The union representing employees at Albuquerque-based University of New Mexico Hospital has filed a complaint with the UNM Labor Management Relations Board over the hospital's mandatory flu vaccine policy for employees, according to an Albuquerque Journal report.
The hospital is requiring employees to be vaccinated, and if employees refuse, they can face disciplinary action and could be fired. The policy includes exemptions for employees to refuse because of religious or medical reasons, according to the report.
The union, District 1199 NM of the National Union of Nurses and Hospital Employees, says its members don't necessarily have a problem with getting vaccinated — the issue is that there was no bargaining process over the new policy, even though the new policy affects employee working conditions.
"This was not a sudden decision," David Pitcher, MD, CMO of UNM Hospital, told the Albuquerque Journal. "It's an action that had been contemplated by the medical staff for a couple years," he said, and a measure that can protect patients.
According to a KOB4 report, an emergency meeting between the union and the board is set for Nov. 12. The flu shot policy is supposed to go into effect Dec. 1.
More Articles on Hospital Employees:
Legal Considerations for Hospitals' Mandatory Employee Flu Shot Policies
3 Predictions for the Future of Hospital-Union Relationships
5 Ways for Hospitals to Become Better Employers