Bargaining Update - April 10, 2024
Hi SMH union members,
We had a productive day in bargaining yesterday, 4/11. We were able to block some takeaways that the employer wanted to have us agree to, and we were able to make some progress on some of our demands. Namely, we are holding on our commitment to increase the uniform and shoe allowance and make them available to all employees regardless of FTE (for uniform allowance) and classification (shoe allowance). The employer has moved on increasing those amounts but not to the point that we need. We are also holding on better overtime language, longevity benefits, and improving training practices.
We will be introducing wage proposals next week at our next session on Thursday, April 16th. We will keep everyone posted as we move forward with that part of our bargaining fight.
If you are interested in contributing to the bargaining process, please join the contract action team! Contact organizer Arabella Childers at arabella.childers@seiuhcmnia.org.
Thanks so much,
Your SMH bargaining team
Bargaining Update - March 28, 2024
Hello SMH union members!
We have an update from how bargaining went on Tuesday 3/26. We are making progress on some of our proposals, however we have yet to make progress on some of our core demands of better training process and managing mandatory overtime. We are getting closer on uniform allowances but still aren’t there yet on pieces that we are holding on like shoe allowances. We haven’t gotten to the point yet of introducing wage proposals since that comes after we have made enough progress on non-economic proposals. We have scheduled three additional meetings at the table for 4/9, 4/18, and 4/25. We will continue to keep you all updated and informed!
We also have a petition to support our bargaining priorities, please sign that here if you haven’t yet! It is open to all union members as well as non-union employees and community supporters. SMH Demands Petition (jotform.com)
Our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting will be next week on Tuesday, April 2nd at 12:00PM and 5:30PM. The CAT is open to all union members and will be held in a hybrid format; it will be in-person at our Rochester office space at the Southeast Area Labor Council (2443 Clare Ln NE #200, Rochester MN 55906 in the former Social Security building). There will also be an option to join via Zoom at this link: https://seiuhcmn.zoom.us/j/81195461998. Please jump into the Contract Action Team and get involved if you want to help your bargaining team get the best contract we possibly can!
Thanks and solidarity,
Your SMH bargaining team
Bargaining Update - March 18, 2024
Hello SMH union members,
Last Thursday the bargaining team met with Mayo Clinic’s bargaining team for our 2024 contract negotiations. Things are moving along and we are making progress. As this point in negotiations we don’t talk about wages as that is usually the last thing that is addressed. Right now we are focusing on improving our overtime language, break language, shift differentials, uniform and shoe allowances, and holidays.
We are meeting again this Thursday, March 21st and will continue to update the bargaining unit as we go.
We also got a tentative agreement for the one year wage increase at Methodist last week. You can view the details of that here: https://www.seiuhcmnia.org/campaigns/mayo-methodist-bargaining/
If you want to get involved and help support your bargaining team to get the best contract we can, the Contract Action Team (CAT) is meeting this Friday, March 22nd at 12:00pm and 5:30pm.
We will be in person at our Rochester office space shared with the Southeast Area Labor Council - the address is 2443 Clare Ln NE #200, Rochester, MN 55906. We will also have a hybrid virtual option on Zoom which can be accessed here.
In solidarity,
Your SMH bargaining team
Bargaining Update - February 29, 2024
Hi everyone,
On February 29th we had our first day of negotiations with Mayo for our 2024-2026 contract at Saint Mary’s. There were three passes of proposals in total, two from us and one from the employer.
There is so much we want to address this year in bargaining, too much to summarize here in this update. However some of the highlights for our priorities include wages, mandated overtime, and trainings.We made it clear as we introduced our proposals that we want to work with the employer to get a good contract done as quickly as possible. We began with mostly “non-economic” proposals, hoping to get some of the things without a specific price tag out of the way and build some momentum.
We are just getting started and there is much more bargaining to do – and we need your help! If you find yourself wanting to support your coworkers on the Bargaining Team and build pressure on Mayo, now is a great time to mark your calendar for the first Contract Action Team meeting, which will be held on Friday, March 8th. Look out for a separate invitation next week.
Our next days of negotiations will be March 14th, March 21st, and March 26th. You can expect to get more updates as we move forward towards the contract that we deserve!
In solidarity,
Your SEIU Bargaining Team at SMH
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