for themselves. My career journey through these departments taught me the importance of professional courtesy, accountability and most importantly teamwork. 

“The Labor and Delivery Unit delivers around 8500 babies a year, so roughly 23 babies a day. We provide a safe delivery for our families regardless of gestational age. In the event of a loss, we provide thoughtful care dedicated to the needs of the family. 

“Becoming parents is exciting, but also very scary. Since becoming a bedside nurse in 2008 I have noticed an increase in higher acuity patients. A high acuity patient is defined as a patient who has an acute or long term medical condition requiring specialized care. 

“High risk pregnancies have become much more common in our field since covid. We care for a large portion of women suffering from pregnancy complications on top of their underlying medical conditions. 

“Rates of addiction, homelessness, and interpersonal violence have skyrocketed in the last decade. We are not only their nurses, we are there to coordinate resources to ensure patients have the best possible outcomes once they leave our hospital.

“Our unit is struggling. It’s run down, cluttered and lacking equipment. We are all condensed in a small area while the construction to our new unit is being built. We have had our fair share of obstacles, but our biggest challenge continues to be staffing. 

“We have no acuity scale at our facility. Most of the time our “productivity” isn't credited to the actual amount of time that we are spending caring for our patients. 

“For example, IVF has become increasingly more popular resulting in a lot more twin pregnancies. When we deliver twins the hospital counts it as one delivery NOT two despite it taking double the nursing care. Now add on top of that those twins are preterm and the patient a brittle diabetic. That “one” delivery took four nurses at one point to ensure adequate care and safety.

“We have a big problem with staffing and retention. Women & Infants used to be one of the highest and most sought out hospitals in Rhode Island. Now we can’t seem to keep new nurses in the door. Veteran staff are going to other departments because they are sick and tired of us constantly being short staffed. 

“When we are short staffed we are unable to give safe competent quality care we so desperately want to provide.

“Every time we are below staff, our licenses are at risk and mistakes could be made. Employees are burned out, mentally and physically. There are more LOA related to depression and injuries than ever before.  

“For decades we had a great working relationship with management. During our last contract negotiations in 2020, they assured us that we would work and collaborate on our continued shared issues to ensure both parties would have their needs met. 

“They have done the exact opposite. In the last few years we have had the most amount of grievances and arbitrations that I have ever seen. 

“They are trying to run the hospital without listening to the input of our frontline workers. 

“What’s even more frustrating today, at the current bargaining table is that the hospital won't even give us the information we are entitled to to bargain fairly. This is against the law and why we voted YES for an unfair labor practice informational picket.

“When I started it was hard to get a job at Women & Infants; now no-one wants to stay. 

“Its time management takes a long hard look at why that is, stop treating us like numbers and give us the professional courtesy and empathy that we give our patients every day.”

2. Doreen Engeian, who has been a Diagnostic Imaging Technologist at Women & Infants for 30 years:

“I am here today to share the reasons why I decided to join my co-workers in voting for an unfair labor practice informational picket. The bottom line is that we are all frustrated and exhausted and feel like we have been raising serious safety concerns for years with no response.

“Let me start by saying I love my job. In our department, we perform Ultrasound, Catscan, MRI, Mammography, and X-rays. We care for women throughout different stages of their lives, from expectant mothers to women needing routine care to even our most vulnerable oncology patients. We get to know our patients during the course of their care. We see them at their happiest, and we are there to support them during their most difficult moments.

“Our number one priority is patient care, but sometimes, staffing issues can make it challenging. Recently, the hospital opened a Med Surg unit, which has significantly increased the volume of diagnostic imaging.

“Staffing has been a constant issue. Especially on the second and third shifts, which generally is very difficult to fill. This administration’s solution has been to mandate the worker on the off-going shift to cover the vacancy. Imagine working your shift from 3 to 11 pm only to be told you must stay to work another 8 hours. It eventually got to the point where this became management’s normal practice. Forcing staff to work double shifts is not healthy or safe for patient care. The hospital administration states patient care is their top priority; however, patients are also suffering due to a lack of staffing. This situation needs to change immediately. 

“Now, during contract negotiations, we have been raising our staffing concerns with management, but instead of working with us, they are refusing to bargain in good faith. 

“That’s why I voted yes for our informational picket. We need management to follow the laws and our contract.”

3. Dawn Williams has been an RN at Butler Hospital for ten years.

“I have worked primarily on one of Butler Hospital’s two Intensive Inpatient treatment units, where we treat some of RI’s most profoundly ill patients. I love my job and would like to continue doing it for the rest of my career. But lately I have begun to seriously consider a change. 

“We all know by now that there is a mental health crisis in this country. In Rhode Island, our behavioral health system is broken. Butler Hospital is the backbone of psychiatric care in Rhode Island, just as Women and Infants is the backbone of women’s health, and we are crumbling under the pressure. It is impossible to provide the care our patients need without adequate staffing and a safe environment to provide that care. As a result, our community is suffering the consequences of delayed treatment and inadequate care.

“For years, our staffing levels across the hospital have been at an all-time low. Several factors have contributed to this staffing crisis.  One reason is that while the cost of living has surged dramatically in recent years, Butler Hospital has made no effort to offer fair or competitive pay to meet the needs of employees. As a result, many of our union members do not earn a livable or fair wage.  Consequently, some are choosing to take the short drive to mass or conn where they can earn significantly more, some are forced to work multiple jobs or an unreasonable number of hours to try and make ends meet.  Another contributing factor to our staffing shortage is the burnout experienced by our dedicated union members at Butler Hospital. Since the onset of Covid, we have been working extra shifts, often on units or departments that are understaffed. This has made it difficult to get time off, leading us to neglect our own mental health and time with family and friends.

“Safety is another significant issue facing Butler Hospital staff. Those who undertake the challenging and rewarding job of caring for psychiatric patients understand that there is an inherent risk that comes with caring for that population. Unfortunately, violence against staff has become the rule, not the exception. Butler Hospital staff have reported 3 times more injuries caused during patient care this year than just a couple of years ago. We deserve an environment that is safe for our staff and therapeutic for our patients. Experience in de-escalation and psychiatric interventions is crucial to making our hospital safer. We need to retain our experienced staff to pass on their knowledge and recruit quality caring staff for the future.

“In just a few short months, we, as Butler Hospital union members, will be negotiating a new contract with CNE. We stand with our 1199 SEIU brothers and sisters at W&I and stand up for our community, which needs us.”