Our Union Bargaining Team: Susan Mayer (Cook), Pamela Reese (EVS)

Today, we met with the Employer once again for negotiations, and once again, very little progress was made.

While we were able to win some important improvements around bereavement leave, Weingarten rights, and requiring the Employer to give workers notice about the purpose of disciplinary or investigatory meetings, management continues to fall far short where it matters most: economics.

The Employer is currently offering:

2.50% in year one
2.50% in year two
2.25% in year three

That is far from enough. We made clear to the Employer that this proposal would not keep St. Michael competitive, would make it harder to recruit quality staff, and would likely push even more experienced employees to leave.

To make matters worse, the Employer has rejected every premium increase we have proposed. This includes our proposal to increase the weekend premium and to create an additional premium for employees who work more than two weekends in a four-week period. We have made it clear that weekend work deserves real recognition and fair compensation, but the Employer has rejected every proposal we have made to address it.

Our Bargaining Team has come prepared. We have made serious proposals. We have explained why these issues matter. But instead of treating Service and Dietary workers with the urgency and respect we deserve, the Employer continues to delay, reject, and ignore key priorities.

Service and Dietary workers keep this hospital running. We feed patients, support care teams, clean and maintain critical spaces, and do essential work every single day for this hospital and our community. Yet management continues to act like bringing workers up to competitive standards can wait. That is why it is time to take action.

Sign the strike pledge

We are launching a Strike Pledge Card alongside our Pro-Tech brothers and sisters here at St. Michael Medical Center and down the road at St. Joseph Medical Center. When we stand together across units and facilities, our voices are stronger than they are alone, and management needs to see that we are united, organized, and ready to fight.

The Strike Pledge Card and solidarity stickers are now available.

Fill out your Strike Pledge Card today >>

For anyone who may not be familiar, a Strike Pledge Card is a commitment to stand with your coworkers and take the action necessary to win a fair contract. Signing the card shows the Employer that workers are paying attention, standing together, and will not be ignored.

Contract Action Team Meeting

Please join us at our next virtual Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting on July 9 at 4pm on Zoom for more updates on bargaining and the next steps in this campaign.