SEIU Healthcare Michigan members,
The local is ramping up its efforts to grow our union and support all members with an emphasis on streamlining operations and bargaining strong contracts for members. This week we settled one of our largest contracts at Trinity Health Muskegon. We continue to build momentum in hospital and nursing home campaigns that will put pressure on employers to pay higher wages and benefits to frontline workers.
Service and support workers reach tentative agreement with Trinity Health Muskegon: After a marathon session that ended Tuesday at midnight, service and support workers reached a tentative agreement with Trinity. The agreement includes pay increases every year for every worker, placement on a new wage scale based on years of service in your job, better longevity steps for most job titles, a clause where new employees will not be able to leapfrog current employees, and no concessions. The ratification date for service and support will be announced soon. This concludes a campaign with Trinity Health that has impacted over 1,800 hospital workers. We are excited for and proud of our frontline workers who have persevered through the pandemic for a contract they truly deserve.
McLaren Oakland workers meet with Pontiac Mayor Greimel: On Monday, McLaren healthcare workers met with the City of Pontiac’s Mayor Tim Greimel to brief him on the status of their current contract negotiations. Mayor Greimel agrees that McLaren workers are a vital asset to their community, and shouldn’t settle for lesser wages than other healthcare counterparts in the region. McLaren workers will host a membership meeting on Tuesday, May 31st to discuss the next steps in their contract campaign. The next bargaining session will be on June 10th.
Nursing Home Workers secured contracts at multiple facilities:
- Regency of St. Clair Shores tentative agreement: Won higher wages across all classifications, retro back for two months, increases in disability, and increases in shift differential. The ratification vote will be on Thursday, June 2.
- Aberdeen Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center ratification: CNAs with 10 years plus certification wages from $18 to $18.50/hr, nurses with 10 years plus certification $29/hr, and wages for housekeeping, and laundry, and dietary up to $15.10/hr. We also were able to increase the CNA shift differential and for the Employer to stop mandating workers when they pick up shifts.
- Beaumont Botsford Commons ratification: One-time ratification bonus of $1,000/$500 for full-time/part-time employees, increases on shift differentials, wage increase across the board and up to 9% for some classifications, and 2 days of paid steward training.
Contract negotiations continue at Crothall and DMC: Our team is supporting negotiations for new contract agreements at DMC Sinai Grace, and Crothall at DMC. Bargaining at Regency at Fremont will start June 11th.
Trustee Dian Palmer appointed to Governor’s Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council: Governor Whitmer has appointed Dian Palmer to represent the nursing home workforce stabilization council for a term commencing May 26, 2022 and expiring December 1, 2023. The Council will identify, review, develop, and recommend policies, administrative actions, legislative changes, and other approaches to support high-quality nursing home care. We are excited to begin this work that will recommend crucial reforms in the nursing home industry.
We are also continuing to make progress in reorganizing the administration, finances, and operations of the local union. We have been paying bills that were past due to make sure that the local union is no longer paying unnecessary late fees — those resources are better spent building a strong union. If you have any questions, please email us at info@seiuhealthcaremi.org or call Latoyia Comb at 313-985-1246.
With the strength of our members, we continue to grow and thrive.
In Unity,
Dian Palmer, Trustee
SEIU Healthcare Michigan