St. Paul, MN— Service Employee International Union Healthcare Minnesota (SEIU HC MN) has reached a tentative contract agreement with eight metro-area hospitals, thus averting a strike that was authorized by union members earlier this week.  The affected hospitals include: Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Fairview Riverside Hospital in Minneapolis, Children’s Hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul, HealthEast Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, HealthEast St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, and Park Nicollet/Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.

Details of the agreement will not be released until the members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota have had an opportunity to review and vote on them.

“While we did not achieve all that our members deserve for the work we do every day to improve our patients lives – by standing together we fought back the most outrageous cuts that would have driven the lowest paid workers in our hospitals into poverty,” says Tee McClenty, SEIU’s chief negotiator. “We will keep organizing and fighting the corporations that want to run our non-profit hospitals like for-profit institutions,” she adds.

On Monday and Tuesday this week, members of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota (SEIU HCMN,) overwhelmingly (91%) voted in favor of a strike—sending a strong message to hospitals entering into contract talks again on Wednesday morning.

Negotiators representing both workers and the hospitals met all day long on Wednesday, the day after SEIU members voted to authorize a strike. Voting on the tentative agreement is scheduled for next week.

*The 3,500 workers affected by this tentative agreement include: nursing assistants, ER techs maintenance and food service personnel, clerks, warehouse staff, environmental services staff and others.

CEOs and Non-Profit Hospitals Make Millions While Health Care Workers Face Severe Cuts

St. Paul, MN— 3,500 members of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota (SEIU HCMN,) have overwhelmingly (91%) voted to strike.  Results of two days of voting come on the eve before contract negotiations are scheduled to resume.

Neither the union nor its members will make official remarks heading back to the table. “The vote speaks for itself,” says Tee McClenty, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota who is leading the negotiating team for the union.

If the union calls a 2-5 day strike it would affect eight metro area hospitals including: Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, Fairview Riverside Hospital in Minneapolis, Children’s Hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Health East’s Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul and St. John’s Hospital in Maplewood, North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, and Park Nicollet/Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.

Health care workers and hospitals have been unable to reach a new contract settlement after the hospitals have continued to propose changes that would radically alter how hospital workers are able to earn a family-sustaining income. The proposed changes would push the lowest paid employees into poverty.

Negotiators representing both workers and the hospitals head back to the bargaining table tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 16.)

*The 3,500 affected workers include: nursing assistants, ER techs maintenance and food service personnel, clerks, warehouse staff, environmental services staff and others.

Health care workers and hospitals have been unable to reach a new contract settlement after the hospitals have continued to propose changes that would radically alter how hospital workers are able to earn an income to secure financial stability for their families. The proposed changes would push the lowest paid employees and their families who depend on these jobs into poverty.

At a time when non-profit hospitals and their CEOs are earning record-breaking profits, Twin Cities hospital workers who work hard every day and every night to provide the best possible care are only looking to be compensated fairly.

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members and leaders will host a media availability as official strike vote procedures begin:

When: 6:45 a.m., Monday, May 14, 2012

Where: 65^th and France Ave, underneath the Skyway across from Fairview Southdale

The affected workers include: nursing assistants, ER techs, maintenance and food service personnel, clerks, warehouse staff and others.

SEIU is the workers who provide care and support for your family in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, childcare, and the Twin Cities’ largest public and private buildings.  The SEIU Minnesota State Council coordinates the electoral, legislative and outreach work of the SEIU Locals in Minnesota to increase the effectiveness of their collective bargaining and new member organizing campaigns.  By building the political involvement of approximately 30,000 SEIU members throughout the state, the State Council is working to improve the lives of all Minnesotans.  The State Council’s board is comprised of elected leaders, members, and staff of the four SEIU Local Unions in Minnesota

The Attorney General’s investigation, supported by independent reporting by credible news organizations such as, The New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune and others, uncovered information pointing to aggressive and possibly illegal attempts to collect payments from patients at seven Fairview  hospitals and North Memorial Hospital,  even as the patients were seeking emergency treatment and other health care services.

“In a letter to Attorney General Swanson, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has urged the matter be resolved out of the public eye,” says Julie Schnell, president of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota. “But here in our state, we support complete transparency of such issues especially when Minnesotans are not only seeking access to affordable and quality health care but are entrusting their very lives to hospitals they seek care from.”

