Supervisors at HCA Florida Regional Hospital had been failing to properly follow the staffing rotation and rules by regularly sending O.R. nurses home early before their shifts were supposed to end, forcing nurses to use their PTO.

So 1199SEIU member RN Selenia Cavalcanti with the support of her union organizer filed and won a grievance that ended the improper practice. The win also resulted in the reinstatement of PTO for numerous nurses in the department worth several thousand dollars.

"HCA is a giant company with vast resources, but by working together as a union we can demand and deliver protection for all of our members,” says Cavalcanti. “HCA makes billions in profits each year, so not properly following the rotation was not just wrong, but totally unnecessary.”

HCA is the largest hospital corporation in the nation, with reported profits of $13 billion in 2021 and 2022. Yet, studies show HCA operates with staffing levels about 30 percent lower than national industry averages. 

“Winning back the PTO is important, but stopping improper and unfair treatment is even more gratifying,” says Cavalcanti. “Speaking up with a strong united voice is how we make sure employers will respect us, protect us, pay us and staff us properly.”