A bus shelter doesn’t offer much protection from the cold, but that didn’t seem to matter Thursday as the glass and steel structure in front of Kent Hospital became command central for about 100 …
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A bus shelter doesn’t offer much protection from the cold, but that didn’t seem to matter Thursday as the glass and steel structure in front of Kent Hospital became command central for about 100 placard-carrying nurses and certified nurse assistants.
The informational picket was the first action of its kind since the contract between Kent Hospital Local 5008 of United Nurses & Allied Professionals, which represents 900 employees at the hospital, expired last June. The union agreed to a six-month extension of its contract, which expired on Jan. 31.
According to Rose Desnoyers, president of the local, when Care New England – the parent company of Kent – canceled a scheduled negotiating session last week, the union called for the picket in a display of solidarity and to tell their story.
“I love this place,” Desnoyers said as picketers dropped off signs as they prepared to report for work and others picked them up to fill the ranks. “I don’t like big corporations.”
Desnoyers claims CNE administrators aren’t in touch with those providing hospital services and their demands would cut union benefits by 23 percent. She said CNE is looking to eliminate six vacation days, eliminate longevity pay, reduce the match on retirement benefits, and cut hourly wages.
Kent spokesman James Beardsworth issued a statement in response to questions.
“We respect the union’s right to informational picketing. The reality is that changes are needed to meet the financial challenges that stand before all hospitals in Rhode Island and elsewhere. These challenges have arisen through a decline in our number of inpatients and from a shift in the traditional fee-for-service model to the new population health model, while also experiencing significant declines in reimbursement. The only way to ensure long-term success is through a collaborative approach with the continued delivery of exceptional patient care serving as our mutual goal,” he wrote.
“What we’re about is that these cuts are drastic,” Desnoyers said in a follow-up interview Friday. She said there has been no movement in negotiations since Jan. 31, and “we’re being told these are the proposals and they’re not budging.”
She said CNE is looking to cut the hourly pay for a top paid nurse with longevity from $43.30 to $38.86, which would make them the “lowest paid in the state.” She said the highest paid nurses at $51.21 an hour are at Rhode Island Hospital.
“We’re looking at a $12 difference,” she said.
As for contributions to retirement plans, Desnoyers said CNE is looking for a maximum of 3 percent of an employee’s pay, which she said is down from a range with a high of 9 percent.
While asked, Beardsworth did not provide statistics on the decline of reimbursements and projected budget shortfalls. He was also asked if the hospital is prepared should the union strike.
“While there is currently a contract in place, we continue to negotiate in good faith and, although we fully hope and expect to come to terms with the union, we would certainly be prepared with comprehensive contingency plans in the event of a work stoppage,” he responded in an email.
“Additionally, we have been dealing with the financial challenges through a variety of cost and process improvement initiatives, ensuring continuity of services and care for our patients,” he said.
In addition to carrying placards, picketers had sheets with the salaries and benefits of top CNE administrators.
“We would like to see an investment in the caretakers that are manning their hospitals,” Desnoyers said.
Personnel at other CNE hospitals are represented by different locals and unions.
Desnoyers said members from those other unions participated in the informational picket and they would do the same for “their sisters” at those institutions. She said talks are scheduled to resume this week and at this point there is no discussion of a strike, but “if we need to we will.”
“We all care about our hospital,” Desnoyers said. “Our frustration is with the people at the top who don’t know the community.”
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Nickwilliams
With the changes forced onto hospitals through the affordable care act, Kent, and every other Hospital in the country absolutely needs to respond with a financial restructuring. But they are way off base by taking money away from the Nurses and CNA's that are the absolute backbone of everything Care New England does. If you look at the administrative structure of Kent, you will see that there is an amazing amount of waste and overcompensation from the C.E.O. on down. It's clear that the game has changed and things aren't the way they used to be from an administrative perspective, but what the administration fails to realize is that nothing has changed on the Hospital floor. Nurses and C.N.A.'s are still going above and beyond every single minute of every single day, because they care for their patients, and the people of this community. I'd like to personally thank the Nurses and CNA's at Kent, as well as the support staff that helps to make the amazing things you do every day possible. The administrative body at Care New England should be ASHAMED of themselves for trying to cut the budget from what they see as the bottom up. But don't take my word for it. Below is just one of many articles on the subject of bloated CEO and administrative pay in not for profit hospitals.
From: http://www.golocalprov.com/news/rhode-island-non-profit-hospital-ceos-criticized-for-big-paychecks/
"A sense of CEO entitlement
High CEO pay is only the tip of the hospital-waste iceberg, according to Sager. He points out that hospitals - both for-profit and non-profit - across America spend way too much on administrative costs. He calculates that waste to be about 20 percent of the country’s $2.5-trillion annual health-care price tag – or about $500 billion annually.
