Report Finds Management Proposals on Restructuring, Healthcare, and Wages Not Justified

An impartial fact finding report made public today on the dispute between Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and its registered nurses endorses many of the central issues raised by the RNs on patient care delivery and a controversial restructuring plan sought by the hospital.

Factfinder Barry Winograd recommended that nurses should reject management’s restructuring, healthcare, and wage proposals and endorsed critical patient care proposals made by the RNs, including the ability of the RNs to present problems with patient care delivery to hospital officials and improve safe patient handling practices.

On another central hospital demand, the fact finder sided with the nurses’ call to maintain the traditional role of the charge nurse position in place who makes clinical assignments and is available to assist bedside RNs with hands on care as needed. Nurses have strongly opposed management’s attempt to eliminate charge nurses and replace them with administrative managers that the RNs warn would take nurses away from bedside care.

“We are grateful that the factfinder understood the critical role charge nurses play in ensuring safe patient care. We, as nurses, should not be removed from the bedside, said Vanessa Lockard, an emergency department charge nurse at Salinas Valley.  “Every day I use my skills to intervene and advocate for my patients.” 

The factfinder recommended the hospital end its practice of refusing to accept written reports from RNs on what they view as unsafe RN patient care assignments, another critical issue of dispute between the hospital administration and nurses.

Additionally, the report calls on the hospital to improve safe patient lifting practices through the creation of a trained “patient lift team.”

“Nurse negotiators have been bargaining in good faith for over a year trying to reach an agreement that ensures safe staffing and quality patient care,” said intensive care unit RN and charge nurse Tracy Chavez. “On nearly every issue, nurses and the factfinder are in agreement. We call on the hospital to stop wasting the public’s money, do what’s best for our patients, and settle this dispute.”

Factfinding is a process designed to assist the parties in reaching a settlement when contract negotiations have reached an impasse and mediation has failed to result in an agreement. In February, the parties selected Winograd to serve as an impartial factfinder.

With over 27 years of experience, Winograd is an experienced and well-respected arbitrator in the field of labor relations.