Fight Mandatory Overtime with Online Toolkit

In our continuing effort to stop the abuse and end the use of mandatory overtime (MOT) as a regular staffing tool, a new, online toolkit has been launched to empower members who are subjected to this dangerous practice.

Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants working in 24-hour state facilities are often mandated to work back-to-back 8-hour shifts, endangering these health care professionals, along with their patients and the community at large.

In 2016 contract negotiations, our members stood together and achieved a historic step towards eliminating MOT by 2019. To achieve this, we made our voices heard at the worksites, in the legislature, in our communities and at the bargaining table.

Our new contract immediately reduced the maximum number of MOT shifts by one and established four Joint Labor Management Task Forces (JLMTF)—one for each affected department— to develop a plan for the eventual elimination of MOT.

Nursing leaders have created tools that will support the goals of the JLMTF. The tools include a MOT reporting form to assist the task force in understanding how the state uses MOT; an Assignment Despite Objection form used to notify supervisors of unsafe assignments; and a Grievance Template members can use when their contract rights have been violated. You can access these tools at www.seiu1000.org/MOTtools

Information gleaned from these forms will empower our Task Force to more clearly define the issue and to work with the state to create a plan to stop the abuse.

“Our biggest gains in eliminating mandatory overtime are yet to come. These tools will help protect our members’ hard-earned rights and help us put an end to this dangerous practice,” said Kim Cowart, a Registered Nurse and Chair of Bargaining Unit 17.