Your bargaining committee began negotiations with SBMC on September 24, 2009 and we have had five (5) bargaining days with the hospital. We have exchanged our proposals and engaged in many discussions over the proposals.

In the five (5) days there have been many discussions relating to staffing. We did propose staffing language for nurse/patient ratios as outlined in the staffing bill that was presented in Trenton. Currently the hospital is not willing to agree to our language for the nurse/patient ratios.

NJNU has also proposed to update the layoff language to make it a more equitable process. The hospital countered with an elaborate and very restrictive plan in which nurses would be limited to where they could be placed in the event of a layoff. We found this unacceptable and will continue to discuss more equitable options for the layoff language.

The KMC/SBBH contract  expiration has been extended until after Labor day in order to allow the Union to obtain realistic data from the Hospital as to what they intended to do regarding our Pension and Medical Plans next year.