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members provide care to patients at Fairview and North Memorial facilities and have raised serious concerns about Accretive’s practices for months. As Minnesota Public Radio reported last week , in bargaining a new contract with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members, Fairview and North Memorial have refused to provide all information their employees have requested regarding Accretive.

Schnell says whenever the public’s health and safety is at issue, it is critically important that disputes not be resolved behind closed doors. “The public should have all the information, and the Attorney General has done Minnesotans a great service by bringing these issues of debt-collection in maternity wards and emergency rooms to light.”

• Employer is still proposing to delete pension language -
  • Pension benefits may be increased by an annual inflation factor up to one and one half percent (1-1/2%) per year.
  • Early retirement language under Schedule A of the Pension.
• Employer is proposing that in the event and error is made in the distribution of overtime or additional hours the affected employees will be offered the opportunity to work extra hours to make up the loss of wages (rather than pay you because they made a mistake).
• Departments that schedule employees to be “on call” shall offer the on call to employees based on seniority based on department policy. If call is refused the least senior person on the list must accept the on call.
• Employers wage proposal as of May 3, 2012:
  • Year 1: 1-3/4%;  Year 2: 1/2% ‘ Year 3: 1/2%

Union Proposals:

• The Employer will create 12 hour shifts for PCA’s whenever possible.
• Call pay for CST’s $5.25, also the employer to provide a on-call room to stay in while on-call.
• Core Specific guidelines to be posted on the surgical services website.

Next Negotiations are May 8, 2012, the Federal Mediator will be assisting with our negotiations.

When negotiations conclude the membership decides by voting if the proposal will be accepted.

SAINT MARYS HOSPITAL- STRONGER TOGETHER

And

Refuses to settle a fair contract with Health Care workers.

This is what happens when the CEO of Wells Fargo, Jon Campbell, sits on the board of directors at Fairview Hospital.

Come Rally and March to tell Fairview Hospital that there is no place for Bankers in our health care system and that quality care should come before profits!

When: May 10th, 2012 at 3:30 pm

Where: Merwyn Triangle Park on 25th Ave. S. and Franklin Ave. E.

1. Modify Section I(E) for all Hospitals except North Memorial Medical Center which is Section I(F), for clarification purposes only, by adding the following language to that section:

“A steward shall not perform Union duties or business during his/her work time or the work time of other employees except with the prior approval of the Hospital. There shall be no more than nine (9) stewards for each Hospital”

4. Modify Section 10) for all Hospitals except North Memorial Medical Center which is Section 1(1), to now read as follows:

“PROBATIONARY PERIOD – The first one hundred eighty (180) calendar days of employment of any new employee shall be a probationary period during which the employment of such employee may be terminated with or without cause. The first ninety (90) days of employment in any position in which the employee voluntarily transfers to shall be a probationary period during which the employment of such employee may be terminated with or without cause.”

5. Modify Section I(K) for all Hospitals except North Memorial Medical Center which is Section 10), by adding the following language to that section:

“The Union and the Hospital shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) representatives each in these meetings unless a different amount is agreed to by mutual agreement between the Union and the Hospital but, in that event, the maximum representatives for each side shall be no more than six (6).”

7. Delete Section 111(0) for all Hospitals.

10. Modify Section IV(C) for all Hospitals, to now read as follows:

“WORKWEEK SCHEDULES – The Hospital shall notify any affected employee of any substantial change in that employee’s workweek schedule at least fourteen (14) calendar days before the change takes effect. Upon request of the Union, the Hospital agrees to meet and confer with the Union before implementation of the proposed workweek schedule change(s). However, the Union’s failure to meet prior to the implementation of the scheduled change will not prohibit said implementation.”

12. Modify Section IV(H) for all Hospitals, for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“The Hospital shall develop a process whereby employees may indicate availability for specific extra shifts within their classification. The Hospital will generally seek to exhaust its options for covering a shift on a non-overtime basis, -and then offer the shift to employees for whom the extra shift would be overtime and, generally, as a last resort, then offer the shift to employees for whom the extra shift would be at a rate greater than time and one-half of the employee’s regular rate of pay. Should the Hospital make a good faith error as to which employee should have been awarded an extra shift, there shall be no penalty assessed for such error and an arbitrator is expressly prohibited from making any award, monetary or otherwise, for such a good faith mistake.”

