NEWS FROM ACROSS THE UNION

Bernie Brings the Fight to Philly

DCMH: Doors Shut, Delco Short-Changed

Prospect Medical Holdings, the for-profit, California-based owner of the Crozer Health System, brazenly prioritized profit over patient care in 2022, stripping critical services from its four-hospital system. DCMH—Delaware County Memorial Hospital—bore the brunt of Prospect’s cuts, losing its maternal health unit, ICU, and operating rooms throughout the year before being shuttered completely last fall, further taxing a dense, medically needy community that had already suffered greatly during the pandemic and the dedicated nurses and allied professionals who were the face of care there.

We fought hard to keep the hospital open. We held two rallies in May, and worked relentlessly over many months to inform the community, the press, and the elected officials in the area about Prospect’s plans and immoral priorities. We spoke out when the Delaware County Foundation and the Delaware County Council jointly filed a petition with the courts to ask for an emergency injunction to stop the closure of the hospital. And we participated in a hard-hitting CBS News investigative story on Prospect Medical and its profitsbefore-patients approach in Pennsylvania and across the nation. Former DCMH Nurses Association President and PASNAP Executive Board Member Angela Neopolitano set the tone of the piece with the devastating opening quote: “What they’ve done is extremely evil.”

While we ultimately weren’t able to stop the closure of the once 133-bed hospital, we brought the good fight, the PASNAP fight—for our patients, for the surrounding community, and for access to health care.

In the intense run-up to the election late last summer, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders came to Independence Hall in Philadelphia to rally with the labor city’s union leaders—including TUHNA President Mary Adamson, St. Christopher’s Nurses United President Sue Swift, and a big PASNAP contingent—to support workers demanding better pay and working conditions. “The time is now,” he said, “for working people to stand up, organize, fight for their rights, and take on very powerful special interests who think this country belongs just to them!”

Less Licensing Red Tape in PA

In late January, just as we went to press, PASNAP President Maureen May joined Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis at the Pennsylvania Capitol as the new administration announced their third executive order, this one guaranteeing transparency, dramatically shorter wait times, and a lot less bureaucratic red tape for folks—including nurses and allied professionals—applying for licenses through the state. PASNAP President Maureen May spoke on behalf of frontline healthcare workers statewide.

Pennanurses

By law, the Union is required to furnish the following information annually. If you have questions, please call (610) 567-2907.

PASNAP, like other unions, spends the vast majority of its funds on collective-bargaining related activities as well as some amounts for political lobbying, community services, charitable donations, publications, certain litigation and other matters. As an employee represented by PASNAP and covered by a contract containing a union security or agency fee clause, you are required as a condition of employment to pay dues or an agency fee to the Union. Employees who are members of PASNAP enjoy all the rights and privileges of union membership including attending union meetings, voting to ratify contracts, running for union office, voting for union officers, and participating in certain union benefit programs that are provided only to union members.

Employees may choose not to be members of the Union. Employees who are not members of the union pay dues or agency fees, but they do not enjoy any of the rights and privileges of membership. Non-member employees may be “Beck Objectors” and may request an adjustment to their dues based on their objection to the Union expenditures that they believe are not reasonably related to representational activities including collective bargaining, contract negotiations, and grievance adjustment and related activities. Nonmembers who choose to object should request an adjustment to their dues. Such a request must be in writing, and it must include the employee’s full name, address, social security number, current wage rate, and employer. Such a request must be sent to PASNAP, 3031 Walton Road, Suite C-104, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-2326. Such a request is valid until withdrawn by the employee.

Non-members who submit an objection will receive information regarding how the union calculates representational expenditures and have their dues reduced to reflect the percentage of non-representational expenditures from the previous fiscal year which covers the period of July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022. This reduction in dues will commence on the first day of the month following the receipt of the objection. Beck objectors will be required to pay 85% of union dues.

Non-members objectors have the right to challenge the union’s calculations of representational expenditure before an impartial arbitrator on an annual basis pursuant to the American Arbitration Association’s Rules for Impartial Determination of Union fees. Such challenges must be made in writing, explain the basis for the challenge, and be received by the Union at the above address within 30 days of the employees receiving the calculation information. If more than one member challenges the calculations, the challenges will be consolidated for hearing. The decision of the impartial arbitrator will be final and binding. PASNAP will pay the cost of arbitration. Challengers must bear all other costs in connection with presenting their appeal, such as travel, witness fees, lost time, representation, etc.

Geisinger CMC Techs and Pros Vote YES to Unionize!

In two separate votes in December, 410 professionals and technical specialists at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton endured the hospital’s heavily funded anti-union campaign (which included illegally withheld pay raises) to join their GCMC nurse colleagues and vote overwhelmingly to unionize with PASNAP. We now represent more than 800 frontline caregivers at GCMC!

“After 18 years of working in hospitals, I understand how they operate,” said Lori Horchos, an OR Surgical Tech. “The people making decisions aren’t anyone you see in the halls. They’re the people who want to get rid of our extended paid time off. They’re the people who put profits first and want to save money by understaffing. But healthcare isn’t like every other big business—it’s exceptional, like my colleagues here at CMC. I voted yes because I want to make sure we continue to be treated fairly, are rewarded accordingly, and that we have a strong voice to advocate for our patients and ourselves.”

In October, the GCMC pros and techs informed the hospital that they were forming a union, and in December—just in time for the holidays—they got one! Welcome to the table, GCMC pros and techs!