Persistence earns negotiated work schedule at NYS Psychiatric Institute

By DEBORAH A. MILES
An alternate work schedule at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in Manhattan is making life easier for most of the 30 PEF-represented nurses who work at the facility.

After a nearly 10-year push to get either a flexible schedule or alternative work schedule agreement between PEF and management, the turning point came in June 2009, when managers at the institute agreed on a plan. It started in October with most nurses working a combination of 8- and 12-hour shifts, and loving it.

Yvonne Singletary, a PEF Executive Board member and a nurse at the institute, said the topic came up at every labor-management meeting.

“There were times when we made up proposed schedules and presented them to managers to see if they would be feasible,” Singletary said. “Then we wouldn’t hear anything. We filed a grievance years ago.”

The big union win in this case is managers finally agreed to negotiate. One of the driving forces was the implementation of the mandatory overtime law. But the other was the persistence of union members to get a written agreement with the agency.

“Many times the agencies or facilities try to implement a pilot program without a written agreement,” said PEF field representative Jacqueline Cataldo. “The win here is we have a written agreement and it lays out a procedure. It takes into consideration all of the union principles that we fight for all the time, such as seniority. And managers won’t be able to discontinue the alternate work schedule without having discussions with us.”

“This positive outcome is a victory for our members at NYS Psychiatric Institute,” said PEF Vice President Pat Baker. “It shows these things can happen when members stay relentless about an issue and continue to bring it to management. It shows managers how a good work schedule can benefit the facility.”

Singletary also said in getting the plans ready for the alternative work schedule, nurses were given the opportunity to see what was done on different shifts. This has resulted in a greater appreciation of each other’s work and has brought a higher level of solidarity among members.