by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Medical Center and the nurses’ union (Vermont Federation of Nurses &Health Professionals) completed a bargaining session Tuesday night, the first since a two-day strike that began on July 12. The two sides did not reach agreement on a new contract, which expired July 9, but did sign two tentative agreements and proposed language changes on three other articles. The two items were related to urgent pay and nurses who work per diem. The two big items for nurses have been staffing and competitive wages. Two additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled, for August 1 and August 13.
“Our team was pleased to return to the bargaining table tonight and make some progress,” said Eileen Whalen, MHA, RN, president of the UVM Medical Center. “We look forward to continuing the dialogue and reaching a fair agreement as soon as possible.”
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triking nurses and others rally in front of the UVM Medical Center on the morning of July 12. VBM photo.
The union said in a statement said that management did not bring a wage proposal to the Tuesday meeting, which they call "a critical sticking point necessary to address the poor working conditions nurses and support staff are forced to work under at the hospital and clinics."
The union maintains that safe patient care hinges on attracting and retaining nurses, and "is prepared to do whatever it takes, for however long it takes to secure a contract that addresses chronic understaffing." In other words, they have not ruled out another strike. Union members are now working without a contract.
“This all comes down to a choice for the hospital – continue to have an unacceptably high nurse vacancy rate, or pay well enough so that nurses want to be hired and stay at UVMMC so that every patient has safe, prompt care,” said Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Laurie Aunchman.
The union represents 1,800 nurses. They've asked for a 23 percent raise over three years, while the hospital has countered with an average 13 percent increase. The difference for RNs, for instance, would result in an average wage of about $84,000 under the hospital's proposal and $92,000 under the union's.
The hospital brought in nearly 600 replacement nurses at a cost of about $3 million to cover for the striking nurses.
Sources: UVMMC 7.24.2018. Vermont Federation of Nurses &Health Professionals 7.25.2018