The Union won a crucial victory that protects R.N.’s, patient safety, and the union contract at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

The core issue had to do with an interpretation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Local 205 and Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. The grievance addressed procedures for registered nurses who were required to work mandatory shifts of four, eight, or twelve hours beyond their regular schedules. Management attempted to say that the contract language, which was proposed by them in 2002, was “ambiguous” while the Union contended that the language was clear and unambiguous. An impartial arbitrator ultimately ruled in favor of the Union and the Hospital was directed to “credit employees called off a mandatory shift with a number of hours equivalent to the length of that called-off shift, toward their 12-hour mandatory shift limit” moving forward.