Rochester General Hospital (RGH) and the Rochester Union of Nurses & Allied Professionals (RUNAP) met yesterday for our sixth bargaining session since negotiations began in October. The session began shortly after 10 AM and ended after 3 PM, with both sides discussing several issues as they work towards a first collective bargaining agreement.
During the Session, the Parties Discussed the Following Counterproposals from RGH:
- Layoff and Recall: RGH responded to RUNAP’s proposal with a counterproposal that contains specific processes and steps in the event of any layoff that would impact members of the bargaining unit. Specifically, RGH’s counterproposal outlines how employees and the Union will be notified of the layoff, the order in which employees will be impacted by the layoff and the steps to place impacted employees in comparable vacancies, and, finally, the process for recalling employees following a layoff. RUNAP has indicated it does not agree to the RGH counterproposal, and that it continues to adhere to its proposal on this subject.
- Paid Leaves: RGH’s counterproposal states that RGH will comply with the New York State Paid Family Leave Act (NYS PFL) as well as details the procedures for other paid leaves forms that are not covered by the NYS PFL. These include Bereavement Leave, Jury Duty & Witness Duty Pay and Military Leave. RUNAP presented a responsive counterproposal, but no agreement was reached on this item.
- Paid Sick Time: RGH’s counterproposal states that Paid Sick Time and employee eligibility will be defined by the New York State Sick Leave law (NYSSL), with usage limited to 56 hours per year consistent with current policy. RUNAP responded with a new counterproposal, but this issue remains open.
- Unpaid Leaves of Absence: RGH’s counterproposal outlines when and how employees may take an unpaid leave of absence as defined under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Additionally, the counterproposal addresses the process for how an unpaid leave for personal reasons may be approved, and also details how eligible employees may continue to receive medical and dental benefits while on unpaid leave and the return-to-work process for when employees complete their leave. RUNAP presented a new counterproposal on this subject as well, but the parties were not able to reach an agreement.
What’s Next
RGH and RUNAP are scheduled to meet again for bargaining on Thursday, March 2. We will issue another update following that session to keep you informed. You can sign up to receive email or text alerts when a new bargaining update is posted to the website and also submit any questions. Please visit www.RGHNursesMatter.org for more information.