Weeks of negotiations between Local 1991 attending physicians and Jackson management ended Wednesday with an excellent tentative agreement that resolves many long-standing issues in the bargaining unit.
The agreement must still be ratified by members and approved by the PHT and the County Commission. Q & A meetings and ratification voting by members will be held on Dec. 2 and 3, (Click here for locations and times.)
The contract mirrors many gains achieved in the recently approved contracts for RNs and professionals, as well as providing specific benefits for attending physicians.
There is much to celebrate in this ground-breaking contract, including:
Increased Pay
- A 2% bonus for fiscal year 2014
- A 3% wage increase for each of the three years of the contract
- Minimum base wage increase for physicians in the ECC, ambulatory clinics, skilled nursing facilities
- Improvements to pay for years of experience
- Substantial pay increase for hospitalists’ extra shifts
- Night differential pay to include evening shift
- A pay supplement for bargaining unit employees in CHS
- If full time employees move to part time and back to full time, they do not have to restart accumulation of time to earn longevity bonus
Safe Staffing and Quality Care
- Labor-Management partnership giving the union a seat at the table in decisions about how to most effectively deliver high quality health care at Jackson
- Continuation of guarantee not to contract out ER services at main nor ER employees at any JHS location
- Improvements to the discipline process
Health Insurance
- New Jackson First health insurance option with lower dependent premiums and no co-pays or deductibles
- Select HMO and Jackson First options still free for employees; POS and HMO High premiums are $75 and $50 respectively