Alaska Nurses Association News  

The Providence Registered Nurses (PRN) bargaining unit contract is due to expire April 30th, 2012. The PRN negotiating is made up of leaders from the bargaining unit. PRN is a "local" of the Alaska Nurses Association--Labor Program. Providence Registered Nurses (PRN) organized back in 1994. After many years of controversy over what nurses would be afforded the right to be covered by the collective bargaining agreement and a decision by the 9th circuit court of appeals, the votes were counted. In 1998 negotiations for the first contract began. After many months of negotiations, help from a Federal Mediator and our union brothers and sisters locally, statewide and nationally, the first contract was ratified in May of 1999. For more history of the AaNA Labor Program go to Alaska Nurses Association Labor Program PPT

The membership surveys have been returned and Negotiations begin February 8^th, 2012

We have had many successful negotiations since the first contract and developed good working relationship with the Administration and HR of PAMC. This all takes time, effort and willingness to serve the nurses of PAMC. Your PRN negotiating team is made up of seasoned leaders as well as newer nurse leaders willing to put in the time to work with members and all that goes into having a union. The union is YOU. The negotiating team is ready and willing to serve you at the table.

President, Deni Callahan, leads the 2012 Negotiating Team. Deni has served on several negotiating teams; she is long term PAMC employee who works in the CV data collection area. Deni also worked for many years in the former Coronary Care Unit. Deni serves on the contract Conference Committee team, Labor Council Vice-chair and serves as the Chair of the General Membership meetings held for all the PRN nurses on the 3rd Thursday of each month at the AaNA offices from 4-6PM.

Janet Pasternak, PRN Vice-President is new to our negotiating team, but has served on other teams in her work with another Union, AFSCME. Janet is currently working in the PCU. Janet has also begun assisting with the process of welcoming new nurses to our Union at New Hire Orientation held every Tuesday at 3PM in the East Auditorium at PAMC. All are welcome to come see union leaders if you ever have any questions or concerns.

Joe Peacott, PRN Secretary and Grievance Officer has served on several negotiating teams. He started his work with PRN shortly after he arrived at PAMC. He has done union advocacy work through out his nursing career. Joe is also a great asset as a grievance officer and has successfully represented many of our union nurses. Joe also serves on the Union Conference Committee team. He has assisted in crafting language for Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) to further clarify contract language while a contract is in place. Joe is just completing his term as PRN Representative to the Labor Council. We all appreciate his ability to take excellent minutes and all that he has brought to the Council.

Donna Phillips, PRN Treasurer and Labor Council chair has served the PRN bargaining unit for many years. Donna served on the first executive team as Treasurer, before we had our first contract. Donna has also been taking care of your membership with in the Union since about 2000. After former Executive Director, Wanda Ferris set up the dues checks off this has been a project that Donna has dedicated many hours to. Most recently elected to Membership Chair of the Labor Council, Donna assures that your dues are started properly and imported into our database, so that each member can review what dues have been sent to the AaNA-Labor Program on your behalf. Donna also served on the first negotiating team participating in the record 16 month of negotiations to obtain that first contract. This contract has been the basis of all subsequent contract negotiations and that contract that we all enjoy the benefits of.

New members on the team include:

Terra Colegrove from the Operating Room. Terra is a long time PAMC employee. Terra brings to the negotiating team practical insight into the "Nurse's Rest Law". This new statute restricts a nurses direct care duty time to not exceed 14 consecutive hours and includes 10 hours of uninterrupted rest between predetermined and regularly scheduled duties.

Julie Eib from the NICU. Julie is also new to the PAMC negotiating team. Julie has been a long time PAMC NICU nurse. Julie has most recently consented to serve our bargaining unit as a grievance officer. She will be mentored into this position and attend formal training as time permits in her schedule. Julie was recently appointed to serve in this position at the January PRN Bargaining Unit General Membership meeting. Julie was part of the process that led to the NICU receiving the Joint Commission Eisenberg award for patient safety. The NICU won this prestigious award for the work done to mitigate Central Line infections. What a great job done for the infants of Alaska by the very dedicated nurses of the NICU. Julie also gave input for the language that brought "crisis pay" into affect for the NICU nurses when they experience the MRSA outbreak last year. This language is the beginning of recognition of nurses for their willingness to adjust their own lives for the good of the patients and hospital when they are repeatedly asked to do extra shifts above their FTE.

Deb Leach from the PACU. Deb has expressed an interest in "doing more" for her fellow nurses by serving on this negotiating team. Deb has also contributed to work with the health & safety officer on issues that potentially affect you in your work environment. We thank her for being willing to receive training on being a leader within the bargaining unit. I am sure Deb will be able to engage the PACU/ASU nurses. Deb is able to reach out to the nurses of the surgical areas in the hospital by her work in the PACU.

Finally, our non-nurse negotiating team member is Mike Tedesco of the Tedesco Law Group in Oregon. Mike has dedicated his career to representing public and private sector labor unions throughout the Pacific Northwest. Mike also represent the APDEA, Anchorage Police Department Employees Association in Alaska. Mike has been with the AaNA Labor Program only a few months now, but since he began he has given training to all of the leaders in the 3 bargaining units.  

Mike is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law and with the University of Oregon Master's Degree Program in Conflict and Dispute Resolution. Mike is a frequent speaker on labor relation matters at seminars and conferences throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks to all of the PRN Negotiating Team members who have committed to serve you, the nurses covered by the union contract with PAMC. We will keep you posted via this site, as well as email as the negotiations process moves forward. If you do not receive the email PRN union updates please email Donna Phillips to have your address updated in our database. She can be reached at donna@aknurse.org

Left to right: Mike Tedesco, Terra Colegrove, Joe Peacott, Janet Pasternak, Debbie Leach, Donna Phillips                                                                                                                             Not Pictured: Julie Eib & Deni Callahan