Your SEIU Bargaining Team spent the day presenting on pay scales for various job classifications that employees have identified as needing to be increased. Among the job classifications discussed were Speech and Music Therapy, ARNPs and PAs, Nurse Managers, Nurse Educators, Medical Technologists, Social Workers, Wound Care, and Case Managers. These were preliminary presentations, and we hope to have a more comprehensive financial proposal at a future bargaining session. We will be on a several week bargaining hiatus and our next bargaining session is scheduled for August 31st at 1p in DTC 259.
There has been quite a bit of discussion about the personal leave and extended illness changes that are going into effect for management and the non-union employees at Jackson. It is important to understand that Jackson must negotiate any changes to personal leave and extended illness and the bargaining team has not agreed to any changes to any of those programs at this time. It it equally important to take the moment to remember having a union ensures that management cannot simply implement unilateral changes to our benefits packages.
We are still fairly early in the bargaining process, and it is critical to remember that good contracts take time. We feel confident that we will have a very good contract at the end of this process and you should be confident too!
Don’t forget to swing by the Membership meeting at the SEIU Union Office (1601 NW 8th Ave) August 4th from 7:30-9:30a and 12-2p.