CLEVELAND — Just one day before Cleveland Clinic caregivers at Lutheran Hospital were set to go on strike, a new three-year contract has been agreed upon according to a press release from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Additional details of the agreement have not been released at this time, however the SEIU released a statement in the announcement of the contract. That statement can be seen below.
"Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital and SEIU 1199 WV/KY/OH are pleased to report they have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract for union members at the hospital. After months of negotiations, the parties were able to reach this agreement Saturday afternoon. Voting began on Saturday night and concluded today with overwhelming support from union members.
The union and the hospital are proud that the new agreement provides fair benefits and greatly improved wages for union members, while allowing the hospital to continue to provide excellent care to the patient community. The parties look forward to working together and are happy to move into Labor Day with a ratified agreement."
"Its been a long process but I'm happy about it, we got everything that we needed for our members, everything that our members asked for we got it," said Jeremi Brown, Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital floor tech.
According to union leaders the new contract includes paid maternity and parental leave, retirement with the hospital matching contributions, paid short-term disability at no cost to employees, employee benefits available on the first day of employment and significant wage increases.
"In the first year the average increase is 15.6%, second year 4%, and third year 3% so its significant and that was accomplished through a lot of back and forth, a cycle of resistance, but nonetheless it was accomplished and now we just want to work through these issues and move forward," said SEIU 1199 director Vanessa Dalesandro.
Dalesandro and Brown said part of moving forward is to work on healing strained relationships between union workers and the hospital.
"We give a lot, and I really enjoy my job, I like my job, but it took my joy away but now I've been able to get it back and that's going to be a process within itself," Brown said. "It's not just here at Lutheran Hospital, when people can stand up and rise up you can get things done and it's all about the collective."
Prior to the agreement, the push for a new contract from Lutheran Hospital caregivers was set into motion because of the workers claims that the hospital "has refused to bargain in good faith with the union" and also say the National Labor Relations Board is investigating more than 20 allegations against Clinic management that include "refusal to furnish information, illegal union busting activities, retaliation, [and] discrimination."