Safe Staffing
High-quality patient care is the shared goal of the Hospital and VFNHP.
,The Hospital and VFNHP agree that staffing the Hospital with the appropriate number of skilled, reliable nursing and ancillary employees is an essential element for the provision of quality patient care. Additionally, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Techs, and the Administration working in the only academic health center in Vermont recognize their societal obligation to provide safe, high quality care to patients who seek care at the Hospital.
The Hospital and the VFNHP agree that patient care should be patient centered, always according the patient the highest respect and acknowledging the individual as an informed, discriminating consumer. Care is competent, effective and collaborative. It respects the patient’s values, preferences and needs. The Hospital and the VFNHP also agree that unit staffing must consider the importance of ensuring that the quality of the nurse’s work life is appropriate, based on the American Nurses Association findings that it has been shown that the quality of work life has an impact on the quality of care delivered.
VFNHP participates with UVMMC administration to ensure staffing needs are identified, members are safe in providing care and our voice is heard in real time at the clinics, units and procedure areas where we work. Concern for Safe Staffing forms give members the real-time reflection on specific staffing situations in their area of practice.
As Nurses and Health Care Professionals, we are obligated to speak up for our patients and our practice. The Concern for Safe Staffing form is notice to the UVMMC management that in your assessment, based on your professional experience and knowledge, the staffing complement that you are being asked to work within is unsafe. This form is used in the systematic evaluation of staffing. It is VITAL that, prior to submitting this form, you communicate your concern to your management team and/or their representative AND collaborate with them to develop a plan to ensure the safety of your patients, coworkers, and yourself.
Safe Staffing Forms
Concern for Safe Staffing Form: For Nurses, Techs, and LNAs
The Staffing Committee, Labor Management Committee, and Unit Staffing Collaboratives are three contractually required ways VFNHP members present their observations and concerns to hospital leadership in a formal way.
Please contact info@vfnhp.org or call 802-657-4040 if you are interested in participating in any of these groups.
MEMBER SIGN UP
BLOG
Summary of Technical Professionals Tentative Agreement & Voting Info
Dear Technical Professionals, We reached a Tentative Agreement on our next contract! Before I get into the details of the agreement and next steps, I want to say how grateful I am to organize with all of you. The dedication that so many of you showed, especially our...
2/21 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our second to last scheduled bargaining session last night, and our first with a federal mediator present. Turnout at last night's meeting was incredible with Technical Professionals packing the room from the outset. This is exactly the kind of energy and...
2/15 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our 6th bargaining session last night during which we put across 6 proposals, Mgmt responded to 12 of our proposals, and we tentatively agreed on 3 Articles. We remain significantly far apart on economic articles with Mgmt failing to offer competitive...
2/8 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
2/8 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update We had our fifth bargaining session with Management last night during which we shared 15 counter proposals and the Administration gave us 9. Outside of Management's proposals regarding call pay and differentials, we...
1/30 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update
We had our fourth bargaining session with Management last night, putting across several counters and also receiving responses from the Administration to several proposals we had shared at prior sessions. Here are the highlights of what was discussed last night:...
Technical Professionals Bargaining Kicks Off
Dear members, Technical Professionals contract bargaining began on Wednesday, and our Bargaining Team made 30 proposals across the table, while Management offered 27 proposals. Here are some of the highlights: Differentials- We proposed increased differentials...
2022-2023 Nurse Wage Scale
https://vfnhp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/FY22-FY24-Nurse-Wage-Scales-1.pdf
Summary of 7/5 Nurse Contract Tentative Agreement
VFNHP-Tentative-Agreement-Flyer-1Download
Ratified Nurse Contract Agreement
VFNHP-Nurses-FullTA-7-5-2022
Management’s Offer as of 6/15
Management did not offer any changes to this package at the 6/22 Bargaining Session. VFNHP- 615 Bargaining UpdateDownload
6/1 Bargaining Update
Nurses and Techs gathered in the McClure lobby to show solidarity with our Bargaining Team ahead of the 6/1 bargaining session. Contract negotiations have stalled, as we did not reach agreement at this week's session. VFNHP has given a package for the hospital to...
5/11 Nurse Bargaining and Incentive Update
Last night, the VFNHP Bargaining Team spent over 3 hours hearing the same thing from management: The hospital will not agree to any financial proposals beyond the $1.3M for their charge and preceptor differentials proposals. Seven proposals, including increasing all...
VFNHP Bargaining Update 5/4/22
Contract bargaining update 3Download
Nurse educator proposals 4/27/22
Educator Side Letter (1)Download
Bargaining Update #2
Contract bargaining update 2Download
VFNHP Proposals 4/6/2022
Dear members, Nurse contract bargaining began last night, and our Bargaining Team made 34 proposals across the table, while Management offered 11 proposals, only one of which was economic (Charge/Preceptor differential). Here are some of the highlights: Increased...
Negotiations for all
At the opening of VFNHP-Nurse negotiations with the UVMMC administration, all of the VFNHP proposals were designed to:* Protect and improve patient care * Provide safety and respect * Improve benefits and compensation to recruit and retain nurses and support...
2022 VFNHP Nurse Bargaining Platform
VFNHP-Nurse-Bargaining-Platform-FlyerDownload
Members Speak out for Safe Staffing and Quality Patient Care as staffing crisis continues.
TECHNICAL PROFESSIONALS CONTRACT WINS
Articles 22-Wages, 23-Differentials, & 24 On-CallMarch 2023-Minimum of 6.5% base wage increase for all Technical Professionals. Go here for the full wage scale.-Minimum hourly wage: $19.66 -On-Call increases to $6.00/hr-On-Call bonus-Moving all Technical...
VFNHP Technical Professionals 2/21 Supposal
If Mgmt agreed to these proposals (including ours from above as well) Wages: Here is our 2/21 Wage Proposal. Differentials: Here is our 2/15 Differentials Proposal. On-Call/Call In: Here is our 2/21 On-Call/Call-In Proposal Article 2-...
FAQs
We are a strong union of health care professionals organized to ensure access to high-quality health care for everyone in the communities we serve.