Rank & File Update #15
RaDonda Vaught
“After a brief deliberation, the jury for the case of ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught delivered their verdict: guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult.” – Chaunie Brusie BSN, RN
Recently there was a groundbreaking and possibly precedent setting verdict against the actions of a nurse related to a serious medication error that led to a patient’s death. Ms. RaDonda Vaught, an RN with two years experience at Vanderbilt Medical Center, overrode a medication and pulled VEcuronium instead of the ordered VErsed. The pursuing trial led to a guilty verdict that carries the possibility of years in prison. The situation is tragic and ultimately a patient was harmed. The details of the trial are politicized and polarized, and blame cast from the RN to institutional policies. But the verdict is a stark reminder that our actions affect our patients and our livelihoods. Throughout our short staffing, our supply shortages, and our systems’ apathy, we give our patients the effort and care they deserve. This reminds us all to be careful, do our double checks and ask for clarification to continue to give our patients the care they deserve to the best of our ability even though the situations we are put in are impossible.Throughout our staffing crisis we have been screaming out for help. CWA 1168 has proposed a retention policy that STILL has no answer from Kaleida’s administration. One way to fight our unsafe assignments and protect our licenses is our protest of assignment forms. Our members have been reporting unsafe assignments for years: and we are excited to announce an upgrade to this reporting system. Although we wish we didn’t have the need, we are taking our staffing forms digital. Further details will be coming out later this month and will offer desktop and mobile submission options to make it as easy as possible to report situations and protect yourselves.
National Labor Relations Board –
“NLRB”In wider, national labor union news, there is new leadership and different viewpoints coming from the NLRB. Former CWA Special Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo is now the General Counsel for the NLRB. Recently, Ms. Abruzzo said that “she will ask the board to find that it is an unfair labor practice for employers to require workers to attend pro-company meetings during union organizing efforts.” As reported in Politico, these meetings are “common during most organizing campaigns where employers prefer not to have a unionized workforce.”Recent mainstream examples have been seen when Starbucks and Amazon attempted to prevent their employees unionizing. While pouring millions of dollars into anti-union campaigns Starbucks held many “Captive Audience meetings” to propagandize anti-union sentiment within their businesses. Even locally, the members of the Unionized Starbucks shops were subjected to these intimidation meetings. A ruling in favor of labor would be a major win and a welcome change for the protection of union efforts and members.
Flyering Broadway Market
Members from CWA Local 1168 and CWA Local 1133 teamed up to distribute flyers at the Broadway Market on April 15th. 300 flyers were distributed at several entrances in about 30 minutes, informing our neighbors about our contract campaign. Like our previous flyering events, the reception was extremely positive. People are supporting our cause, offering to help, and words of encouragement: “Go Get ‘Em, and Best of Luck !” Please join us on Cinco De Mayo for our next flyering event. Time and location will follow: contact Ann Converso, CWA 1168 Organizer, for more information at 716-639-1168.
