Nurses seeking
wage increase

Negotiators hope a reasonable
hike will deter another
nursing shortage

Straub nurses ratify first union contract

By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin

Contract negotiations between Hawaii's five largest hospitals and the Hawaii Nurses Association have begun.

Both sides hope to agree on wage and other issues for 2,500 registered nurses before the current contract expires Nov. 30.

Preliminary talks between the association's collective-bargaining organization and negotiators from the Hawaii Employers Council began last week with Kaiser Hospital. They are to continue this week with St. Francis Hospital, Queen's Medical Center, Kuakini Hospital and Kapiolani Hospital.

So far no one is saying what has been proposed, although the nurses are asking for a reasonable increase in wages to avoid a shortage of registered nurses as occurred a decade ago, said Marian Marsh, director of collective bargaining for the Hawaii Nurses Association.

Marsh said the average pay for registered nurses at major Hawaii hospitals is $26.43 an hour. While some may consider that high, she said it is not enough for what nurses do. Daily, nurses are faced with ethical, moral and legal dilemmas as to how they can provide patients with safe, effective care in an industry driven more and more by cost containment.

Marsh said the continuing radical changes in the health-care industry and the harmful effects of the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997 have dramatically reduced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals. The difficulty is delivering safe health care in this environment of constant change, she said.

Nurses also want to ensure adequate staffing in Hawaii's hospitals and clinics, safeguards to ensure patient safety, and quality care, said Marsh, a registered nurse.

Claude Matsumoto, vice president of negotiation services for the Hawaii Employers Council, confirmed that talks have begun with each hospital. Matsumoto said he is negotiating a separate three-year contract with each of the hospitals, given they all have different needs.

Matsumoto said preliminary discussions usually focus on problem areas in the current contract. He said pay and major benefit issues are discussed in the final weeks of negotiations.

He said he is optimistic that both sides can reach an agreement by next month's deadline.

The Hawaii Nurses Association represents 3,500 registered nurses in the private sector. The Hawaii Employers Council provides services to more than 700 businesses in Hawaii.

Straub nurses ratify first contract through union Nurses at Straub Clinic & Hospital have ratified their first contract, an agreement reached after nearly 10 months of bargaining. In the wake of restructuring, layoffs, clinic closings and wage reductions at Straub over the past two years, the contract establishes a more stable working relationship, said Marian Marsh, director of collective bargaining for the Hawaii Nurses Association. "Issues of seniority were resolved, the 3 percent wage cut from last year was reinstated across the board, and an additional increase of 2 percent becomes effective the date of ratification with another 2 percent increase in 2000," she said yesterday. She said Straub nurses were previously paid below the community standard and that the new wage agreement narrows the gap. Straub nurses will also maintain their current health benefits. It is the first contract for the 183 nurses since they voted to be represented by the association on July 17, 1998. Pat Omandam, Star-Bulletin