Oct 20, 2008  
Bargaining – 10/17/08
 
The union asked for no more total money, but only to move around what has already been offered, which would improve the effect of the raises for our staff. As you can see, the administration did not wish to work with us on this matter.

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Today your service unit's bargaining team met with our chief negotiator John Borsos to decide how to respond to the Enloe administration's continuing refusal to compromise enough to sign a contract that would give their workers more say over their work conditions, and a livable wage as well. After some discussion, is was decided to draft yet another counter proposal to try to settle the outstanding contract issues. The main unresolved issues that we countered on were as follows:

1. Subcontracting. The team's original position was the same as all other UHW hospitals: no subcontracting. In an effort to compromise, we have greatly modified that position. If after discussion and mediation, the subcontracting is not agreed to by our members, then, after exhausting all other avenues, we reserve the right to strike over the subcontracting. We remember how our cafeteria and housekeeping workers got screwed after Enloe's previous administration outsourced them after promises "nothing would change."

2. Union Reps and Stewards. We wanted access to hospital meeting rooms for union members and reps. We also wanted our reps to have reasonable access to our members inside the hospital, if the need arises.

3. PTO. The union proposed only a 5% penalty for 'cashing out' vacation time. Right now the penalty is 10%.

4. No Strike/No Lock Out. Minus the 'subcontracting' clause above, the union would give up its right to strike, but we reserved the right to picket, if necessary.

5. Health Insurance. The union proposed a reduction of $50 on each of the premium categories of Enloe's Classic Plan per month, except for the 'employee only' category, which would be $30 per month. The premiums of the Value Plan, which has little value for most Enloe employees, would be taken care of by the hospital.

6. Wages. The union proposed for each year of the contract an additional raise of 5% over the current management proposal. Even this increase does not get us to the level of other north-state union hospitals.

7. Term of the Contract. Two years only, mainly because of the low wage proposal of the administration. A four-year contract also becomes problematic if the administration is allowed to subcontract, or to sell the hospital. We know from past experience that Enloe's administration is capable of some pretty bad decisions concerning its employees; cases in point, the anesthesiologists, housekeeping and the cafeteria. A two-year contract would be safer than a four-year contract.

This was delivered to management in another part of the hotel by our negotiator and a team member, along with the mediator.

Management came back with questions for clarification on wages, subcontracting and no strike/no lockout. They then caucused and returned with their counter as follows:

1. Subcontracting. They held to their last offer with the exception of double severance pay to any eliminated employee if that employee could not be offered comparable employment with Enloe or the new employer coming in.

2. Union Reps and Stewards. They would allow union members a meeting room at the Cohasset site with notification.

3. PTO. The administration agreed to reduce the penalty for PTO cash-out to 5%.

4. No Strike/No Lockout. The employer agreed to picketing only after the first 12 months of the contract.

5. Health Insurance. The employer held to their previous offer with a premium of no more than $200 a month for health insurance.

6. Wages. Employer held, but increased the 4th year raise from 4% to 5%, and a retro payment back to 6-29-08.

7. Term of the Contract. The employer held to a 4-year contract.

Our bargaining team then caucused and came back with a further counter that would take the retro and add it as a 3% wage increase to the first year of the contract which would take effect upon ratification of the contract. This would have the effect of increasing the first year's raise by about 3%, which would also make the minimum raise increase to 8% from 5%. This would help make up for wage increases which the administration kept from us in recent years.

The union asked for no more total money, but only to move around what has already been offered, which would improve the effect of the raises for our staff. As you can see, the administration did not wish to work with us on this matter. They also did not offer anymore dates for bargaining.

As for our next step, a few of us will try to meet with Debi Yancer. Following that, the bargaining team and union members will try to set up meetings with Board of Trustee members. We will also enlist support from civic and community leaders through our normal channels. We need to settle this contract fairly. It's frustrating doing most of the compromising. It seems only fair to give to Enloe workers what workers in Red Bluff already have. We have never asked for the moon. Our original proposal, which we gave to the administration over a year ago, was simply what St. Elizabeth's workers had last year. Waiting five years for a contract is way too long!

PS...
As you may know the CHW hospitals, including St. Elizabeth in Red Bluff, have just settled on a new contract with UHW workers with raises averaging 24% over four years. This puts us even further behind industry standards on top of the 30 to 40% we are already behind.