May 8, 2020 Negotiations Update

We had a busy 6th day of bargaining. HMH responded to many of our proposals. However, their responses was short sited. They rejected all of our proposals about health and safety, workplace violence, staffing, transition and oversight and the pandemic.

Anna Pona, President of local 5138 at SOMC raised the many payroll issues that continue to plague her members at SOMC and the members at JSUMC. She used these as examples as to why HMH needs to have a standing committee to address PTO and payroll issues on a regular basis. We demanded that someone from payroll come to the negotiations.

We don’t always get paid our contractual wages and yet we have signed up for shifts, worked despite unsafe conditions and done what needed to be done for our patients, our co-workers and our state. The employer’s rejection of our proposals is disrespectful. We don’t need chocolate bars and parades. We need to be treated fairly and our concerns addressed.

Management’s response to our staffing proposals was to say that there is no staffing shortage at our hospitals. JSUMC has over 100 open positions and SOMC has over 35. Neither hospital has been able to run without the help of agency for some time. That is a staffing shortage.

They continued to claim that they could not accept our proposals because of harmonization.

We will put our economic proposals on the table soon. However, we have hazard pay proposals going back to the middle of March. HMH stated that they had responded to our hazard pay proposals with the 1.5% base rate increase. We said that raise does not resolve our demand for hazard money.

We withdrew the SOMC and JSUMC proposals that would have changed the language on seniority.

Southern Ocean On call nurses did secure 4 reserved parking spaces.

Finally, we are disappointed that HMH has stopped holding daily updates with HPAE staff

As you all see we have a tough fight on our hands.. Keep an eye on FB, your emails and text messages!

With 3x per week negotiations a lot of info will be headed your way.

Thanks your support!