13. Modify Section IV(I) for all Hospitals, for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“CASUAL WORK AGREEMENT – Casuals must work a minimum of one (1) shift per month if the Hospital has work available. The Hospital may increase this requirement. This requirement may include, but not be limited to, a holiday or a weekend shift and the Hospital may increase this requirement based on need. The Hospital will provide at least fourteen (14) days’ notice before any change shall be effective in the minimum number of shifts required.”

14. Add a new Section IV(K) for all Hospitals, for clarification purposes only, to read as follows:

“(K) NO PYRAMIDING OF OVERTIME AND PREMIUM PAY – No employee shall receive the payment of overtime and a separate premium pay(s) for the same hours and the Hospital shall be required to pay the greater of the rates, but not both regardless of the reason for overtime and premium pay and regardless what the premium pay is called. To the extent the Fair Labor Standards Act allows a premium pay to offset overtime, such offset shall also be allowed by this contract. This paragraph shall supersede any other provision of this Agreement which may appear to contradict the terms of this paragraph.”

16. Modify the fourth paragraph of Section V(A) for all Hospitals, in part for clarification purposes only, to read as follows:

“Each employee will share in working the scheduled holidays outlined in Section V(A), first paragraph (excluding floating holidays). No one will be required to work more than four (4) holiday shifts in any calendar year, provided the designated employee is able to perform the work in question and/or the Hospital can meet its staffing requirements. In the actual scheduling of the specific holidays to be worked, the Hospital shall determine a system(s) to be used in scheduling the actual holidays.”

17. Modify Section VI(C), first paragraph, for all Hospitals except Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital which is Section VI(A), the fourth paragraph, to now read as follows:

To be allowed sick leave with pay, an employee must notify the employee’s department head of illness or disability at least two (2) hours (three [3] hours for the night shift) prior to the beginning of the employee’s working shift or in the case of an emergency, as soon thereafter as possible and shall submit proof of sickness or disability to the Employer, if requested, for employees who are in the disciplinary process for absenteeism or where the Hospital has a reasonable basis to question the employee’s absence. For purposes of granting or denying the payment of sick leave, requests for proof of sickness or disability will be made in advance of the absence.”

18. Modify Section VI(D) for all Hospitals except Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital which is Section VI(B), in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“Upon completion of the probationary period as provided for in this Agreement, a leave of absence without pay for a period up to twelve (12) weeks in a 12 consecutive month period, as determined by the Hospital (this may include either a calendar year, a rolling forward 12 month period or a rolling back 12 month period), may be granted to an employee for the personal illness or disability (including pregnancy) which causes the employee to be unable to perform his/her normal job duties. Employees returning to work within this twelve (12) week maximum period shall be returned to their same shift, rate of pay, classification and FTE status held prior to going on the leave of absence. However, an employee who remains disabled and unable to work at the end of the twelve (12) week period noted above may request and receive up to one (1) forty (40) week extension so that the total amount of the leave shall not exceed fifty-two (52) weeks. This request for an extension must be in writing to the Hospital and must be received prior to the expiration of the original twelve (12) week leave of absence. Employees desiring to return to work sometime within this forty (40) week extension period set out above will be treated as follows: if the Hospital determines, in its sole discretion, that it is feasible to return the employee to his/her same shift, rate of pay, classification and FTE status, it will do so. If the Hospital determines that it is not feasible, then the employee will be returned to his/her previous classification with no other guarantees. During this up to forty (40) week extension period, if an employee is not able to return to a position with established hours, that employee may bid on open and available positions for which he/she is qualified as provided for in the appropriate section of this Agreement. Any leave authorized by the Family and Medical Leave

Act or applicable state law shall run concurrent with the leave time provided for in this section.”

