CASTRO VALLEY, Calif., March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, more than 65% of Eden employees represented by SEIU crossed the picket line and reported to work as scheduled, sending a clear message that employees do not support the union’s unreasonable bargaining agenda or its strike. In the past week the medical center has heard from many employees that they want this matter resolved. As a result, in order to bring closure to bargaining and in an attempt to finally reach a new contract, George Bischalaney, CEO of Eden Medical Center, announced today that the Medical Center will not allow current strikers to return to work until the parties reach agreement on a new contract. After first issuing an open-ended strike, SEIU requested a return to work on Tuesday, March 7.
“We have an obligation to the employees who chose to work, to our patients and to this community to do everything within reason to bring these disruptive and unnecessarily lengthy negotiations to a close,” said George Bischalaney. “We cannot continue to endure the threat of continued short-term strikes to suit the union’s agenda. It is our hope that this decision will cause SEIU to take action in the best interest of the majority of its membership and resolve this contract once and for all.”
Eden has been negotiating with SEIU for almost two years. In the past two weeks and after renewed negotiations with the union, Eden has accepted the “core issue” proposals that SEIU had said were important, including new union organizing rights; a new training and education fund; and additional avenues for employees to have a voice on staffing and patient care issues (with an option for binding arbitration). The offer also includes competitive wage increases; fully funded health and vision benefits for employees and families; improved retirement benefits; a fund valued at up to $25,000 for each employee to help pay healthcare premiums after retirement; and many other workplace and economic improvements.
“We were hopeful our extremely competitive and good-faith offer would lead to contract resolution,” continued Bischalaney. “Unfortunately, the union responded by calling another strike. What’s most offensive is that this strike has nothing to do with improving the contract for our employees -- and everything to do with generating more members and revenues for SEIU. Obviously, the current dynamic is not working.”
SEIU is holding up contract resolution and conducting a strike primarily over their desire to get new union organizing rights at San Leandro Hospital, and their desire to collect more than $500 in back dues from Eden employees.
The two sides are scheduled to meet again with the assistance of a Federal Mediator on Tuesday, March 7.
“It is time for SEIU to put their self-interest agenda aside and start finally representing the interests of Eden employees,” said Bischalaney. “The large number of crossovers should serve as a wake-up call that SEIU’s current positions are not supported by the majority of Eden employees. While this decision is difficult, in the long-run we hope it will finally lead to resolution of this contract.”
SEIU Proposal Eden Response Organizing/Election Procedures Accept: Eden agrees to union proposal surrounding union organizing and elections procedures at Eden Wages Accept: wages competitive with market for both clerical and service group contracts Staffing Arbitration Accept: Eden agrees to CPMC template (what union calls “say in staffing”) that allows for binding arbitration by third-party arbitrator over staffing issues Eden-specific training fund Accept: jointly administered training fund. Eden to pay 0.25% of payroll on top of current tuition reimbursement Tuition Reimbursement -- $1,000 Improve: Eden maintains offer of $1,200 annually per employee Expiration of contract -- 6/30/08 Accept: same expiration as other Sutter affiliates with ratified agreements Retiree Health Care Account Accept: Eden current offer includes retiree healthcare account valued at up to $25,000 per employee No Subcontracting Accept: already banned in current contract; would extend to clerical contract Health Insurance: Accept: continue current plan. Full coverage/ no premiums Full coverage for employees and paid by employees dependents with no employee premiums and full coverage for employees working 20 hours per week or more Education Leave -- 40 hours Accept: contract provides 40 hours paid per year per employee Adoption of contract Accept: protect employee positions in by successors event of sale or merger Pension Enhancements Accept: enhanced Sutter Health Retirement Plan New classifications Accept: same language adopted by and revised job descriptions California Pacific Medical Center employees Paid time for bargaining team Accept: current language better than SEIU proposal. Paid time for five employees per session Paid time for Shop Stewards: Counterproposal: allow stewards to 4 hours per month for 16 stewards use education leave for steward training Collection of back dues Decline: asking Eden to take money out of employee paychecks and give it to the union until back dues are fully paid, totaling about $500 per person in the service unit at $1800 per person in the clerical unit
Eden Medical Center
CONTACT: Cassandra Phelps of Eden Medical Center, +1-510-727-2720
