Union campaign defeats Hospital takeaway proposals

After nearly sixteen straight hours of negotiations on Tuesday, November 21, the Northern Rhode Island UNAP and Landmark Medical Center reached a settlement agreement on a new three-year contract.  Negotiations began in August and continued beyond the expiration of the old agreement, which expired on September 30.  The agreement was ratified overwhelmingly on November 28.  The new agreement will be in effect through September 30, 2009.

Among the major issues at the center of what was a contentious contract battle were employees’ pension benefits, medical insurance coverage, prescription drug coverage, wages and overtime.

“Our members stood strong and united in the face of many of the drastic cuts proposed by the hospital,” said Jan Peso, a RN and the Local President.  “The hospital proposed to end our members’ defined benefit pension plan and more than double employee contributions for medical insurance and prescription drug coverage.  They ended up withdrawing on each of those proposals,” said Peso.

The agreement also calls for competitive wage increases and relief from mandatory overtime.  Employees who volunteer to relieve an employee who would otherwise be mandated to work a double shift will now get paid time and one half for all hours worked in relief of that employee.  “This language is really important because it enables us to further minimize the dangerous practice of forcing employees to work double shifts,” said Peso.

Wage rates will be increased by 10½ % over the next three years. “The hospital had been proposing for weeks to increase wages by just 4½ % over three years,” said Peso.  “That just wasn’t going to get it done,” said Peso. 

In addition, all present and future union members will keep the right to remain in the Hospital’s current pension plan.  Furthermore, union members will now have the option to go into the Hospital’s defined contribution pension plan – which was improved as a result of  the negotiations.  The Union did agree to modest increases in health insurance premiums, which are still among the lowest for hospital workers in Rhode Island.  There were no increases in employee co-pays.

“The members of the Union bargaining team exercised unity, as well as restraint, during this battle -- given the magnitude of the hospital’s givebacks,” said Christopher Callaci, chief negotiator for the union.  “They picketed, leafleted and campaigned in the community tirelessly but they chose not to set a strike deadline.” said Callaci.  “They put the community and their patients first,” said Callaci, “and they came away with a contract that they are very proud of.”