19. Modify Section VI(E) for North Memorial Medical Center to now read as follows:

“Jury Duty – When an employee receives notice of jury duty, the employee shall notify the employee’s supervisor at once. The employee will be given leave for such jury duty and will be made whole for loss of pay during that period. The employee will report to work whenever the employee’s jury duty does not conflict; provided, however, the employee will not be required to work later than 7:00 p.m. on any day the employee is requested to report for jury duty. Any reasonable rearrangement of work hours including reshifting of other employees for that purpose will be made. In making the employee whole, the employee’s wage will be computed as if the employee had worked on the first shift at straight time and be paid in full, therefore, minus the amount evidenced by the employee’s jury check. In no event shall jury allowance be made in anyone (1) year to an employee for over two (2) weeks of such service. Whenever considered necessary by the Hospital because of the needs of the business at a particular time or the difficulty of substitution for the particular employee, said employee will cooperate with the Hospital in requesting and obtaining a postponement of said jury duty.”

22. Modify Section VIII(F) for all Hospitals to now read as follows:

“TEMPORARY VACANCIES – Notice of temporary vacancies shall be posted by the Hospital. Temporary postings will specify the approximate length of time that the position will be open. Employees in the same classification may apply for the vacancy if it would result in an increase in hours. The position shall be awarded to the senior eligible employee making application. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to a vacancy created by an employee taking a temporary position under the provisions of this Section. An employee shall be returned to the employee’s regularly scheduled position when the temporary job has been completed. When a temporary vacancy becomes a permanent position, the Hospital will re-post that position. Employees who are not benefit eligible based on the employee’s FTE status shall not become benefit eligible by taking a temporary vacancy regardless of the FTE status assigned to the temporary vacancy, and this disqualification shall apply during the first 180 calendar days of any temporary vacancy. If an employee remains in the temporary vacancy beyond the 180 calendar day period described above, that temporary employee may be eligible for benefits assuming the employee meets the FTE requirements for benefit eligibility during the time the employee remains in that temporary vacancy position.

23. Modify Section X(D) for all Hospitals to now read as follows:

“LENGTH OF SERVICE INCREASES – Length of service increases shall be applicable to all regular employees in the classifications as listed in Appendix A, working four (4) hours per day; more than four (4) hours per day; or less than four (4) hours per day.”

25. Modify Article X(J) for all Hospitals to now read as follows:

“PAYROLL ERROR – An Employer payroll error amounting to one hundred dollars ($100) or more in gross pay shall be corrected within two (2) working days (Monday-Friday) from the time the Employer requests a correction.”

29. Change all Roman numerals to Arabic numbers.

The Twin City Multi-employer Group, which include Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics, Minneapolis/St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview-Riverside Campus, Fairview Southdale Hospital, HealthEast Bethesda Hospital, HealthEast St. John’s Hospital and North Memorial Health Care present the following proposed changes to the current collective bargaining agreements;

2. Modify Section I(G) for all Hospitals by adding the appropriate dates to that section to conform to the new contract dates.

3. Modify Section I (I) for all Hospitals except North Memorial Medical Center which is Section I (H), in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“BULLETIN BOARDS and BUSINESS AGENT ACCESS: Bulletin boards in the Hospital shall be made available to the Union for the purpose of posting business notices. The location of those bulletin boards shall be designated by the Hospital. The ‘business notices’ permitted by this section shall be non-controversial, and the Hospital reserves the right to refuse to allow and/or remove any postings that the Hospital determines to be inappropriate, offensive, or unrelated to official Union business. One agent for the Union (regardless of job title) shall have access at all reasonable times to the Union bulletin board and to such other area of the Hospital as designated by the Hospital to discharge duties as the representative of the employees covered by this Agreement. The Union shall be required to identify the name of the union agent assigned to the Hospital and immediately notify the Hospital in writing of any change in the identity of that union agent. The Union shall designate no more than one (1) union agent as the union agent who may have access to the Hospital pursuant to the terms of this section. The union agent must give twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the Hospital prior to coming on the Hospital’s premises, and, while on the Hospital property, the union agent shall be permitted to be only in the area designated by the Hospital. If the Union wishes to have a different or additional union representative visit the Hospital, it shall submit a written request to the Hospital, and the ability of such union representative to visit the Hospital shall be determined by mutual agreement.”

