University Hospital local 5089 Rally Update and Tell UH Admin Your Story!

Negotiations Update

On September 17th we met with the hospital to continue negotiating over our contract, which expires at the end of the month. Management proposed 1.45% across-the-board increases for Staff Nurses and 2.75% increases for other, non-bedside nurses.

Despite our well-presented arguments, management continues to push back on safe staffing ratios. Maria Brennan, Chief Nursing Officer, once again insinuated that nurses do not work hard enough even if the hospital staffs appropriately. She also said that she consistently witnesses nurses being late for work.

But Nurses are not backing down. Fourteen nurses came to show support for the Bargaining Committee and share their stories about working short-staffed, working as Case Managers, and working as considerably underpaid Per Diems. Diana Spasato, RN, shared a statement with management, in which she outlined feeling underappreciated as a per diem, who has worked at UH for over 20 years, but sees that traveler nurses and per diem nurses at other hospitals are paid substantially more than her.

Share Your Story with the Administration

The Bargaining Committee is looking for volunteers to share stories at the September 27th bargaining session. Do you recall a particularly difficult day because of short staffing? Tell us about it here and, if you can’t attend the session yourself, we will share it with management on your behalf.

Rally Recap

Our Solidarity Rally was a success! In only a two-hour lunch window, hundreds of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals came out to protest the hospital’s resistance to a fair contract that would, among other things, include safe staffing ratios for the Nurses and equitable step movement for the Professionals. The corner of Bergen and 12th Ave was painted all union red as HPAE members gathered to show support for each other.

Sign the Petition if you Haven’t Already

We are getting more and more signatures on our petition for a fair contract every day. Join other Professionals and Nurses by signing online here.

In Solidarity,

HPAE Local 5089 Negotiations Team:

Banita Herndon HPAE President, Cynthia Baez-Lugo HPAE Treasurer, Wendy Bobcombe HPAE Secretary, Joe Ulanday HPAE VP Family Health, Wanda Caudle HPAE Vice-President UH-Med-Surg Division, Dara Skinner HPAE Vice President Perioperative Services