Vermont Business Magazine The UVM Medical Center and Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals will resume negotiations on Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14 with the assistance of a federal mediator. Monday marks the 25th bargaining session since talks began in late March.
“Our goal from the outset of negotiations has been to present thoughtful proposals that address the concerns nurses have raised while balancing our commitment to providing high quality, affordable health care in our community,” said Eileen Whalen, MHA, RN, president and chief operating officer of the UVM Medical Center. “We are hopeful these next two sessions with the mediator will lead to the fair resolution we are all seeking.”
These are the first negotiations since an unprecedented announcement last Thursday by AFT Vermont that it would divest all its funds in the "hundreds of thousands" from New England Federal Credit Union in order to put pressure on two UVMMC board members.
AFT Vermont is the parent union of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, whose nurses are in collective bargaining talks with the hospital.
John Dwyer Jr is New England Federal Credit Union’s CEO and a member of the UVMMC board of trustees. Kathleen Emery-Ginn also serves on both boards.
The nurses contract expired on July 9. It represents 1,800 nurses. The strike began on July 12. Nurses have been working without a contract since it expired.
UVMMC provided the following details of the hospital’s offer, which include:
- 13% wage increase over three years, bringing average RN base pay from $72,000 to $81,000.
- Outpatient nurses will receive wage increases ranging from 17 percent to 25 percent.
- Early career Advanced Practice Nurses will see wage increases in the range of 24 percent to 30 percent to help recruit and retain the providers needed.
In addition to proposed wage increases, benefits for nurses -- which equal more than 30% of base pay -- will stay the same or improve based on the hospital’s offer. In contrast to what is happening in other industries and organizations, the hospital is not asking for any concessions from nurses. Benefits include retirement contributions; health, dental and vision insurance; life insurance; and paid time off.
“We know the community is depending on us to find common ground with the union as soon as possible, and we are committed to doing our part next week to reach that goal,” Whalen said.
The University of Vermont Medical Centeris a 447-bed tertiary care regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York.
Source: UVMMC 8.10.2018