Contract Talks Hit Critical Stage
Management Agrees to Meet With Our Joint Team
Management Agrees to Meet With Our Joint Team
It’s heating up at the bargaining table! We are set to go back to the bargaining table next week as a joint bargaining team, with both the University campus negotiating team and the Memorial, Hahnemann campus negotiating team together at the same table with management, which was a major objective for us throughout these negotiations. Key issues to be focused on are our pension, health insurance, time off benefits, wages and staffing, as well as others.
UMass management has agreed to meet with our joint team for a schedule of four bargaining sessions planned between Jan 22and Jan 31. This is an ambitious schedule of four sessions in nine days. We hope that we are able to reach agreement on a new contract by January 31.
In an effort to best utilize our time on such a compressed schedule, we have agreed that neither party will go to the press or issue a press release during this time frame. We have also agreed that these four sessions will be closed to observers, with attendance limited to the MNA and the UMMMC management committees. This does not affect our ability to communicate with our members. We will issue an update bulletin after each of the four sessions which will be sent out to our member email list and will post the bulletin on the MNA website. In addition we have scheduled weekly open meetings to be held at Coral Seafood on Shrewsbury St. (see details below).
Open Membership Meetings to Learn More
Dates: Wednesday. Jan 23, Jan. 30 and Feb. 6
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Coral Seafood Restaurant
225 Shrewsbury St., Worcester
Your committee will continue to be reaching out to speak with each and every member to hear your input regarding priorities for a new contract and frankly how far you are willing to commit to action to achieve those priorities.
A Note of Caution Regarding Management’s Pension Meetings
As you all know, management has planned a series of open information forums on both campuses. They have informed us that they will be providing information about their pension proposal and answer questions. Attendance at the forums is completely voluntary; you do not have to attend. If you are being pressured by your manager or anyone in management please contact someone on the committee to help you.
Regarding the information that you receive at these forums — a few facts to remember. Always remember that the proposed new pension, by management’s own admission, provides less of a benefit. The pension you have right now is betterperiod. Also, take note that the projected future benefit that they present is based on assumptions. Assumptions about the percent of annual raise you may receive, how the stock market may perform, and assuming that you will maximize your 401k contributions each and every year. We caution nurses about putting your trust and confidence in those numbers. Keep your eyes wide open, seek an opinion from your own retirement savings planner, and remember as you assess the importance of maintaining the current pension benefit, the pension you have is better.
And remember, nurses united can never be defeated!
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