NY hospital workers get compromise contract
By Hillel Cohen
1199 delegate
New York
Negotiators for 1199 National Health and Human
Services Employees Union/sEIU and the New York League of
Voluntary Hospitals reached a tentative settlement 10 days
before the July 1 strike deadline. The new contract will cover
over 30,000 workers, and probably set the pattern for contracts
covering many thousands more.
A compromise on job security was central to the settlement.
The bosses wanted to remove no-layoff guarantees in place since
the last contract was signed four years ago. Full-time workers
employed since 1992 had been protected, and others had access
to retraining funds and an industry-wide job-vacancy pool.
The union tried to expand the number of protected workers.
The compromise retained the 1992 cut-off date. So those who now
have six years' seniority-about three-quarters of the
workers-are still guaranteed jobs. Part-timers are also
included for the first time.
Unprotected workers who are laid off will be eligible for
supplementary unemployment assistance to provide 80 percent of
pay and health benefits for up to two years. And they must be
rehired if there are any vacancies in any institution.
These protections apply regardless of mergers, closed
departments or changes in financial structure-an important
provision, because merger mania has hit the hospitals since the
industry was deregulated.
Workers get a 3-percent raise the first year, an $1,800 lump
sum the second year, and a 3-percent raise the third year.
Health and dental benefits were improved.
Over the last four years, the pension fund almost doubled in
value because of the rise in stock-market investments. The
settlement lets the bosses suspend pension contributions for 10
months. For another five months, contributions will be diverted
to pay for the job-
security fund. The pension fund will also finance a voluntary
buy-out plan to encourage early retirement.
Worried about job security, union members had been prepared
to strike July 1. Workers in non-technical positions would have
been at the highest risk of layoff. Now they are relieved that
a strike has been averted.
Extending the contract an additional four months was a step
forward. This will help the union coordinate expiration dates.
So in three years, negotiations covering just about all 1199ers
and nurses in the New York State Nurses' Association will occur
at the same time. This means the unions can work out a common
fight plan.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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