CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 8
Date: December 17, 2024
Next bargaining dates: (being scheduled)
Employer’s proposal on Articles 5/6/7
Union Counter Proposal: Articles 5, 6, and 7
Union Counter Proposal: Article 8 and Article 12
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 7
Date: November 27, 2024
Next bargaining dates: December 17
Union's counter wage proposal #1
Employer's Wage Counter #1
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 6
Date: November 22, 2024
Next bargaining dates: November 27
Union's Proposal: Holiday Vacation Sick
Employer Response: Flexible Scheduling
Employer Response: PTO Vacation Holidays
Employer's Economic Response
Total Compensated Hours
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 5
Date: October 29, 2024
Next bargaining dates: November 22
Employer Response: Retirement Article
Employer Response: Accommodating School Schedule
Employer Response: Definition of Seniority
Employer Response: Reduction other than layoff
The employer provided a counter-proposal today regarding retirement benefits addressed in Article 12. We also discussed parts of a few other articles that we have already received counter proposals on. Our team remains disappointed by the small volume of counter-proposals that we have received. We have provided the employer with the entirety of our proposal, yet we are still waiting for responses on key proposals including proposals related to wages, time off policy, and other articles that we proposed over a month ago.
- 12: Our team had initially proposed to join the SEIU pension plan. The employer provided a counterproposal today that EMTs would not join this pension plan and instead provide the same 403(b) plan that is currently included in non-contract benefits. Our team maintained that we want our members to have the pension plan benefit as it provides a greater monetary benefit upon retirement and can accumulate across many unionized healthcare positions in the twin cities, including MNA positions.
- LOU 5: Our team asked for clarification on how the employer’s proposal on picking up shifts would work. The employer consulted with the staffing office to provide a step-by-step explanation of how EMTs would pick up shifts using the system that they proposed.
- 4(G)(1): The employer clarified that their language in this proposal would not be construed to mean that EMTs would not be able to change their shift lengths from 12 hours to 8 hours given management’s consent. Rather, this section sets forth that shift lengths will be decided upon by mutual agreement between the employee and employer.
- 8(E): We expressed that we would not respond to the employer’s proposal on article 8(E) until they provide us a counter-proposal on the entirety of article 8.
- Definitions of EMTs: We agreed with the employer’s proposed language defining the contract as applying to EMTs at Children’s. This is standard language from the National Labor Relations Board.
- Action Plan on 1:1 Assignments: The employer proposed that a few EMTs represent the group on a large committee being formed to address 1:1 concerns across both the St. Paul and Minneapolis campus.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 4
Date: October 15, 2024
Next bargaining dates: October 20, 2024
Session # 4 (Tuesday, October 15) Employer Proposal: LOU 5 Counter Proposal
Session # 4 (Tuesday, October 15) Employer Proposal: Article 8 Counter Proposal
Session # 4 (Tuesday, October 15) Employer Proposal: Article 4 Counter Proposal
The Children’s team responded to our full contract proposal with counter proposals to small parts of article 4 and 8. We expressed disappointment at the limited counterproposal that they offered us, especially given that they were so insistent on seeing our team’s entire proposal at the last meeting.
- 4(G)(1): The employer proposed new language that was confusing and seemed to contradict itself. We asked them to keep our clearer language, or point out for us the differences between their proposal and ours.
- 4(L): We had proposed adding language about management making efforts to accommodate school schedules when possible. The employer did not agree to this. We pushed back by explaining our reasoning and expressing that this language only opens a conversation about changing schedules but does not force the manager to make a change that does not work for the hospital.
- 8(E)(1-2): The employer agreed to our proposal to mandate EMTs when overstaffed on a rotating basis.
- 8(E) MLOA Notice: The employer proposed that MLOAs be given at a one hour rather than a two hour notice. We explained why we are proposing MLOAs be given at a two hour notice, including that this is the current practice for both EMTs and nurses in the ED. The employer declined to accept our counter proposal of 2 hours.
- Seniority: We agreed with the employer to clarify that seniority is based on the date of hire at Children’s even if you weren’t hired into a union position.
- The employer agreed to a tentative agreement on multiple articles and letters of understanding: articles 2 (grievance and arbitration), 3 (working conditions), 13 (social security benefit), 15 (no strike/no lockout), 17 (SEIU COPE language), 19 (effect of headings), 20 (management rights), 21 (racial justice, equity, and inclusion) and letters of understanding 1 (parking), 2 (weekend shifts for 20 year employees), 3 (voicemail box for union stewards), 4 (seniority for Mercy employees), 6 (EVS shift trades), 7 (voluntary benefits), 8 (orientation).
- Action Plan on 1:1 Assignments: We proposed to extend this action plan to create a group to address concerns about 1:1 assignments.
Heads up! Once bargaining is finished, all of the EMTs will vote on whether you agree with the contract or not.
Session # 3 (Tuesday, October 8) Wage Proposal
Session # 3 (Tuesday, October 8) Holidays PTO Proposal
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 3
Date: October 8, 2024
Next bargaining dates: October 15
From: Madie Clabaugh
Sent: Monday, October 7, 2024 3:24 PM
To: Sangay Taythi
Subject: 10/7 summary
Today, the Children’s bargaining team presented their first counter-proposal which included only standard language for employees who will be included and excluded from the union. They expressed that they would not respond further to any of our proposals until we had shared our entire proposal. Our bargaining team expressed disappointment that the Children’s team continues to be unwilling to agree to even standard language that benefits the employer. We presented additional proposals related to holiday and PTO policies such as including Juneteenth as a paid holiday and establishing a PTO accrual system. Our union team decided to present this proposal following the employer’s concern that PTO accrual would be affected by our earlier proposal that 0.9 FTE be counted as full time. After presenting this proposal, the Children’s team continued to decline to respond to any proposal elements as our team had not presented our entire proposal.
The teams met individually to discuss next steps. Our union team decided to present the rest of our economic proposals including our wage scale. After presenting our entire proposal, we expressed our hopes that they will come to the next session with substantive responses.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining team!
Emma, Madie & Aldona
Bargaining Session # 1 (9/11/24)
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Session: 1
Date: September 11, 2024
Next bargaining dates: September 24, October 7
We conducted our first bargaining session yesterday and submitted our first non-economic proposal to the employer’s team consisting of Katie Lavander (ED Director), Ronda Dunham (Labor Relations Manager), Thomas Trachsel (Lawyer), and Elaine Galdamez (Sr. HR Generalist).
Our non-economic proposal which we’ve posted on our campaign’s website included protections for our block schedule and 12 hour shifts, guidelines for staffing to provide a timely response for shift requests, a system for filing grievances, and more.
As we introduced ourselves, we took upon the opportunity to illustrate the important and challenging work we do as EMTs and stressed on the need for a fair contract that we all deserve. After we make our proposal, the employer caucused on their own. When we met for the second time, the employer reported that they are unable to agree to any of the items presented until they have received our entire proposal, which includes our economic proposals. They reported that, in their view, some of our non-economic proposals also had economic implications such as defining full time workers as 0.9 FTE instead of only 1.0.
We plan to meet again next week as a SEIU bargaining team to finalize our economic proposal and strategize for the next bargaining session, which is on September 24th.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining team
Madie Clabaugh
Aldon Martinka
Emma Koltes
Updates on every bargaining session, and every proposal exchanged between us and the employer will be posted on our website.
BARGAINING REPRESENTATIVES:
Emma Koltes
Aldona Martinka
Madie Clabaugh
