The Providence Hospital Union Bargaining Committee (L-R Olga Mercado, Michelle Reardon, Miriam Lexie, John McGrath, Ryan Quinn, Traci Ellithorpe)

The union’s bargaining committee met yesterday and today for a total of about 20 hours to come to a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract at Providence Hospital. These marathon sessions were the 11th and 12th times that the union’s bargaining committee met with management.

The agreement is for a four-year contract and includes over 4% in increases to starting wages, and $.40 per year wage increases for current staff.  Retirement plan contributions are rising to 3%.  There will be a signing bonus of $200 for employees whose regular hours are above 30 and $100 for employees whose regular hours are below 30.  Shift differentials will be raised 5% to the following levels effective March 1, 2017:

• Evening: $2.31/hour.
• Night: $3.20/hour.
• Weekend: $2.31/hour.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP) Clinicians will be eligible to have productivity debt from their first six months eliminated, and can earn productivity up to 1.5 hours for patient intake, and will earn productivity for groups at the following levels:

• 2 – 3 persons in group – 1.5 hours of productivity
• 4 – 6 persons in group – 2.0 hours of productivity
• 7 – 9 persons in group – 2.5 hours of productivity
• 10 – 12 persons in group – 3.5 hours of productivity
• 13 – 14 persons in group – 4.0 hours of productivity

We will be sending out information about the upcoming contract ratification vote shortly, along with a more detailed summary of the contract changes.