Contract negotiations resumed Oct. 30 for support staff and managers at Mercy Regional Medical Center. However, the union representing the clerical, maintenance and other support workers claimed the employees fear the talks are ‘just a pro forma tactic by management with the intent to declare an illegal impasse.’ If that happened, management would impose the same proposal that workers rejected in a vote on Oct. 24, according to the Service Employees International Union District 1199. ‘Workers at Mercy want to sit down and bargain a fair contract that preserves the dignity, rights and respect they deserve,’ said Geoff Davies, administrative organizer with the EIU District 1199. ‘However, management has already signaled through the media that they plan to declare an illegal impasse, which would hurt both the staff and patients of Mercy Health.’ The union has disclosed some of the sticking points in the negotiations. In management’s proposal, the SEIU is claiming that Mercy Health is attempting to force workers to give up step increases from their pay scale and forfeit all sick time for short-term disability, which is paid at 60 percent but only begins on the sixth consecutive day. Workers also would have to pay an additional $5,000 out of pocket for their health care and management would eliminate overtime for workers who are required to work more than eight hours a day, according to SEIU. The service workers’ union launched a public awareness campaign that went public around Ohio starting Oct. 30. The advertisement focuses on the ‘abhorrent greed’ by Mercy Health CEO Michael Connelly and how hospital executives are attempting to rob workers of their right to a fair contract by declaring an illegal impasse, according to the union. The
and as of 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30 the ad had 46 views on Youtube. If an agreement cannot be reached with hospital executives, workers may issue a 10-day notice of intent to strike, according to the SEIU. ‘Hospital employees remain committed to reaching an agreement with management and ask for continued support from the community as talks resume (Oct. 31),’ the SEIU statement said.
