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SRMC, union agree to bargain meeting next week
UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center.
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After months of back and forth between University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center and the United Health Professionals of New Mexico AFT division, SRMC has agreed to come to the table and bargain with the union. Both say they will meet Sept. 18.
However, they still disagree on if pro re nata (PRNs) nurses should qualify for inclusion in the bargaining unit.
This decision is a forced one as the district court ordered SRMC to get to the bargaining table. SRMC says the bargaining is in "good faith."
"Last week, a New Mexico District Court judge ruled that bargaining should continue between UNM Hospital and AFT, while both parties continue to wait for a ruling on whether PRN (pro re nata) employees, who are temporary, freelance workers, should be included in the bargaining unit," SRMC states in a release. "New Mexico law states only 'regular employees' can lawfully be included into a bargaining unit. UNM Hospital has interpreted the law to mean temporary employees cannot be part of a public union. None of the other unions representing UNM Hospital employees include temporary workers in their bargaining units. Because AFT disagrees with this interpretation of the law, contract negotiations have been stalled since February, leaving this group of SRMC employees without a contract."
It also reads that clarity from the court on the PRN issue is necessary so that all public employers and public employee unions — including UNM Hospital and AFT —can negotiate with each other fairly and with a full understanding of their obligations under the law.
"UNM filed its appeal because this clarity is so vital to good-faith bargaining," the hospital said.
UNM Hospital CEO Kate Becker says they respect the judge's order and will remain committed to "doing what is right for employees."
"This legal disagreement has created a situation that has led to the employees in this group caught in the middle. UNM Hospital looks forward to AFT coming to the table and entering into good-faith bargaining so that these employees can be covered by a collective bargaining agreement,” she said.
UNM Hospital claims it has asked AFT to meet at the negotiation table five separate times in the last year.
"AFT accepted once, and then walked away, and refused the next four offers to bargain," SRMC said in the release.
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"Following the judge’s latest order, UNM Hospital fully expects AFT to respect the ruling and enter into good-faith negotiations. UNM Hospital will bargain for terms consistent with how the hospital negotiates with all other unions representing employees at UNM Hospital and SRMC."
SRMC President Jamie Silva-Steele says they hope AFT's leadership ends its "campaign of personal attacks, misinformation and false accusations ... particularly around the quality of care provided by our staff and providers. This group of employees, like all our teams, deserve focused conversations centered around how both the union and the hospital will support them, and continue to support the delivery of high-quality patient care. We remain committed to those goals and I hope the latest judicial ruling offers a reset for AFT to commit to those goals with us."
The union welcomed the judge's decision, saying the hospital has avoided bargaining all along.
"UHPNM was formed more than two years ago to fight for better patient healing and working conditions, but negotiations for a first contract have stalled ever since because the hospital has filed numerous challenges to avoid bargaining. The state labor board and the district court have ruled against the hospital on each attempt. Last week, District Court Judge Nancy Franchini denied UNM SRMC’s request to once again delay negotiations. She ruled it must begin negotiations on all terms and conditions of employment and include nurses and other health professionals, including PRNs, who are fully credentialed regular employees with flexible shifts," the union states in a release of its own.
The union's lawyer, Shane Youtz, says the union is committed to staying at the bargaining table until agreement is reached.
“The union has said all along that its mission for negotiations is to get binding agreement on solutions that will help ease the serious staffing shortage and other problems inhibiting patient and working conditions,” he said.
He hopes that no further excuses by the hospital will delay negotiations.
Gilbert Martinez, an MRI technologist at the hospital, told the union he was "thrilled" that bargaining is set to begin.
“Because of unsafe staffing levels, the quality of patient care has diminished over the past few years. I see it in the radiology department, where patients have to wait too long to be seen, and I know it’s happening in other departments throughout the hospital,” Martinez said. “I truly hope we can reach agreement on ways to fix these problems.”
On Sept. 17, the union will be holding an evening community forum on UNM SRMC’s quality of care and accountability. Scheduled to speak are Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, state Rep. Kathleen Cates, County Commissioner Katherine Bruch, a nurse, a patient and others.
