Smooth Sailing for SEIU Negotiations
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — After only four negotiating sessions, the North Adams Regional Hospital has reached a tentative two-year contract agreement with 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers Union, which represents 190 workers at the hospital.
The union local, Service Employees International Union, began negotiations in September and agreed upon key issues — including retirement benefits and wage packages — in a matter of weeks.
"This is the first time we've negotiated with this administration and we're very pleased with the results," said Michael O'Brien, chapter chairman of 1199 SEIU.
O'Brien said he expects the union's membership to vote on the ratification of the contract sometime next week. The hospital's board of trustees must also vote on the contract.
One of the most notable changes in this year's contract is the increase in workers' wage packages. Ranging from a 6.5 percent hike for employees over two years to 9 percent for those at the top pay step, or maximum wage, the increases follow the decision of the union not to ask for a pay boost during the 2005 negotiations because of the hospital's money troubles.
"Going into this year's negotiations, we wanted the hospital to recognize the sacrifice of members two years ago, when the hospital was in a worse financial situation," O'Brien said. "We represent everyone from dietary and housekeeping to licensed practical nurses and they've waited for this."
The hospital also agreed to allow the union to restructure its labor management committee to allow 1199 SEIU more power in political issues at NARH.
"We want to be more politically active and we want a say on joint ventures that would help the hospital," said O'Brien, using legislation as an example. "We just want to make it easier to get to work together."
The union will also have more say in career ladder training issues, working with the hospital in various areas "where there's need for advancement or there's a shortage," O'Brien said.
Pension Controversy
While the Massachusetts Nurses Association continues its 10-month battle with the hospital over maintaining the current defined-benefit plan, O'Brien said the two parties didn't spend any time quibbling over pensions.
"We spent most of the summer getting information for the hospital about our pension plan and we didn't want to take up a lot of the negotiation's concentration on the financial pieces of the pension plan. We built up a rapport so when we got to the table in September, we put our pension plan out there and we didn't have to spend any time on it," O'Brien said.
While O'Brien said he was unsure of how 1199 SEIU's negotiations would affect the MNA situation, he did say he was aware of the hospital's proposal to allow the nurses to join the SEIU defined-benefit plan.
"There was talk of its being possible for the MNA to get into the SEIU's plan. It's the fund they're talking about, not the union, but my understanding is the MNA didn't want to get into it," he said.
The new contract is expected to be ratified by the end of the month, according to O'Brien.
