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Announcement :: Labor |
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Negotiations On Contract For County Nursing Home Workers Stall |
Current rating: 0 |
by AFSCME Council 31 via ML
(No verified email address) |
24 Jul 2003
Modified: 12:46:45 PM |
Ongoing negotiations between AFSCME and the Champaign County Board on a new contract for workers at the county nursing home have reached an impasse, according to Jerry Wright, Council 31 Staff Representative.
According to Wright, "I suggested we contact the federal mediator, that maybe he could bring a new approach to the table that we hadn't thought of. We were informed that the County Board had already voted not to go to mediation. So it looks like we are headed for a classic labor management conflict, and that process begins today."
The nursing home workers, all of whom won at least a Living Wage in a historic vote by the Democrat-controlled County Board in 2002, have made up the majority of lowest paid staff on the county payroll. The biggest issue seems to be the cost and benefits of health care coverage. Other county employees under union contract already have greater coverage at less cost than what the county is offering the nursing home workers.
Another issue is the county's controversial vacation buy-back program, which has seen the bulk of its benefits paid to highly compensated management employees. Wages are still an issue, but the union and the county appear to be closest to an agreement on this point, with the county being legally obligated to provide at least a Living Wage to every employee. |
Press Release
by Jerry L. Wright
Staff Representative, AFSCME Council 31
24 July 2003
Jerry L. Wright, Staff Representative, with AFSCME Council 31 announced today that negotiation between the Champaign County Nursing Home and the Union has hit a brick wall. Wright said, “We have been at the bargaining table since May of 2002. We have met twenty times and we have tried to work with the County Board to reach an agreement. We have reached compromises on lots of issues important to both sides. Now we are down to the tough issues, the issues that involve money and the County claims there is no more money.”
One of the biggest issues at the table is health insurance. Marsha Morris, the Chapter Chairperson for the Union at the Nursing Home said, “In June, the County put an offer on the table that said they would pay 100% of the premium of the employee’s health insurance if the Union would allow them to determine the benefit level. We said this would allow the County to go to a much lower benefit level than the County currently provides without Union input. The County said they wouldn’t gut the benefits but wouldn’t put that in writing or define the benefit level that would be maintained.”
Morris went on to say, “I find it strange that they have the money to pay 100% of the benefit in that situation. Now they tell us they have no more money, they won’t even offer the Nursing Home employees what two of the other AFSCME bargaining units already have with the County.” The Head Start contract and Nurses contract at the Nursing Home both have an agreement that caps the employee’s contribution at $12.50 per pay period.” According to Jerry Wright, the employees at the Sheriff’s Department get 100% of their employee health insurance paid for, and they sure make a lot more money than the employees do at the Nursing Home. Once again it’s the people at the bottom being asked to pay the most.”
Another stumbling block is the vacation buy back issue. Wright said, “From our perspective, because previous County Boards set up a system that allowed the County’s highest compensated administrators to earn comp time and then use that time as vacation time and then cash in their vacation time is not our members fault. Of the nearly $400,000 worth of vacation time cashed in over the past four years the vast majority of it wasn’t from our members, it was paid out to people already making $70,000-$80,000 a year. Now, due to the perceived abuse of administrators, the County Board wants to convince the public that the problem has been fixed because they took the benefit out of the Union contracts.” Marsha Morris said, “When our members cash in vacation time it’s to pay college tuition or real estate taxes or car insurance premiums, not just to fatten their already high income. We are willing to compromise on this issue, but our members need this benefit to make ends meet and maintain their quality of life.”
According to Wright, the final major issue is wages. Wright said, “We really aren’t that far apart on wages, only about 1.5% over the three year agreement. We thought we were working towards an agreement on wages when the County Board said that’s it no more and said take it or leave it. They even threatened impasse where they could implement this final offer. I had to remind them that both sides had to say that they were at their bottom line before they could declare impasse. We [the union] aren’t there yet; we have room to move and are willing to continue bargaining as long as progress can be made.”
Wright said, “I suggested we contact the federal mediator, that maybe he could bring a new approach to the table that we hadn’t thought of. We were informed that the County Board had already voted not to go to mediation. So it looks like we are headed for a classic labor management conflict, and that process begins today.”
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