Solidarity Across the System: HPAE Locals Begin Bargaining with Hackensack Meridian
Union members from HPAE Local 5030 (Palisades), Local 5097 (Harborage), Local 5058 (JSUMC) and Local 5138 (SOMC) wore buttons in solidarity on Friday, June 1, demanding Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) management follow our lead in putting patients first.
At the same time, members from Local 5030 told stories to the health system’s bargaining team about staffing problems at Palisades that could put healthcare workers and our patients at risk every day. HPAE members spoke with a single voice: Put Patients’ Health Before Corporate Wealth.
HPAE Locals 5030 Palisades Medical Center & 5097 Harborage have begun negotiations with Hackensack Meridian to raise the bar for our members and our patients. Union bargaining committees have proposed:
- Staffing Ratios: Ensure quality, safe patient care with maximum patient ratios for our members
- Contract Expiration: Common expiration for all HPAE locals in HMH facilities to build power
- Living Wage: Establish a $15/hr minimum for all HPAE members at HMH
- Medical Debt: Control out-of-pocket medical expenses for our members and the community
HMH has proposed eliminating key protections from HPAE contracts:
- PTO & ESL: Lower our accrual rates and lower the cap on how much time we can bank
- Floating: Eliminate floating districts so management can assign us to any unit at any time regardless of our specialty
- Health Insurance: Waive our right to bargaining over any changes to our own and our families’ health coverage
- Schedules: Change our schedules at any time without our consent, just like OR nurses at JSUMC recently beat back
- Outsourcing Our Jobs: Hire temps and agency staff outside the union contract
Our union continues to stand up to corporate healthcare in the face of these attacks because we are the last line of defense for our patients.
It’s up to us to stand united and fight to raise the bar!