Our bargaining team and financial experts have been working hard to analyze the recently approved Jackson budget as well as management’s proposed employee concessions. The financial data provided by Jackson’s management was originally lacking many of the details and calculations necessary for us to complete our due diligence. Slowly, we have been getting the financial data we are requesting. But it is a time consuming process to fully vet the numbers.
Our team is committed to having evidenced-based, data-driven conversations about how we can all work together to save Jackson.
The questions we need answered (with detail, data and facts) are:
1. Is there a real, strategic plan to save Jackson?
2. Are you asking employees for a realistic sacrifice? Are your takeaways overreaching and are they sensitive to market pressures?
3. Are all stakeholders—employees, management, taxpayers, UM and FIU, elected officials and the corporate community—making equitable sacrifices?
4. Will our patients be protected? Are there guarantees of no service cuts?
“Short sighted cuts to long term problems won’t work,” said Martha Baker, RN, to the Financial Recovery Board at the budget hearing. “We will continue to work day and night if necessary at the bargaining table to reach real, sustainable, data-driven solutions after an honest, open analysis of the real numbers.”
The next bargaining session will be announced soon. We will keep you posted. Stay in touch by checking email, visiting www.seiu1991.org or talking to your steward or union rep.