The UE Local 1004 bargaining committee preparing to go another round with Henry Mayo Hospital negotiators. From left, Dee Nance, Gayle Hoover, Lavoris Blassingame, Teri Kanavel, Peter Borja and Pam Wolf.

Member participation and a strong negotiating committee made the difference for UE members working at Henry Mayo Hospital. Their new three-year agreement, approved by members on February 27, improves wages, paid time off, and contract language. The successful contract settlement followed overwhelming membership rejection of the employer’s first offer. High voter turnout at both ratification meetings set a new record for Local 1004.

For the first time ever during contract negotiations, the local did not extend the old contract when it expired, but instead let the old agreement lapse and worked without a contract. This increased the pressure on the hospital to settle on favorable terms. Members participated in “sticker days” to show hospital administrators their unity and discontent. In the closing days of negotiations, UE members looked like a sea of green stickers, bearing the slogan, “Fair Contract Now!” With the increased participation by UE members during the contract fight, the local recruited several new shop stewards.

The new three-year contract implements a new PTO (paid time off) system combining what were formerly paid holidays, sick leave and personal leave. The new PTO also includes extended sick leave (ESL.) It took a second round of bargaining to force the Hospital to increase the PTO accruals to improve employees’ total amounts of paid time off. The union won higher caps on both PTO and ESL accrual, as well as a fair formula for 100 percent annual cash out.

Raises are a minimum of 3.25 percent annually, with 4.75 percent and 5.75 percent for workers whose evaluations meet “exceeds” and “outstanding” criteria (previously the merit raises were 4.5 and 5.25 percent). The union fought hard to win across-the-board raises, but the employer steadfastly resisted. In the final offer, the union won continuation of the 3.25 percent annual increases it received in the old contract, and improved the higher merit increases. Union members and leaders see this as an ongoing battle, since only a small portion of workers actually receives the highest percentage raise. Workers displayed strong unity on this issue, regardless of what their personal histories of raises had been.

The local held the line on the percentage of health insurance premiums that workers must pay, and got language allowing for a reopener on health insurance next year, when the registered nurses (represented by the California Nurses Association) negotiate their contract.

Other important improvements include:

• New specialty certification bonuses (especially important for nursing and tech members);

• Increased shift differentials;

• Increased and improved union access to the workplace and meeting space;

• Language in the contract protecting meal and break periods, with monetary penalties if the employer violates these;

• Improved protection for job postings and bids;

• Guaranteed representation for UE members on the important Hospital Patient Classification Committee;

• Improved language requiring notice to the union policy changes, advance notice of workplace restructuring, and regular updates of list of bargaining unit employee, and;

• Increase in the number of days for the union to give notice of intent to arbitrate.

Local 1004 represents some 500 workers at Henry Mayo, including licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), ward clerks, lab and pharmacy technicians, monitor technicians, admitting clerks, warehouse and material supply, and other ancillary staff.

The UE bargaining committee included President Teri Kanavel, Chief Steward Dee Nance, Financial Secretary Peter Borja, Gayle Hoover, Pam Wolf, and Lavoris Blassingame. They were assisted by UE General President John Hovis and International Rep Leanna Noble.