On July 22, we met with Providence St. Peter’s to discuss the open articles in our first contract: wages, hours of work, definitions, union membership, definitions, seniority, retirement, health insurance, EIB/PTO, leaves of absence, and employment education. 

In our last bargaining session on June 22, Providence proposed a wage scale on the second year of the contract and a 1.5% across the board wage increase (cost of living increase) for the first and third year of the contract. We have made a lot of progress around most of these issues except for EIB/PTO and wages. While this is progress, we believe this is still not enough! We believe that to retain and recruit workers we need higher annual across the board increases, a wage scale from year one, and for our experience to be recognized when we are placed onto the wage scale. 

Currently Providence is proposing that we would be placed onto the wage step which is closest to our current hourly rate. For example, a respiratory therapist currently earning $35.20 with ten years of experience would be placed onto their scale at Step 4. A newly hired respiratory therapist with eight years of experience would be place on Step 8 under their proposal which means that the current respiratory therapist with ten years of experience would be earning less than that newly hired employee who has eight years of experience. 

We told Providence that this is unfair and will worsen turnover. We are proposing that current employees have their years of experience in their job classification recognized! 

One big win we had during the session is that Providence agreed to our higher base rates! But the higher base rates would not go into effect until Year 2 of the contract. Additionally, Providence proposed to continue their current PTO plan and keep EIB frozen. 

We are getting closer to an agreement, but the major hurdles we are facing is wages, EIB/PTO, and keeping benefits as is for the life of the contract. 

In order to get passed these hurdles, we need you all to sign onto our strike pledge card to show Providence that we will strike over our PTO unfair labor practice and wages if we do not see improvements to their proposals. 

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (MRI), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT), Colleen Castaneda (Cath Lab)

Sign the Pledge Card!

https://bit.ly/Prov-Strike-Pledge

Join our Contract Action Team meeting!

Tuesday, July 27 

6:00PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.