This would not be the case if U.S. hospitals “were paid in simpler ways,” Sager maintains, because they would need far fewer highly paid administrators below the CEO level. They would also require much fewer clerks and accountants, he adds, “who have to track the money.”
Returning to high hospital-CEO salaries, Sager points out that “they are very visible to everybody who works in health care,” such as the registered nurse who makes 20 times less than the CEO. “It also leads to this sense of CEO entitlement,” he adds, “when they think they’re actually worth 20 nurses.”
Sager once thought big hospital-CEO salaries were “a side show, and why pick on individuals? But now I think the high salaries are a symptom of so much that’s toxic inside health care.”
In response to Sager’s strong words about hospital CEO pay, Detoy, of the Rhode Island Medical Society, says, “Obviously, he’s been studying this for a long time, so I’m not going to argue with him.” As the various components of Obamacare take effect, he adds, “there’s a lot of people making a lot of money in health care, and they’re usually not the ones who are actually delivering the [hospital] care. [Instead, they are] those who are running insurance companies, running hospitals, and running durable-medical-
equipment businesses.”
At least one key factor has changed in the growing compensation disparity at American hospitals. There was a time when the doctors believed they were worth 20 nurses. Now, that hubris lies squarely in the CEO suites."
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Report this
blorjr
Yes the ceo should take a pay cut . But lets remember the union endorsed obama and votes solid democrat . HE screwed up healthcare with obamacare . Now the union can sleep in the bed that they made.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Report this
TheSeed
Seriously Obama care.....
Executives and CEO's are making multimillionaire of dollars and it is because of Obamacare and Democratic votes?
Welcome to the conversation uninformed America.
Thursday, February 18, 2016 Report this
JamesKing1111
A few comments from the inside... 1- inpatient numbers have not declined at Kent Hospital, if that is a true statement I would welcome seeing the actual data. It sounds like a generalized statement about hospitals in either in Rhode Island, or other hospitals in the "CNE" corporate network of hospitals.
2- millions have been spent on consultants to find ways to cut costs, cost cuts that are impacting patient care, taking nurses and cna's away from valuable time needed with our patients. The use of less expensive cleaning products, which are effective, but have deleterious effects on patients and staff at the hospital. Patients wait for tests that are needed and emergent because staffing cuts to transporters, environmental personnel, etc. Just to name a few on the top of the list.
3- prior to Obama Care the CEO of CNE (this is public information) was making over 1 million dollars, which I understand that to have an effective CEO a corporation needs to pay competitive salaries- but don't blame this on Obama Care - a very easy statement to make with out factual information.
4- again public information CNE put a loss on the books of several million dollars, but what is not written next to that is the return on investment income that brought the actual loss to approximately 1 million dollars which is pennies to a corporation the size of CNE.
5- Care givers at kent hospital, in which I included every hospital worker that has direct or indirect contact with patients, environmental, transport personnel, dietary, engineering, cna's and nurses, are not asking for 23% raises, we are asking that our pay isn't cut by 23%. There is a perception that we in the union are being greedy and should take one for the team. If that were needed to keep kent hospital afloat we would do that. It's just not the case. No bed in kent hospital is with out a patient very long. We are forced to work in staffing situations that are quite often sub-optimal to providing care that meets best practice standards. Do we all go above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent care absolutely! Do most nurses work for free 30min a shift by not having time to take breaks...absolutely - do we complain about it no because being a care giver to patients in need is a calling not, just a job, it's an honor and a privilege to care for those who need us. We do it with a smile on our face! That's the kind of people we are... Will we sit back and let corporate greed and bloated executive's salaries take our rightfully earned salaries with out a fight - no way! Don't mistake kindness and compassion with weakness.
To the kent county community you all should be up in arms about what Care New England is doing to your care givers... If what Care New England proposes comes to pass you all will loose many of the care givers you have come to know and love just due to the simple fact that we won't be able to support our families with a 23% cut in pay - which would include a doubling of our health insurance premiums, huge deductibles and out of pocket expenses for health care, no longer being able to see our own personal physicians if they aren't in the CNE network of doctors, our kids will no longer be able to go to their pediatricians who have known them since birth unless they are under the CNE umbrella of providers. Loss of overtime pay because we are understaffed and over worked which leads to the need to stay late most shifts. No corporate contributions to 403b's and pension plans. This is just a few of the many cuts Care New England wants to make to our current compensation package. Having said that how will we pay back our student loans if we are forced to accept such illogical pay cuts and increased expenses. Please I ask the community to support us and become informed about the truth, of what is occurring at Kent Hospital.
This is not occurring because of voting for the Democratic Party, or because of "Obama Care!" Just thought you all might like to know what's going on from the inside...
Sunday, February 21, 2016 Report this