6. Modify the second paragraph of Section II(C) STEP 3 for all Hospitals by changing “nine (9)” to “eleven (11)” arbitrators.

8. Modify the first paragraph of Section IV(A) for all Hospitals except North Memorial

Health Care, in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“(A) WORKWEEK AND OVERTIME – The regular work week for all employees shall be eighty (80) hours in a two (2) week period. Normally, eight (8) hours shall constitute a day’s work to be completed in nine (9) consecutive hours, except as provided for in Section IV(G). If an employee is required to work in excess of eight (8) hours per day or in excess of eighty (80) hours in a consecutive two (2) week period, overtime at the rate of one and one-half (1-1/2) times the employee’s regular rate of pay shall be paid for such overtime hours. Overtime payments shall not be duplicated. An employee who works in excess of twelve (12) consecutive hours shall receive double time the employee’s regular straight-time hourly rate for such excess hours. Paid sick leave, holidays and vacation shall not be considered as hours worked for overtime purposes.”

9. Modify the first paragraph of Section IV(A) for North Memorial Health Care, in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“(A) Workweek and Overtime – Normally the regular work week shall consist of five (5) consecutive eight (8) hour days, with two (2) consecutive days off in each alternate week and with two (2) nonconsecutive days off in the other alternate week. The regular work week for all employees shall be eighty (80) hours in a two (2) week period. Normally, eight (8) hours shall constitute a day’s work to be completed in nine (9) consecutive hours, except as provided for in Section IV(G). If an employee is required to work in excess of eight (8) hours per day or in excess of eighty (80) hours in a consecutive two (2) week period, overtime at the rate of one and one-half (1-1/2) times the employee’s regular rate of pay shall be paid for such overtime hours. Overtime payments shall not be duplicated. An employee who works in excess of twelve (12) consecutive hours shall receive double time the employee’s regular straight-time hourly rate for such excess hours. Paid sick leave, holidays and vacation shall not be considered as hours worked for overtime purposes.”

11. Modify the first two paragraphs of Section IV (G) for all Hospitals, in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING – The Hospital shall determine, from time to time, the number of hours to be worked in a shift which includes, but is not limited to, a shift in excess of or less than eight (8) hours per day. Work schedules established pursuant to the provisions of the section shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1)    The Hospital shall post positions whose work schedules are subject to the terms of this section. Priority and bidding for open and available positions shall be given to employees currently in the classification that is posted and working in the same department where the job is posted to be worked. Except as noted above, the provisions of Section VIII(E) shall apply.

(2)    The Hospital will notify the employee selected for a position covered by this section whether overtime payment shall be based on the eight (8) and eighty (80) system or the forty (40) hour overtime system. If the eight (8) and eighty (80) overtime system is selected by the Hospital, overtime shall be provided for as set forth in Section IV (A). If the forty (40) hour system is selected, overtime shall be paid for hours worked in excess of forty (40) in a seven (7) consecutive work day week selected by the Hospital.”

(3)    No change to current contract language.

(4)    No change to current contract language.

(5)    No change to current contract language.

(6)    No change to current contract language.

15. Add a new Section IV(L) for all Hospitals to read as follows:

“(L) HOURS LIMITATION ON WORK – In the interest of patient safety, except in the case of emergency as determined by the Hospital, an employee may not work, in a rolling seven (7) consecutive day period, more than two (2) double shifts in this period and no consecutive days of double shifts. In addition, except in the case of an emergency as determined by the Hospital, an employee may not work more than one hundred (100) hours in any rolling fourteen (14) consecutive days, and this shall include the employee’s regularly scheduled shift.”

20. Modify Article VII, for all Hospitals, in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

(A) All full-time and part-time employees who have a Hospital assigned full-time equivalent (FTE) status of .5 and above will accrue vacation each pay period (which will be available for use in the next pay period) according to the schedule set forth below:

(B) The maximum number of compensated hours for which vacation will accrue is eighty (80) hours in a two (2) week pay period and 2080 compensated hours per vacation year. No vacation will accrue on hours above eighty (80) per two (2) week pay period or above 2080 per vacation year.

