Bargaining for Bonuses: OR Retention and HMHN Incentive Plan

OR Retention Bonus

We are currently bargaining with HMHN over a Retention Bonus on behalf of Unionized Nurses and Nurse Educators in the OR, Ambulatory Surgery(JS) and Cardiac Surgery Admin (JS) at SOMC and JSUMC. The bargaining covers union members in the OR at PMC, including OR techs.

The proposal from HMHN is structured the same as the ED Retention bonus: $15,000 to $30,000 bonus for PT and FT respectively; over two years from 12/12/2021 to 12/11/2023;  same eligibility negotiated for the ED retention bonus.  We agree that the ORs are severely understaffed and we believe this retention bonus will help.

Union Committee Proposes Incentive Plan

We are also demanding more than piecemeal response to staffing shortages in lucrative departments.  We are demanding a share of the HMHN Incentive Plan which provides an approximate 1% bonus for all staff to be paid in March 2022.

All Non-Union staff at JSUMC, SOMC, OMC, RMC and Bayshore will receive this bonus in March, instead of a Holiday Bonus. Currently our Union members at PMC enjoy this bonus after it was bargained in the North.  HMHN has never proposed the Incentive plan for nurses at JSUMC and SOMC. We are saddened that HMHN doesn’t value the contributions that nurses at JSUMC and SOMC have made over the last year towards the hospital and system.

We agree that the OR is an area that is short staffed and a retention bonus is appropriate. It is also true that all areas of the hospital are suffering with short staffing and are entitled to the same bonus that is system wide in March. Nurses at JSUMC and SOMC work hard to provide safe patient care.  We deserve to be compensated fairly for wages and benefits.

In Solidarity,

Kendra McCann, President HPAE Local 5058 JSUMC
Anna Pona, President HPAE Local 5138 SOMC