This well produced feature includes statements by and interviews with union leaders and others at April 24th vigil. Good quality audio and strong interviewers.
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Producer: Justin Francese Uploaded by: Free Radio Burlington
FLETCHER ALLEN NURSES HOLD CANDLELIGHT VIGIL TO DEMAND REINSTATEMENT OF FIRED COLLEAGUE
Last Thursday night April 24, an estimated 200 nurses, local leaders, and community members held a candlelight vigil outside of Fletcher Allen CEO Ed Colodny's home in support of Marley Skiff, RN, who was recently terminated by Fletcher Allen for union activity. Fletcher Allen RNs and supporters have demanded that Skiff be reinstated immediately. Speakers at the vigil included Skiff, Jen Henry, RN, Rep. John Tracy D-Burlington), and Peter Galbraith, a leader in St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Also in attendance was Progressive state Rep. David Zuckerman of Burlington.
Skiff, a nine-an-a-half year employee with a perfect work record and evaluations ranging from "proficient" to "superior," was terminated by Fletcher Allen last Friday, April 18, for providing the names and phone numbers of several co-workers to her union. Skiff is a leader in her union, Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals Local 5221, and was elected by her peers to serve on the union Bargaining Team, which is currently in the midst of contract talks with the Hospital. In addition, she was recently one of two nurses nominated by both her peers and Congressman Bernie Sanders to serve on the Hospital's Board of Trustees.
"The malicious firing of our colleague, Marley Skiff, is the latest in a pattern of Administration's disrespect and disregard for our profession," said Henry, also a member of the Bargaining Team. "Rather than patient care, the administration seems more interested in intimidating nurses into silence. Well, nurses have been silent for too long. We will be silent no longer. We do not take this step lightly, but [Colodny] has promised to oversee a new era at the hospital. We are here, after following the internal policy, to demand that Marley be immediately reinstated and that the Administration do what the nurses have done: focus its full attention on improving Fletcher Allen for all patients and every Vermonter."
Fletcher Allen nurses have spent the last week unsuccessfully attempting to use the Hospital's internal process to have Marley reinstated. Unfortunately, Fletcher Allen has refused to rehire an excellent nurse who was terminated for reasons unrelated to job performance during a nursing shortage.
In a statement released to the community that she read at the vigil, Skiff said, "I believe we need to elevate this conversation. This is about more than me being fired. I will survive this. It is about the hospital and how it relates to its employees across the board, about the hospital and how it related to patient care, about the hospital and how it is perceived by the community. We are at a crossroads. We can continue to do business as usual or we can rise above it."
Said Rep. Tracy, "It doesn't make sense to me why an institution would let a nurse with a great record and ten years' experience go when you've got a nursing shortage throughout the country and the state of Vermont. It just doesn't make any sense. I'm optimistic that the issue can be resolved."
WEBSITE ON AUDIO REPORT IS WRONG, PLEASE VISIT: www.unitednurses.info
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