During contract ratification voting on Dec. 6 and 7, the majority of members said YES to a new contract that contains wage increases or lump sum payments based on an RN’s base wages. The new agreement with Providence management includes:
- 2% Lump Sum Wage Payment in 2011*
- 1% Increase to Wage Scale in 2012 & 2013
- Maintenance of bonuses for initial certification and renewals
- Volunteers will be added to the Flexing & Call-Off rotation
- Continuation of the free HMO healthcare plan if the employee and spouse/partner complete a Wellness Assessment. Those with the PPO plan will have $500 for employee and $1000 for employee+spouse credited toward their healthcare premium for filling out the assessment.
- Maintenance of our current pension plan.
- Maintenance of educational benefits.
- Decreased the number of days management can place an RN on investigatory suspension from 10 to 7 days.
- Achieved holiday scheduling parity for day and night shift RNs.
- Current 6-2 Program RNs will be grandfathered in and allowed to continue the schedule.
- PTO accrual remains the same for most RNs, with a slight decrease for 72-hour RNs due to Providence reclassifying all 72-hour RNs in the region.
Thank you to all who participated in this year’s contract negotiations. We have a new contract that protects our wages and benefits for another three years.
A great big THANK YOU to our Bargaining Team for working long hours and making some very challenging decisions to do what is best for the majority of RNs at Providence St. Joseph!
Please take the time to say thank you to those team members: Shelley Vickrey, Stella Kennedy, Eileen Kenny, Kevin MacVane and Brenda Blanco.
* Except those nurses who are scheduled to receive a step increase, and per diem RNs will receive a 1 percent lump sum payment in 2011 and 2012. RNs whose pay rates are above the wage scale in 2012 or 2013 will not receive a wage increase.