IMPORTANT SUMMARY OF TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH BNBMC
Our bargaining committee recommends a YES vote to ratify the agreement settled on May 15th with Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.
SUMMARY OF TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
- Term of Agreement: June 1, 2019 – May 31, 2022
- Wages:
- June 1, 2019 – 1.25% – for all full, part-time & per diem employees
- December 1, 2019 – 1.25% for all full, part- time & per diem employees.
- June 1, 2020 – 1% for all full, part-time & per diem employees.
- December 1, 2020 – 1% for all full, part-time & per diem employees.
- June 1, 2021 – 1% for all full, part-time & per diem employees.
- December 1, 2021 – 1% for all full, part-time & per diem employees.
- Each year of the contract an additional Step (worth $.35 an hour) is added to the top of each scale for a total of 29 steps by the end of the agreement.
- Each year of the agreement every employee will move up a step on the wage scale on their anniversary.
- This represents close to a ten or eleven percent increase for many of the members in our unit through the life of the contract.
- An agreement to perform a market rate review for Physical Therapists, Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists within six months.
- Increases in tuition reimbursement to $6000 (2019), $7000 (2020) & $8000 (2021) a year for reimbursement per member – up to a maximum of $115,000 for the Unit as a whole.
- An increase to Certification Pay for RN’s to $900/year for an applicable, national certification.
- Increases to the Education Differentials – $600 for a BSN, $750 for an MSN and $900 for any doctoral degree (for both nurses and professionals).
- Increase in Charge Pay to $2/hr.
- Increase the cap for the Non-Nurse shift differential to $4.50/hr for evenings & $5.25/hr for nights.
- Longer Union Orientation for new hires, as well as access to the BNBMC email system for the Union to distribute information.
- Improved language on Staffing and Health & Safety providing the committee with more access and transparency.
- Stricter requirements on how departments use per diems (not relying on them so heavily).
- Bereavement days: all deaths of loved ones treated the same equally with three days off.
- Members can now roll one personal day over into the following year until 3/15.
- If management gives a member a ride to work (due to weather) and cannot get them home, they will reimburse the cost of the ride home through Uber or other taxi service.
- Sick leave – there are now additional reasons one can use the first forty (40) hour of sick time – in accordance with the new state law.
- Paid Union training days for Reps and Officers (up to ten a year).
- Verbal and written reprimands may not be used for further discipline after twelve months.
- Floating – management will now have ninety (90) minutes to float nurses after the start if shift.
- Probationary period – all new employees will serve the same probationary period regardless of prior BNBMC employment.
- Medical Insurance – in each year of the contract, the flat rates for insurance we pay will increase by 8%.
- Added Hearing Aids to the health plan – $3000 for hearing aids every three years.
- Beginning 12/1/19 the employee contribution to the VEBA (retiree health care) will go to $.30/hr.
- Advanced Practice Nurses will now be part of the Union at BNBMC. We will meet within thirty days of ratification to begin working on their wage scale and other items.