CWA 1133 Communications Vital Signs

June 2026 Vital Signs

Floating Article:

MERCY:

MHB RN Floating Article 7, Section 1:

MHB STC Floating Article 6, Section 1:

The Employer/Hospital and the Union recognize the need for a system to temporarily downsize the staff if the census/workload drops in a unit/department where members covered by this Agreement are employed. If it becomes necessary to temporarily reduce the number of employees in a particular department or unit, the reduction will be completed as follows:

RN:

1.Employees shall be asked to float, to the following sister units only:

a. ED and MACC ED
b. ICU, CVICU and ED Holding (critical care patients and 7W patients who meet the criteria in policy CARD-57 only);
c. Critical Care floats: CVICU, ICU, ED Holding (critical care patients and 7W patients who meet the criteria in policy CARD-57 only);
d. Med/Surg floats: 5ME, 5MW, 5NC, 6ME, 6MW, 4N, 7E, 7W, 8E, and ED Holding.
- i. Med/Surg floats will receive competency-based training for 7W patients who meet the criteria in policy CARD-57 before taking such 7W patients on 7W or ED Holding, but may float to 7W or ED Holding and take Med/Surg patients.
- ii. Nurses designated in section d above may be floated to a critical care area to care for patient(s) whose status has been changed to medical/surgical (i.e., non-critical) and are being held waiting for a bed on a medical/surgical unit in the event the downgraded patient would triple the Critical Care nurse.
e. 5ME, 5MW, 5NC, 6ME, 6MW, 4N, 7E, 7W, 8E
- i. RNs who float to 7W will not be given 7W patients who meet the criteria in policy CARD-57.
f. Mother Baby, Nursery, NICU and L&D;
- i. When a Mother Baby nurse floats to L&D, they will be responsible for the care of one (1) postpartum mother at a time.
- ii. When an L&D nurse floats to Mother Baby, they will be responsible for the care of up to five (5) postpartum mothers or 2 C-section postpartum mothers at a time.
g. ASU, PACU and MAPU;
h. MCCC and Women’s Health Center at Marian Professional Building
i. Critical Care trained nurses may be floated to other areas in the hospital where critical care patients are being held waiting for a bed.
j. In case the MIU cannot maintain a closed unit status, both parties agree to meet to develop a mutually agreeable solution.

Newly created medical and/or surgical units are subject to Common Table Article 40 and the appropriate sister unit will be determined with mutual agreement between the parties.

Employees who are floated shall not be required to take charge.
Dedicated charge nurses shall not be floated. If their unit closes, such dedicated charge nurse will have the option of utilizing accrued, unused PTO or to resource. An employee who is assigned as the charge nurse for a scheduled work day shall not be floated on that particular shift.
Employees who must float may be assigned to a clinical unit/department for less than an entire shift. An employee may only be floated once during their scheduled shift. Employees may be returned to their "home" unit to complete their shift; which will not be considered a second float.
The Employer/Hospital shall provide for adequate coverage for the "home" unit prior to assigning an employee to float. No floating will occur if the floating will short staff one unit to make the other whole.
Graduate nurses and newly hired RNs will not float for the first six (6) months following their date of hire/transfer, exclusive of classroom time. Critical Care Nurses will not be required to float for the first nine (9) months from their hire or transfer date, exclusive of classroom time.
Preceptees will not be floated unless their preceptor is floated and the preceptee is floated with the preceptor.
It is understood that if floating is required, it will be done in inverse seniority order on a rotating wheel as follows:
1. agency employees assigned to the unit shall float first;
2. any float employee assigned to the unit, that shift shall float next;
3. any employee who volunteers shall float next;
4. any flexible employee assigned to the unit that shift shall float next;
5. any employees who volunteer to and are scheduled for an extra shift shall float next including any new hire that picks up on the needs list;
6. any per diem employee assigned to the unit shall float next;
7. a list of regular employees assigned to a unit shall be developed in inverse order of seniority;
8. the least senior employee will float first, with subsequent floating being assigned until all employees in that job classification have been floated;
9. if an employee volunteers to float, it shall be credited to that employee, and they shall not be required to float when the duty rotates to them.
Staff who float will work to their level of competence. It is understood that an employee will not be given the sole accountability for a patient and/or assignment if floated to a unit which is outside of their area of practice. The accountability will be assigned to a nurse who is hired to work on the unit.
An employee questioning their float assignment, or an employee who feels their home unit has been left short staffed due to floating, shall notify the charge nurse who will contact the designated manager/supervisor on duty. The manager/supervisor will attempt to resolve the issue. If the staffing issue remains unresolved, the employee should complete an electronic NYS Staffing/Protest of Assignment form. The staffing issue will be placed on the agenda for the Clinical Staffing Committee for review and resolution.
The Union and the Employer agree that nursing education support is critical to a nurse who is being floated. If a floated nurse believes that there is a piece of their assignment that they cannot perform, a nurse educator and/or supervisor will come to the unit to assist them or send a competent resource.
Employees with fifteen (15) or more years of service will be excused from floating. However, in a department where all employees have fifteen (15) years of service or greater, on the date that floating is to occur, the least senior employee will float with subsequent floating being assigned on a rotational basis until all employees have been floated.

