| 2/8 Technical Professionals Bargaining Update |
| We had our fifth bargaining session with Management last night during which we shared 15 counter proposals and the Administration gave us 9. Outside of Management’s proposals regarding call pay and differentials, we did not see any additional movement from them on economic articles, which still leaves us far apart on key issues like wages. Here are the highlights from last night’s session: –Wages: 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% wage increase +2% step increase for all in October 2023, and a 5% wage increase + 2% step increase 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 the corresponding wage scale. –On-Call: 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. Management proposed to increase call pay to $6/hr upon ratification, $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 our On-Call proposal, and here is Mgmt’s On-Call proposal. –Differentials: Mgmt 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), increasing the Night differential to $6.00/hr, the Weekend differential to $3.50, shifting all Per Diems to a $2.00 differential, adding a $3.00/hr Charge differential for Imaging Cost centers, CSR, Respiratory, and ED Techs, weakening the Respiratory Transport differential. As a reminder, our 1/30 proposal would increase the Evening differential to $2.50/hr in March and then $3.00/hr in October 2023, increase the Night differential to $6.00/hr in March and $6.50/hr in October 2023, increase the Weekend differential to $3.50/hr in March w/ a 3.5% quarterly Weekend Incentive bonus, increase Per Diem differentials (Holiday-$5.00/hr, Night-$6.00/hr, Weekend-$6.00/hr, Evening-$4.50/hr, Day-$2.00), a Charge differential for all Technical Professionals who serve in that role of $3.00/hr, a Float differential of $3.00/hr, maintaining the current Respiratory Therapy Transport differential, creating a $2.00/hr Preceptor differential in March and increasing it to $2.50 in October 2023, and a Crisis Pay differential of $2.50 for units w/20% vacancy rate or higher. Here is our 1/30 Differential proposal, and here is Mgmt’s 2/8 Differentials proposal. –Healthcare: We proposed that our medical and dental costs should not increase more than 5% per year and increased service credits. Mgmt has not responded to our proposals on this. Here is our Flexible Benefits proposal. –CTO: We proposed increasing our hourly CTO accrual rates to 0 to 5 years: Hourly Accrual Factor =.11 .099726, 5+ to 10 years: Hourly Accrual Factor =.13 .118904, 10+ to 15 years: Hourly Accrual Factor =.15 .138084, 15+ to 20 years: Hourly Accrual Factor =.17. We also proposed allowing Technical Professionals to take up to 3 unpaid holidays. Mgmt has not responded to our proposals on CTO. Here is our CTO proposal. –Hours of Work/Staff Schedules: Our proposal was to allow those who currently work straight shifts to continue to do so and to allow Coders to do so as well. We also proposed additional protections for those permanently removed from working weekends and to continue to practice should those currently removed from working weekends leave by giving that opportunity to the next most senior bargaining unit member. Mgmt proposed allowing those that currently working straight shifts to continue to do and to allow Coders to request straight shifts, to allow those currently removed from working weekends to continue to not have to work weekends. Here is our full Hours of Work/Staff Schedules proposal and here is Mgmt’s full Hours of Work/Staff Schedules counter proposal. –Per Diems: We proposed reducing the annual hourly requirement to 250 hrs/year or 56 hr/quarter. Mgmt proposed an annual hourly requirement at 300 hrs/year or 70hr/quarter. Here is our Per Diem proposal, and here is Mgmt’s Per Diem proposal –Here are our other 2/8 counters/proposals: Article 4- Union Access, Article 10A Orientation/Training, Article 20B-Unit Staffing Collaboratives, Article 20A- Staffing Adjustments, Article 34- Family and Medical Leave, Article 50- Duration of Contract (We propose a 2 yr contract term) –Here are Mgmt’s other 2/8 counters/proposals: Article 2-Recognition, Article 4-Union Access, Article 11- Seniority, Article 18B Summer CTO Bonus, Article 20B-Unit Staffing Collaboratives, Article 21-Floating Obviously, we will need to see significant increases in our compensation as well as improvements to our rights at work before agreeing to a new contract. Our next bargaining session is on Wednesday, February 15 from 4-8PM in the McClure Lobby Conference Room (UVMMC Main Campus). We need to pack the room for this next session to demonstrate our continued dedication to winning a fair contract. Remember to wear red next Wednesday as well. |
