SEIU Local 1199WI

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The Ban on Mandatory Overtime at UWHC

On May 17, 2006 the ban on mandatory overtime we won in our 2004 contract negotiations becomes effective. The ban states that no member can be disciplined for refusing to work overtime in non-emergency situations. It is the first enforceable ban against mandatory overtime for healthcare workers in the history of our state!

What is Mandatory Overtime?

In our contract, mandatory overtime is defined as: working more than your regularly scheduled hours according to the predetermined work schedule. Mandatory overtime is not overtime work that occurs because of pre-scheduled on-call time or the need to complete a particular case, treatment or procedure.

What is an Emergency Situation?

An emergency situation justifying the use of mandatory overtime should be extremely rare. Our contract defines such an emergency as a situation caused by:

An act of terrorism
A Natural, external or internal disaster
An acute disease epidemic
A hazardous weather condition like a tornado or a blizzard
An unusually high volume of untimely sick calls* and/or no-call, no-shows

*Untimely sick calls are sick calls that come in after the deadline for calling in - 1 hour before shift start for day shift and 4 hours before shift start for other shifts. An excessive number of such calls can allow management to use forced overtime, so please encourage your co-workers to call in a timely fashion if illness prevents them from working!

What about Patient Abandonment?

Refusing to work overtime is not patient abandonment. The American Nurses Association approved definition says, "Patient abandonment is a unilateral severance of the established nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the supervisor so that arrangements can be made for continuation of nursing care by others." Refusal to accept an assignment (or nurse-patient relationship) does not constitute patient abandonment. Refusal to work overtime generally is not patient abandonment.

We encourage all our members to contact a Congress Board member, union steward or the union office at 277-1199, with any questions or problems you may have regarding the ban on mandatory overtime.