STC:

A. Floating: The Employer/Hospital will establish appropriate float pools for each shift to provide coverage for nursing units. The following floating procedures are applicable:

LPNs will float within medical/surgical units and MNF.
Nurse Assistants and Immediate Treatment Assistants will float to any nursing unit
Unit Clerks may float to any unit except the Emergency Department.
In MNF, LPNs may be required to take Charge.
Employees who must float may be assigned to a clinical unit/department for less than an entire shift. An employee may be floated once during their scheduled shift. Employees may be returned to their "home" unit to complete their shift; which will not be considered a second float.
The Employer/Hospital shall provide for adequate coverage for the home unit prior to assigning an employee to float.
Employees shall be assigned to float on a rotating basis if there are no volunteers.
An employee shall not be required to accept an assignment that would require that employee to perform work they have not been oriented to or approved to perform or for which they are not credentialed.
It is understood that if floating is required, it will be done as follows:
1. Agency employees assigned to the unit shall float first
2. Any float pool employee assigned to the unit that shift shall float second
3. Any employees who volunteer for and are scheduled for an extra shift will float next.
4. Any per diem employee assigned to the unit shall float next.
5. A list of regular employees assigned to a unit shall be developed in inverse order of seniority.
6. The least senior employee will float first, with subsequent floating being assigned until all employees in that job classification have been floated.
7. If an employee volunteers to float, it shall be credited to that employee, and they shall not be required to float when the duty rotates to them.
8. Staff who float will work to their level of competence. It is understood that an employee will not be given the sole accountability for a patient and/or assignment if floated to a unit which is outside of their area of practice.
Preceptees will not be floated unless their preceptor is floated and the preceptee is floated with the preceptor.

KENMORE:

KMH RN Article 23:

Section 1. It is understood that if floating is required it will be done as follows:

list of regular employees assigned to a unit, with less than twenty (20) years of seniority shall be developed in inverse seniority;
Agency RNs will always float first;
Volunteers from that unit will float next
any float RN currently working on the unit shall be floated next;
per diem RNs will float next;
the least senior employee will then float, with subsequent floating being assigned in rotation until all employees with less than twenty (20) years of seniority in that job classification have been floated. An RN may be assigned to float for their entire scheduled shift.
when all RNs have floated as described in (e.f.) above, then the RN who has not floated most recently will float;
if an employee volunteers to float, that date shall be credited to the employee;
No floating will occur if the floating will short staff one unit to make the other whole.

Section 2. Newly hired employees shall not be required to float until they have completed their probationary period and/or orientation period and have been off orientation for three (3) months. However, if the newly hired employee is being precepted, and the preceptor is required to float, the newly hired employee will have the option to float with the preceptor or remain on the unit assigned to another RN.