(C) In the column entitled “Maximum Vacation Balance at Any Given Time,” this number represents the maximum amount of accrued vacation that any employee may have on the books at any given time. For example, after five years of service, once an employee has 160 hours on the books, that employee may not accrue any additional vacation time until the employee reduces his or her vacation accrual to below 160 hours. At that point the employee will begin to earn additional accrued vacation until the employee again reaches the 160 hour maximum.

(D) Additional vacation hours accrued as a result of reaching 15 or more years of service shall not be taken between Memorial Day and Labor Day unless agreed upon between the employee and the Hospital.

(E) MAY 1 ANNIVERSARY – Employees hired on or before November 1, 1974, shall have an anniversary date of employment of May 1 for purposes of vacation eligibility.

(F) While employees accrue vacation from their start date, an employee may not use accrued vacation until that employee has been employed by that Hospital for 180 calendar days.

(G) VACATION PERIOD-SENIORITY-PAYMENTS – The vacation year shall be April 1 through March 31. Employees shall submit a request for vacation during the period of January 1 through February 15. All vacation requests made during this period that include a holiday must include two vacation days adjacent to the holiday. The Hospital shall respond by March 15. Vacation shall be awarded by seniority and shall be posted in each department. Employees not submitting a request by February 15 shall submit their request at least two (2) weeks prior to the requested vacation, and it shall be granted in the order requested recognizing seniority if more than one employee makes a request on the same day. The Hospital shall respond within seven (7) calendar days from the time of the request made outside of the window period. Requests outside of the foregoing periods will be considered on an individual basis. All vacation shall be granted subject to staffing needs. Vacation pay shall be paid to employees before leaving for their vacation.

(H) TERMINATION-PAID ACCRUAL – Employees who have completed at least one (1) year of service and who resign after giving the notice required by Article IX or are laid off shall be given pay in lieu of vacation time so accrued and on the books at the time of resignation or layoff.

(I) ILLNESS OCCURRENCE – If an employee becomes ill or disabled during vacation, the employee shall be paid sick pay upon certification by a competent physician and shall receive the unused portion of such vacation during the vacation period specified in paragraph (G) of this Article.

(J) LENGTH OF SERVICE – Vacation benefits shall be based on length of service with the Hospital regardless of any change of classification.

(K) VACATION DONATION – An employee may donate his/her available and unused vacation based on the Hospital’s vacation donation policy as it may exist and be modified from time to time.

(L) Effective March 1, 2012, employees who are not eligible for vacation under the eligibility provisions of paragraph (A) above, but who have met the 800 compensated hours standard, as provided for in Article VII(B) of the 2009-2012 contract, by the end of the employee’s 2012 vacation year, will be credited with prorated vacation for that vacation year using the accrual table set forth in paragraph (A) above. This is a one-time exception to the eligibility requirements of paragraph (A) above and this exception shall end upon each employee reaching the end of his/her 2012 vacation year which shall be defined as the Hospital’s practice then in effect on January 1, 2012.

(M) Employees voluntarily transferring to a new classification/unit may not be granted previously approved vacation time without the resubmission to and approval of the new manager/supervisor of the new classification/unit.”

21. Modify the first and second paragraphs of Section VIII(E) for all the Hospitals, in part for clarification purposes only, to read as follows:

“JOB VACANCIES – Vacancies or new positions shall be awarded to the senior employee applicant where the employee currently possesses the necessary qualifications to perform the work. Qualifications for the job shall be posted by the Hospital and the posting shall include the shift and number of hours for the position. No employee shall be eligible to bid on a job vacancy or a new position until the employee has worked in the employee’s existing job for a minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days. The provisions of the preceding sentence may be waived in writing by the Hospital. An employee who has received a written warning or a suspension within the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the posting of the open and available position shall not be eligible to bid on said position. The provisions of the preceding sentence may be waived in writing by the Hospital. The Hospital shall not be obligated to post jobs involving “lead” for which “Lead Pay” would be available pursuant to Section X(A) and may select the individual it deems most qualified in its discretion. All vacancies shall be bulletined (either paper or electronic posting at the discretion of the Hospital) for a minimum of five (5) calendar days. Each Hospital shall develop a system to ensure that only applicants signing the posting during the five (5) calendar day posting period will be considered.”

