Union members at the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center in Plattsburgh held an informational picket today calling for a contract that addresses safe staffing.
The union contract expired in December. Safe staffing committee member Shawn Burke, a nurse, says hospital management has failed to address staffing level concerns during contract negotiations.
“We are getting ready to update the staffing plans and NYSNA nurses are worried that the hospital administrators are going to make our safe staffing ratios even worse, which is even less safe.”
Information technology specialist Ransley Garrow says another concern is how the hospital plans to implement and use artificial-intelligence technology
“Staffing is absolutely more important than AI. AI cannot and will not replace staff. AI is required to have human supervision to correct the errors of AI. And so when we have unsafe staffing ratios, and now we have to expect the nurse to learn a new technology and supervise that new technology, patient care just gets worse.”
CVPH Medical Center President Michelle LeBeau issued a statement noting the hospital “...support(s) the right of our NYSNA members to conduct this informational picket. Throughout the 15 negotiation sessions we’ve had, we have negotiated as we always do - with the best interests of our people, our patients and our community in mind.”
The next negotiating session is planned for June 10th.
