We wish all Hawai'i Nurses' Association (HNA) members and their families "Mele Kalikimaka e Hau'oli Makahiki Hou" and a safe and healthy holiday season. December 2008 has ushered in many changes for the union and its members. A new executive director (ED) has joined HNA and three contracts have been ratified, laying a solid foundation for the New Year. And on January 1, 2009, the elected HNA officers take office.

HNA Welcomes Patt A. Gibbs as Executive Director

HNA and its members welcome Patt A. Gibbs as the union’s new executive director. Gibbs is a labor attorney and former union president. She has a strong legal and labor background and brings many years of experience to HNA and its members. Since 1989, Gibbs maintained a civil legal practice in California and Roanoke, Texas. She represented several labor unions, providing legal services and expertise in areas such as collective bargaining, union organizing, mediation and arbitration. Among her credits, Gibbs was founding president and chief officer of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.

"I want to thank the leaders and members of HNA for the warm aloha I have received in my new position. The healthcare professionals in Hawaii, who are among the best in the country, also deserve the very best representation by their union. I have every confidence that the HNA leadership is poised to take the union in a positive direction for the benefit if its membership," said Gibbs who assumed office on December 1.

Terms Commence January 1, 2009 for HNA Officers

As of January 1, 2009, HNA welcomes its new administration. The membership re-elected incumbents to the offices of president, vice president and secretary and elected a new treasurer to lead the union.

Officers for the new administration are as follows: President Luanne Long, RN; Vice President, Joan Craft, RN; Secretary Robin Tanner, RN and Treasurer Elayne Schwartz, RN. The terms of office for president and vice president end on December 31, 2009, and the terms of office for secretary and treasurer end December 31, 2010. HNA extends a special mahalo to Wilmalee Kimble, RN for her years of dedication and service to the members of HNA during her term as Treasurer. HNA will be doing a special follow up article highlighting Wilmalee’s achievements and contributions to the HNA members.

Contract News

Three new contracts have been ratified and others are still pending. Congratulations to the LRS’s and negotiating teams for Queens Medical Center, Kuakini Medical Center and Kapiolani Medical Center for reaching tentative agreements. “Vice President Joan Craft, along with LRS’s and their skilled teams of negotiators, have produced admirable tentative agreements with significant improvements for HNA members. These contracts could not be achieved without the expertise, sacrifice and dedication of the negotiating teams, and they are to be highly commended,” said Patt A. Gibbs, HNA ED.

Joan Craft, HNA VP and Chairperson of the Collective Bargaining Committee said, “This round of bargaining resulted in a very successful HNA contract at QMC, because of the combined strength of the experienced nurse leaders on HNA’s team.” Craft said they were able to substantially reduce the medical insurance cost and made improvements in the dental benefits for members. She continued, “We retained our Defined Pension Benefit Pension Plan despite the current trend to take this away. Additionally, we achieved a 12% wage increase over the life of the agreement and added the Vascular Access nurses to the primary contract.”

For more details and contract highlights, please visit the HNA website. HNA LRS’s and their negotiating teams are listed below:

Queens Medical Center-
Contract ratified.

Tim Kawana (HNA LRS)
Negotiating team: Joan Craft, Vice President (RN), Vincent Bergen (RN), Elayne Schwartz (RN), Denise Yamada (RN), Lynn Smelker (RN), Fiona Beckley (RN)

Kapiolani Medical Center-
Contract ratified.

Irene Puuohau (HNA LRS)
Negotiating team: Dean Choy, Outside Negotiator, Doreen Pawid (NSCU), Daryl Hokoana (Resource Team), Aloha Sakai (NSCU), Orchid Porter (FBC), Diane Kawana (FBC), Bridget Watrous (AICU), Rosie Agas-Yuu (Transport)

Kuakini Medical Center-
Contract ratified.

Randy Perez (HNA LRS)
Negotiating team: Jared Law (RN), Vicky Poland (RN), Roger Rodwell (RN)

Kaiser Foundation Hospital
Contract extended through January 16, 2009. See update below.

Rosalynn Perez (HNA LRS)
Negotiating team:
Ravada Benjamin (RN), Marina Robinson (RN), Teri Carvalho-Luke (RN), Jane Hamel (RN), Robin Tanner (RN)
Walter Allen, ED of OPEIU, San Diego
Tanya Wallace, Coalition National Affiliates Coordinator

Hawaii Medical Center East-
Due to bankruptcy, negotiations are scheduled to reconvene in June 2009.

Bruce Hom (HNA LRS)

Hawaii Medical Center West-
The contract expires July 31, 2009.

Bruce Hom (HNA LRS)

Convalescent Center of Honolulu-
Negotiations were completed July 10, 2008.

Bruce Hom (HNA LRS)
Negotiating team: Leah-Benjamina U. Abania (RN), Lermadeli G. Tagumasi (RN)

Updates:

Kaiser Contract Extension Announced

HNA and Kaiser Permanente have mutually agreed to extend the current HNA collective bargaining agreement with the Permanente Kaiser Hawaii Region from November 30, 2008 through January 16, 2009. Negotiations are scheduled to resume Monday, January 12, 2009 but could meet before that date if schedules permit.
The Region is open to discussing retroactivity at that time.

National UAN Strategic Planning Meeting Held in Chicago

The National union UAN held a strategic planning meeting in Chicago, Illinois on December 10 – 13th.  Attending from HNA were: President Luanne Long, HNA/UAN Vice-President Joan Craft and Executive Director Patt A. Gibbs.  All UAN State organizations participated in planning the future for UAN and prepared a foundation of objectives for the upcoming National UAN Convention that will be held in Washington, D.C., March 9 – 11, 2009.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Meeting

HNA may send a representative to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Region 9 Invitational Leadership meeting that will be held on January 17, 2009 in San Diego.