Bargaining for Power
San Diego, California
3,400 SHARP RNs & LPNs
Nurses at Sharp HealthCare ratified a new 3-year contract in June, strengthening their voice on staffing and quality of health care, plus boosting wages and retirement benefits.
The RNs and LPNs, members of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), averted a scheduled 3-day strike that would have affected seven hospitals where they work. "The 3,400 nurses at Sharp will now have a real say in quality-of-care issues," says Corinne Hollings, RN, president of the union affiliate at the San Diego-based system.
The agreement will resolve crucial issues such as safe staffing levels through a binding dispute resolution process, provide for a new retiree health care coverage program and protect nurses from being arbitrarily classified as "supervisors." This is in response to the National Labor Relations Board's ruling classifying a supervisor as anyone who gives even occasional direction to another employee, which makes them ineligible for union representation.
"Nurses need breaks and rest time so they can provide the high quality care their patients deserve," says UNAC/UHCP Pres. Kathy J. Sackman, RN, who is also an AFSCME International vice president. "If they don't get this rest, at least they should be properly paid for it."
Berkeley, California
University Workers
Approximately 4,000 custodians at the 10 campuses of the University of California reached a settlement with UC officials, successfully ending an 18-month battle to win respect on the job - and a raise.
The employees - members of Local 3299 who work at UC Berkeley, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz - won a $1.75 per hour wage increase. Custodians at other UC campuses received a $0.50 per hour raise. Under the agreement, the jobs of more than 60 formerly outsourced groundskeepers were also brought back to UC Irvine.
Under pressure, the university eventually agreed to accept the recommendations of former state Senate Pres. Pro Tem John Burton (D), who mediated the disagreement.
"This has been an important struggle for those of us who work very hard to make the university work," says UC Berkeley custodian Maricruz Manzanárez.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta City Employees
We Need a Raise! | Atlanta city employees, including members of Local 1644, march on City Hall. They recently won their first raise in six years.
Photo: Sam Gonzales
Persistence by members of Local 1644 resulted in a June raise for 2,000 city employees.
The Atlanta City Council voted to grant municipal workers a 2.6 percent pay raise that began July 1, and will rise to 3.6 percent in January.
The 4,000 employees represented by Local 1644 aren't covered by a collective bargaining law, and pressed city officials to deliver better than the 2 percent hike that Mayor Shirley Franklin proposed. Chanting "Two percent won't pay the rent," some 300 members of the local marched on City Hall and delivered 1,000 signed cards reading: "We need a raise. This city works because we do."
The union - representing workers in Atlanta's public works, water, planning and development, corrections, parks and recreation, and aviation departments - also produced a video that went to all City Council members, the mayor and public access TV, illustrating the important work of the city's employees.
