Resurrection Benefits Cut to Cost Employees
Resurrection recently announced its 2012 benefits package and open enrollment period for employees. Many employees will be paying over 20 percent more for health insurance and Resurrection will eliminate the employer-paid short-term disability insurance as of December 31, 2011. In addition, Resurrection has cut the amount of PTO time that employees may accrue. Click here for more information.
Resurrection/Provena Merge
Resurrection Health Care and Provena Health completed the merger of the two companies on November 1, creating the largest Catholic health system in Illinois.
During the approval process, AFSCME highlighted the discrepancies in nurse staffing and pension benefits between the two systems. AFSCME urged the two parties to adopt the policies and practices that will help ensure the best healthcare for patients and most secure retirement for employees.
Resurrection and Provena announced earlier the organizational structure of the new system that will result from the merger. Click here for more information.
Resurrection Lab Employees Outsourced to Alverno
Resurrection has announced that as of December 25, 2011 all remaining lab employees will become employees of Alverno Clinical Laboratories. This follows a move in 2009 where RHC outsourced its laboratory services to Alverno in Indiana.
In a memo to employees announcing the outsourcing, RHC CEO Sandra Bruce stated that while the seniority and wages will remain the same the benefits package for the new Alverno employees will be different. Bruce provided no details on the difference between the current RHC benefits package and the Alverno benefits package.
St. Francis Found in Violation of Worker Safety Rules
After several instances of employees being exposed to patients' blood, Food Service and EVS employees at St. Francis decided to stand up for a safe workplace and contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As a result, OSHA fined St. Francis $23,800 for failing to protect workers from illnesses spread through blood. Click here for more information.
HEART/AFSCME Urges Improved Staffing and Benefits Security in Merger
HEART/AFSCME testified to a state board that Resurrection and Provena should protect Resurrection's pension and ensure safe RN staffing. Click here for more details.
Resurrection and Provena Agree to Merge
On July 5, Resurrection Health Care and Provena Health announced that they had signed an agreement to merge the two systems, creating the state's largest Catholic health care network.
Employees are concerned that the merger talks, which began in February, went on behind closed doors, with no opportunity for employee or community concerns to be heard. The merger announcement did not provide any information regarding employees' job security.
The merger will require approval from the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Resurrection employees and their community supporters plan to scrutinize the merger proposal and provide state regulators with essential information regarding its impact on patients and hospital operations.
OLR Nurses Vow to Continue Fight for a Voice at Work
After enduring an oppressive and Illegal anti-union campaign, OLR nurses vow to continue their struggle to win a voice at work through AFSCME.
Following a vote of 159-98 with 16 challenged ballots, AFSCME Council 31 will file charges with the NLRB before the election is certified.
Supervisors and doctors threatened, harassed and interrogated nurses in the weeks leading up to the election. OLR even distributed t-shirts telling nurses to vote no-- with "AFSCME" written in dripping blood.
Despite the setback, OLR nurses remain unwavering in their commitment to improve patient care and win a voice for nurses through AFSCME.
