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

“We made history today!” —Pam Reese

“I’m really proud of the historic movement we made today. For not only our bargaining unit, but for our union, and for the healthcare industry. Today we set an example for what is to come in the future. Never give up.” —Susan Mayer

Our Union Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with CommonSpirit this week, and while we are still finalizing the complete agreement and vote materials, there is one major victory we can share now:

After decades of fighting, we won the Sound Health & Wellness Trust insurance!

CommonSpirit has agreed to move Service & Dietary workers into the Sound Health & Wellness Trust, the same Union health plan currently covering St. Michael Pro-Tech workers.

This is a major improvement over our current employer plan, with dramatically better premiums and significantly better deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. For example, under the new plan, family medical/dental/vision coverage (including a spouse and unlimited children) will cost $46–$50 per paycheck, compared with approximately $126–$278 today. For an individual, our new Union health insurance will only cost $18 per check, and that includes medical/dental/vision and the MUCH low deductibles compared our current plan.

This is a historic win that will improve our healthcare benefits for workers and their families for years to come.

And health care is not the only improvement in this tentative agreement! There is much more that we cannot wait to share with you when we present the full agreement for your vote. Our Bargaining Team recommends a yes vote!