Meal and Break Relief. The Hospitals and CNA recognize the importance of providing RNs with meal periods and breaks as required under CA law and this Agreement. In furtherance of this recognition, the Hospitals agree as follows:
1. The staffing plan shall provide for nurses to take meal and rest breaks in compliance with section 30.2.9.
2. Staffing levels shall take into account all admissions including expected and forecasted admissions and discharges. If there are patients that will be admitted or transferred into a unit within four (4) hours of the beginning of the shift those patients will be counted in the unit census such that staffing levels remain compliant with California law. If a pattern indicates that a hospital’s staffing plan does not provide for nurses to take meals and breaks or expected admissions and discharges and the issue is not resolved by the manager, an RN in the affected nursing unit or a member of the Staffing Issues Committee may raise the issue for resolution as described in Article 30, Section 30.2.3.
3. The Hospitals and the Union are aware that there are currently significant RN staffing shortages across the Hospitals that impact meal and break relief. It is each Hospital’s goal to reduce the number of times meal and break relief RNs are required to go into patient care. In furtherance of this goal, the Hospitals commit to post positions to fill 34 RN FTEs (across the 2 Hospitals) to support enhanced meal and break relief and will aggressively pursue recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of RNs to address such staffing needs. During any time the RN assigned to provide meal and break relief is not providing breaks, the RN may support RNs in the department with direct patient care assignments.
4. The Professional Performance Committee may request in writing to meet with the Chief Nursing Officer (“CNO”), or ACNO, to review the staffing plans for break relief as noted above, at the next scheduled PPC meeting, unless the parties agree to an earlier date. Consistent with Article 30.1.1, PPC members shall be paid their regular rate of pay for all hours spent in the meeting.
Meal and Break Relief. The Parties share a goal of ensuring that Nurses are provided with meal periods and permitted or authorized to take rest periods in accordance with California law. In specific units where the Association has identified a pattern of missed meals and rest breaks, the Hospital and the Association will meet within 30 days of request the Hospital shall give reasonable consideration to proposals from the Association to address the problem. At their meeting, the Parties shall review all potential solutions, proposals may include staffing of resource nurses, posting of short-hour and/or staggered mid-shift positions, and pre-scheduled meals and breaks for Nurses. Any accepted proposals/ agreements (including any current Letters of Understanding regarding break relief staffing) shall be documented and signed by the Parties and will remain in effect for the duration of the current Agreement only, unless expressly renewed by both Parties.
Meal and Break Relief. The Parties share a goal of ensuring that Nurses are provided with meal periods and permitted or authorized to take rest periods in accordance with California law. Nurses working eight (8) hour and ten (10) hour shifts shall be given one (1) fifteen
