Better Pay and Benefits
It takes competitive salaries to attract and retain the best talent and make a hospital a successful provider of quality patient care. By working together through a union, hospital employees can negotiate a pay scale that consistently and adequately rewards skill and expertise as well as experience and length of service. Here’s how.
1. Above-market salaries. Unionized hospital employees consistently negotiate above-market pay scales. In fact, according to the Bureau of National Affairs, hospital employees who are union members earn between 15 and 45 percent more than those who aren’t. Examples
2. Raises you can count on. One of the advantages to a union contract is that raises are guaranteed in writing. Union-negotiated raises are not tied to arbitrary and subjective evaluations. Many union contracts call for both annual cost-of-living raises and merit pay increases, and guarantee that even employees who are at the top of the scale receive a raise every year. Examples
3. A pay scale that rewards experience and longevity. Union-negotiated pay scales eliminate arbitrary disparities and inequities; everyone is covered by the same set of pay steps and criteria for advancement. Most union contracts call for step increases and/or longevity bonuses in addition to regular annual raises to ensure that staff is fairly compensated for experience and length of service. Examples
4. More compensation for around-the-clock care. On their own, hospital administrators rarely increase the differentials or premiums paid for evening or weekend work or pay for stand-by status. With a union, hospital employees negotiate improvements in shift differentials, on-call pay, and other compensation for “around the clock” care. Examples
5. Greater opportunities for advancement. By working together in a union, hospital employees are negotiating training and upgrading programs and improving their opportunities for advancement. Examples
When hospital employees form unions, they have a say in the kind of benefits they receive on the job. Union-negotiated benefits are generally better—and they’re guaranteed in writing. They can’t be cut or changed without the approval of union members. And that’s never been more important than now, at a time when many hospitals are trying to cut costs by reducing health insurance, retirement, and paid leave benefits.
1. Affordable Health Insurance. All health care employees should have access to affordable, quality health care themselves. Around the country, unionized hospital employees are negotiating not only what their health insurance covers, but how much it will cost. Many SEIU members pay nothing for their full family health coverage, and have negotiated benefits for part-timers and retirees as well. Examples
2. Liveable Pensions. Many hospitals are cutting back on the retirement benefits they offer employees. Without a union, employees have little say in what happens to their pensions. But hospital employees who are members of unions are bargaining to protect and improve their pensions so that—after a lifetime of caring—they can retire with an income they can afford to live on. Examples
3. More Paid Time Off. In today’s busy, fast-paced world, hospital employees need to be sure they can take time off when they need it. Union contracts provide for adequate vacation, sick leave, and personal days, and make sure employees can take the leave they need. Examples
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