Rest Up for What Could be Intense Bargaining Starting July 9
On Wed., June 26, our Union made our economic proposal to management. Management, however, did not bring a proposal to the table and no news is not always good news. That’s especially true when talking about our Clinical Ladder. So let’s take a coffee break this Fourth of July weekend and urge management to remember the pay concessions we made in 2011.
The hospital asked us to sacrifice in bargaining in 2011, and we did so by accepting wage freezes and contract takeaways. In March 2013, we won the President’s Award for Excellence. Not only did we meet and exceed many of the benchmarks for patient care, but we increased net operating income so that our operating income exceeds expenses.
In his letter to Tarzana employees this past March, Gerald Klute stated: “This teamwork reflects our core values, particularly excellence and stewardship. We now provide even better care and we have eased our budget strains by limiting length of stay, which is much healthier for our patients.
- Providence earned about $1.2 BILLION in profit in 2012 because of our collective work to make it a premier health system.
- Due to Providence’s financial strength, it was able to purchase St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica.
Now it is only fair that the hospital and Providence take into account our past sacrifices that helped make these profits and gains in patient care a reality. We’re a part of the Providence team and Providence should treat all team members with dignity and respect. We return to negotiations July 9.
Our Union Economic Proposal
- Fair across-the-board wage increases
- Step raises for another year of experience
- Specialty pay for Professionals in the following job classifications: Pharmacists, Case Managers, and Speech Therapists, and recognition of national certifications for Clinical Laboratory Scientists so that they too would be encouraged and rewarded for additional education and certification they gain to further their profession.
- Addressed concerns raised by Professionals who would also like to be hired and paid based on years of experience in their profession
- Expressed our concerns over the new health plans and made proposals for improved benefits.
*As part of your wake up call, special coffee will be delivered to each unit and shift before our next bargaining session July 9.