Local 5058 Bargaining Update, Contract Extension Reached
We came to a mutual agreement to extend the Union contract to June 15th, at 7am. This means the both sides will continue to work toward a tentative agreement and the contract is in full effect.
Yesterday, we heard two examples of HMH’s economic proposal, as applied to current nursing staff, and it was unsatisfactory. We put forth our counter to their new wage scale, which would align us with other hospitals in the area at both starting rates and for our experienced nurses. At 5:05pm, we finally got some of their proposal on the Clinical Ladder, which replaces the hourly incentive with an annual bonus that would result in an overall financial loss. What we didn’t get was what our nurses would need to do in order to achieve each step in the ladder, as HMH is still “working on it”.
But what we also got were numerous Facebook posts and texts of our strong union nurses keeping the pressure on. Don’t stop:
- Members have been sending emails to management, challenging the message the hospital put out yesterday about “misleading information” coming from the bargaining team.
- Nurses have been questioning their managers about the policy proposals we have been sharing, both verbally and in writing.
- Your stickers and photos, especially when posted to social media, show our solidarity and strength.
- Our family members, friends, and the community are signing the petition that will go to the governor.
- Members are talking to doctors and people in the HMH system, asking for their support.
- HPAE sent powerful letters to the members of the respective hospital foundations, outlining all of our issues. And members are sending letters to the editor of local news outlets.
There is a gulf between what we need and what HMH has put forward, but we are cautiously optimistic that we can achieve a contract both sides can agree to by June 15th. Continue the actions, the demands, and the presence on social media. We want and need a fair contract with safe staffing, health and safety that protects nurses and patients, accountability for harmonization failures, and a fair wage.
Our family members and community are signing the petition to the governor. Please sign here.
In solidarity,
Adam Witt, Local 5058 President and the Local 5058 Bargaining Committee