We had our 6th bargaining session last night during which we put across 6 proposals, Mgmt responded to 12 of our proposals, and we tentatively agreed on 3 Articles. We remain significantly far apart on economic articles with Mgmt failing to offer competitive wage, differentials, or call pay proposals and refusing to even respond to our proposals on CTO, healthcare, and Imaging getting the bonuses that everyone else in the Technical Professionals bargaining unit got last year. In order to get Mgmt to put better offers on the table at our next two sessions next week on 2/21 and 2/23, we will need to up the pressure on them by wearing red on both days, increasing member turnout to both sessions, and being ready to turnout for a honk and wave/picket on Saturday, 2/25 if they don’t do better in these next two sessions. Take a look at the highlights from our session last night below and ask yourself if Mgmt’s offers are good enough.
- Wages: Mgmt countered our 2/8 wage proposal with an offer that would still have many Technical Professionals receiving no wage increase in March, some receiving as little as .02/hr increases, and would only bring the lowest paid Technical Professionals to $19/hr. Subsequent wage increases in their proposal would be a 3% base wage increase plus a 2% step in October 2023, 1% base wage increase plus a 2% step in October 2024, and a 3% base wage increase plus a 2% step in October 2025. Here is Mgmt’s wage proposal and their corresponding wage scale. As a reminder, we proposed bringing all Technical Professionals to a minimum of $21/hr and for all to receive at least a 10% wage increase in March, a 7% base wage increase plus a 2% step for all in October 2023, and a 5% base wage increase plus a 2% step in October 2024. As a part of our proposal, an additional step would be added in October 2023 and October 2024 to avoid having those at the top of scale receive a lump sum bonus instead of a step increase. Here is our 2/8 wage proposal and our corresponding wage scale.
- Differentials: Mgmt countered our last differentials proposal with Evenings-$2.50/hr, Nights-$6.00/hr, Weekends-$3.50/hr, Per Diem- $2.50/hr, Charge-$3.00/hr, weaker Respiratory Transport differential language, and accepted our proposal to add a Float differential, but proposed $2/hr for it. They also agreed to the Union’s proposal to move all technical professionals to the higher differential rate (Level B) and eliminate the lower differential rate (Level A). Here is Mgmt’s Differentials proposal. We countered with a proposal that would increase differentials to the following rates: Evenings-$2.50/hr in March & $3.00/hr in October 2023, Nights- $6.00 in March & $6.50/hr in October 2023, Weekends-$3.50/hr, Per Diems- (Holiday-$4.00/hr, Night-$5.00/hr, Weekend-$5.00/hr, Evening-$3.50/hr, & Day-$2.00/hr), Charge- $3.00/hr, Floating-$3.00/hr, creates a Preceptor differential at $2.00/hr in March and $2.50/hr in October 2023, creates a Crisis differential for any unit that has a permanent staff vacancy rate of 20% or more at $2.50/hr, & keeps the same language in our current contract for the Respiratory Transport differential. Here is our latest Differentials proposal.
- Call Pay: Mgmt countered our last On-Call/Called-In proposal by increasing the call pay rate to $6.00/hr in March, $6.50/hr in October 2024, and $7.00/hr in October 2025. Their proposal for the On-Call premium was also $3.00/hr, but it wouldn’t take effect until October 2024. They also proposed Called-In/On-Call x2 language as a side letter that would only run through 7/9/23. Here is Mgmt’s latest On-Call/Called-In proposal. At our last session, we proposed increasing call pay to $8.00/hr, Bargaining unit employees who are required and scheduled to be on call for at least one hundred fifty hours in a calendar quarter will be paid a premium of an additional three dollars $3.00/hr starting at ratification, Called-In/On-Call x2 language, and stronger language around the rest period. Here is our last On-Call/Called-In proposal.
- Scheduling Vacations: Mgmt proposed in 24/7 cost centers with at least 10 committed hours technical bargaining unit employees, at least one employee per shift shall be permitted to receive approved time off. In non-24/7 cost centers with at least 10 committed hours technical bargaining unit employees, at least one employee per day shall be permitted to receive approved time off. Here is Mgmt’s full Scheduling Vacations proposal. As a reminder, on 2/8 we proposed that a cost center (or team for HIM/PRD) will have a minimum of one vacation slot per shift . When a cost center (or team for HIM/PRD) has 10 or more committed hours, that shift will have a minimum of an additional vacation slot. Here is our full 2/8 Scheduling Vacations Proposal.
- Holiday Pay: Mgmt proposed making “reasonable accommodations” for religious observance. Here is Mgmt’s full Holiday pay proposal. As a reminder, we proposed adding Juneteenth and Indigenous People’s Day to the list of holidays for which we receive holiday pay and giving Technical Professionals the ability to request and be granted up to three cultural or religious holidays per year in addition to what we currently have and use CTO or take those days unpaid. Here is our full Holiday Pay proposal.
- Tentative Agreements: We tentatively agreed to Article 19-Overtime, Article 20B- Unit Staffing Collaboratives, and Article 47-Clothing.
- Our Other Proposals Included: Article 12-Vacancy/Job Posting, Article 18-Hours of Work/Staff Schedules, Article 18B- Summer CTO Bonus, Article 43-Health and Safety
- Mgmt’s Other New Proposals Included: Article 9-Per Diem, Article 10A-Orientation, Article 18- Hours of Work/Staff Schedules, Article 20A- Staffing Adjustments, Article 21-Floating, Article 43-Health and Safety, and Article 50- Duration.
If you think that Management needs to do better than this, we need you to step up. Our next session is on Tuesday, February 21 at 4:30PM in the McClure Lobby Conference Room. We need to pack the room with members wearing red to send a message that we won’t back down until we get a fair contract. Along those same lines, we are planning a honk and wave/picket on Saturday, February 25th at noon at our union office (directly across the street from UVMMC on Colchester Ave) should they not make significantly improved proposals on the table at our two sessions next week. Now, more than ever, we need to show up and stand together if we want the contract that we deserve.