More than 1,800 union service workers at Strong Memorial Hospital and the University of Rochester campus have ratified a new 2-year agreement.
According to officials with 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East and SEIU Local 200 it was a near unanimous vote last Friday on a contract that the unions said includes significant improvements to staffing, wages and benefits.
The union statement said that wage increases will bring workers above the $15 minimum wage before it is implemented in New York state.
Under the new contract, service workers will get wage hikes ranging from 4% to 21% in the first year, and 2% in year-two. The agreement also implements a starting wage of $15/hr for all newly hired staff.
“In the nursing department and in other areas of the hospital – transportation, food and nutrition, and materials processing department we were all overworked and understaffed every day,” said Arleata Robin White, who has worked as a Patient Care Technician at Strong Memorial Hospital for 23 years. “We were just not feeling appreciated, especially when our workload doubled.” White said that the workers were prepared to picket to win a fair contract.
Also, on Sunday, the University of Rochester announced that it has moved up by more than a year the implementation date of the previously announced commitment to raise the minimum wage. UR will raise that wage for all university staff to $15/hr effective November 21.
University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf said that, “These hardworking employees are the backbone of our University’s operations and make so many important contributions to our education, research, and patient care missions, as has been especially evident throughout the pandemic. They are among the individuals who most deserve a lift right now, not a year from now.”
Officials said the minimum wage increase will affect roughly 1,000 full and part-time university staff.