Section 3. Registered Nurse members of the bargaining unit, excluding the float nurses, will not be required to float more than once in a shift unless the RN agrees or under an emergent situation. The exception shall be that employees may be returned to their "home" unit to complete their shift. Nurses will not float on a Holiday to cover staff shortages on the schedule but may be floated to cover unanticipated absences, including those caused by worker's compensation, disability or FMLA.

Section 4. The reassigned RN must practice within the scope of their competencies. It is understood that an employee will not be given the sole accountability for patients/assignments if the patient/assignment is outside of their competencies.

Section 5. The reassigned RN will be given a brief orientation by the charge RN to the physical layout, routine of the unit, and the method of documentation. The charge RN will ensure the assignment given to the float is consistent with their competencies.

Section 6. In the event the emergency department has patients experiencing significant delays in awaiting bed assignments. Med Surg RNs may be floated to the ED to care for those patients.

KMH Service/Clerical Floating Article 5:

Section 1. It is understood that if floating is required it will be done as follows:

a list of regular employees assigned to a unit, with less than twenty-five (25) years of seniority shall be developed in inverse seniority;
agency personnel will always float first;
volunteers will float next;
per diem employees will float next;
the least senior employee will then float, with subsequent floating being assigned until all employees with less than twenty-five (25) years of seniority in that job classification have been floated. An employee may be assigned to float for their entire scheduled shift.
when all employees have floated as described in (e.) above, then the employee who has not floated most recently will float;
if an employee volunteers to float, that date shall be credited to the employee.
there will be no shorting of one unit to make the other unit whole unless there is not an operational need on the shorted unit.

Section 2. Newly hired employees shall not be required to float until they have completed their probationary period and/or orientation period and have been off orientation for at least four (4) weeks. However, if the newly hired employee is being precepted, and the preceptor is required to float, the newly hired employee will have the option to float with the preceptor or remain on the unit assigned to another employee.

Section 3. The reassigned employee must practice within the scope of their competencies. It is understood that an employee will not be given the sole accountability for patients/assignments if the patient/assignment is outside of their competencies.

Section 4. The reassigned employee will be given a brief orientation by the charge RN to the physical layout, routine of the unit, and required expectations. The charge RN will ensure the assignment given to the float is consistent with their competencies.

Parades Coming Soon:

June 7th- Pride
June 13th- Juneteenth
August 15- Puerto Rican & Hispanic
September 7th- Labor Day
More information for each parade to come.

Reminders & Updates:

MERCY ONLY: When canceling an extra shift, supervision should be offering, if needed to resource on other units.
KENMORE ONLY: When canceling extra shifts, RNs if they want to, can take an assignment on another unit.
Jennifer Williams and Rebecca Aldrow made a tutorial video of how to check your PSL/PTO accruals, it is on Facebook.
PFL, FMLA and 24 PTO (MERCY ONLY) are considered a weekend makeup for intermittent usage and are considered unscheduled with the loss of incentive pay. Using PSL you do not have to make up a weekend, and you do not lose your incentive pay, but you must have that amount of PTO in your bank.
The June raise will start the pay period beginning June 14th.
MERCY ONLY: The Community Service Committee will be selling football books this month, look out for an email on details.
Make sure you check your schedules and pay checks.
If you have any questions about the union contract, please call the union hall.
Want to be involved? Please contact Andrea Gilmour at the union hall 716-828-1133.

Solidarity in Motion:

Get to know your union!

Get involved with Women’s Equity Committee see what we do!

Also remember check your breakroom and reach out to who represents you…. Still not sure? Call the hall at 828 1133 with any questions concerns or ideas

Short staffed? Ask your supervisor to send an Everbridge and if its nights or weekends reach out to the house supervisor they can help with an Everbridge and ALWAYS do a short staffing form, so it's tracked

Use your voice to make the change!

In Solidarity,

Andrea Gilmour and M.J. Liberti-Bemis

“Alone we are weak, together we are strong.” #1U

This update was brought to you by the Communications Committee:

Rebecca Aldrow, Jamie Banks, Kerri Diebold-Phillips, Kimberly Hayward, Brian Magner, Kevonna Neely, Larry Potts, Sharon Scime and Jennifer Williams.