St. Michael Medical Center Professional-Technical-Clinical First Day Of Mediation
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Our Union Bargaining Team met with the Employer again on Tuesday, August 4, to continue negotiations for our next Union contract.
Following the employer’s unacceptable conduct during our previous bargaining session, and the significant distance remaining between the parties, our Union Bargaining Team asked the employer if they would agree to request assistance from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). The employer agreed, and an FMCS mediator was available to join us beginning with this session.
WHAT DOES MEDIATION WITH FMCS LOOK LIKE?
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) helps unions and employers resolve labor disputes and avoid work stoppages. When the parties are struggling to find common ground, they may jointly invite an FMCS mediator to help work through the remaining issues and move negotiations toward an agreement.
The mediator serves as a neutral third party and may meet with the parties together or separately. These discussions are confidential, allowing each side to speak candidly and explore possible solutions. However, that confidentiality also limits what we can publicly share unless either party presents a formal proposal.
Neither our Union Bargaining Team nor the employer presented a formal proposal during the most recent mediation session. Instead, the parties exchanged “supposals,” nonbinding, hypothetical ideas used to test possible compromises and determine whether a path toward an agreement exists. This means we are not permitted to share the details of these supposals in this update.
Although mediation can help the parties identify possible areas of agreement, the mediator cannot force either side to accept a proposal or agree to a contract. Mediation may help move negotiations forward, but it does not guarantee a settlement. UFCW 3000 has previously gone on strike when FMCS mediation was unsuccessful in helping the parties reach an agreement.
While our Union Bargaining Team cannot share the specific supposals discussed during this session, we can tell you that the parties remain far apart on the issues that matter most to St. Michael workers.
Our Bargaining Team is done waiting for management to get serious. That is why, in addition to our ongoing Strike Pledge Card campaign, we are holding an INFORMATIONAL PICKET outside the hospital on Thursday, August 20, from 4:00–6:00pm
This is our opportunity to stand together and show management that workers will not accept below-market wages, continued delays, or a contract that fails to recognize the value of our work.
RSVP TO THE PICKET TODAY >>
Our next bargaining dates are August 25 and September 3.
“Our first day of mediation was a step in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us.” – Bryson Andrews, ED Tech
Our Union Bargaining Team: Robel Haile, Clinical Pharmacist; Bryson Andrews, ED Tech; Olivia Almeida, Respiratory Therapist; Merry Brandt-MacFann, CT Technologist; Lara Williams-Graham, Certified Surgical Technologist; Angela Roberson, EP Technologist; Rob Shauger, CNA