24. Modify Section X(G) for all Hospitals, for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“ADVANCE NOTICE-FOUR HOUR WORK GUARANTEE – Employees required to report for a regular shift of work will be guaranteed at least four (4) hours work. Any work over four (4) hours shall be paid for at the regular rate. The foregoing provision shall not apply to any employee who desires to, or prefers to, work less than four (4) hours if the Hospital determines the employee is not needed to stay and work, nor shall the foregoing provision apply to a mandatory in-service or education meeting or any other type of required attendance that does not involve the employee performing his or her regular work duties during a regularly assigned shift of work.”

26. Modify Section XI(A) for all Hospitals, in part for clarification purposes only, to now read as follows:

“HOSPITALIZATION, MEDICAL AND SURGICAL BENEFITS – Eligible employees may elect to be covered under the Hospital’s noncontract hospitalization, medical and surgical program as it may be amended from time to time by the Hospital. The premium to be paid by eligible employees for employee or dependency coverage shall be at the rate established by the Hospital for similarly situated noncontract employees and as those rates may be amended from time to time by the Hospital. The term “eligibility” or “eligible” as used in this section shall be defined in the same way as those terms are defined in the Hospital’s non-contract hospitalization, medical and surgical program and as it may be amended from time to time by the Hospital.”

27. Modify the fifth sentence of Section XII(F) for all Hospitals by deleting that sentence which now reads:

“If no agreement is reached, the Chief Judge of the District Court of the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County) shall submit the names of five qualified neutral arbitrators.”

And replacing that sentence with the following:

“If no agreement is reached on the selection of the neutral arbitrator the arbitrator shall be selected from a list of eleven (11) neutral arbitrators to be submitted to the parties by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service using the panel for the Metropolitan

Minneapolis/St. Paul area in the fashion as a neutral arbitrator is selected using Step 3 of Article II of this Agreement.

28. See attached Exhibits A through E for changes to the Letters of Understanding that are appended to the various collective bargaining agreements.

30. To the extent not covered above, remove all outdated language that no longer has any applicability because the time frame associated with that language has sunset.

31. The Hospitals propose such other changes to the collective bargaining agreements as may be necessary to conform those contracts to the proposals set forth above.

The Hospitals have proposed to no longer recognize current practices in Park Nicollet, North Memorial and HealthEast Hospitals.

• Discontinue practices in EVS department (Methodist)
• Discontinue practices with the bidding rules (North Memorial)
• Discontinue practices with the nursing assistants that work in PACU (North Memorial)
• Discontinue practices of steward meetings (North Memorial)
• Discontinue practice of recognizing seniority, and picking up extra shits, including overtime shifts (HealthEast)
• Discontinue practice of seniority and job class with HUCs and Monitor Techs (Healtheast)

For more information on these practices contact a bargaining team member for more details.

THE HOSPITALS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ADD TO, DELETE FROM, OR OTHERWISE MODIFY THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH ABOVE.

May First is known as International Workers Day and it has an important historical root in U.S. History dating back to the 1886 Haymarket Massacre in Chicago, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour workday, killing several demonstrators and resulting in the deaths of several police officers, largely from friendly fire.

Today, in the U.S., It is recognized as a day which celebrates the 99% of us who are hard working and middle class. We will call for a more fair economy where everyone, including the richest 1%, pay their fair share in taxes. We will call for our elected leaders to focus on creating more jobs, access to affordable and quality health care.

Put on your walking shoes and Join us! The Workers United Will Never Be Divided. We Are Stronger Together!

For more information about the annual Minneapolis festival visit

Click here for a map of the parade route

Click here for a map of the park where the all-day festival happens

If you can, join us tomorrow for the May 1st March for Immigrant and Workers Rights at 3:30pm. The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee has been a driving force in organizing an annual May 1st march and is continuing that tradition this year. This year’s march will focus on the ongoing struggle of immigrant workers in Minnesota as well as the struggle of all workers to defend our rights from hostile politicians. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota is an endorsing organization of this year’s march. Join us in the streets as we stand up with our fellow Minnesotans and celebrate a day for all working people!

• What: May 1st March for Immigrant and Workers Rights
• Where: Lake St & Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis
• When: Tuesday, May 1st at 3:30pm