UR SERVICE WORKERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVE NEW UNION CONTRACTS
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
1199 SEIU United Healthcare
Workers East Upstate New York
Division
Service Employees International
Union
225 West Broad Street, Suite
B
Rochester, New York 14608
Telephone:
(585)-244-0830
Fax:
(585)-244-0956
Website:
www.1199seiu.org
MEDIA RELEASE
OCTOBER 10,
2007
UR SERVICE WORKERS OVERWHELMINGLY
APPROVE NEW UNION CONTRACTS
3 YEAR
PACT CONTINUES HEALTH PLAN, IMPROVES WAGES,
SUPPORTS CHILD CARE AND ADULT
EDUCATION
(Rochester) - Service employees of the
University of Rochester and its Strong Memorial
Hospital division today approved new labor
agreements by a wide margin. New three year
contracts will go into effect retroactively to
September 30, 2007. The new contracts
provide:
- continuation of the union's health care plan
fully paid by the
employer.
- annual wage increases of +3% per
year.
- a new child care
fund.
- funding for basic adult education
classes.
- increased job security for disabled
workers.
"The child care fund and support for adult
education are real breakthroughs." said Bruce
Popper, the union's chief negotiator. "Both
programs will provide vital support or workers
and their families. We applaud UR management
for agreeing to work with us on these
issues."
With the old contracts due to expire at
midnight, employee and management negotiators
reached a tentative agreement at 11 pm last
Saturday. The settlement capped a 14 hour
bargaining session supervised by Federal
Mediator Kenneth
Armes.
Over 1400 UR employees are covered by the union
contracts. They include patient care
technicians, nursing unit secretaries, surgical
assistants, environmental and facilities
maintenance employees, food service,
transportation, and materials processing
staff. They are members of SEIU Local
200United and 1199 SEIU United Healthcare
Workers
East.
The new union contracts will be dedicated to
the memory of Latasha Shaw, a leader on the
union's negotiating committee, whose life
tragically ended September
29.
For further information, please contact Bruce
Popper at (585)-277-9999 (pager).