A unique partnership between management and labor was reborn recently at the University of Miami. The Labor Management Committee was originally created when University of Miami employees (formerly Cedars Medical Center) ratified their first contract in 2006. However, it was not working and both parties mutually agreed something needed to change.



That’s when UMH management and union members decided to take a trip together to New York. The purpose was not to sightsee but to visit the 1199SEIU headquarters and learn more about our local’s highly successful Labor-Management Program.



In 2011, the Partnership was reorganized and recharged with the goal of solving issues and improving patient care delivery through joint projects. The first project the Partnership embarked on was the “Emergency Room Gain Sharing Project” to reduce the wait time for patients to be seen in the ER.



“We knew the administration was planning two new units at the hospital, and we sat down with them to let them know what we needed and how we could deliver the highest quality of patient care,” said Ezequiel Madera, an emergency technician who has worked at UMH for 15 years. “They incorporated our ideas, and I think it’s been fantastic.”



The plan was designed to allow all parties involved – workers, management, doctors and patients - to have a more direct stake in the success of the ER department. If the project were a success and wait times were reduced by 25% each quarter, every member of the ER department in good standing would be rewarded with a quarterly payment of $300.



So far, the first and second quarters were a success!



“The wait time for patients is getting better. Now, patients don’t have to continually sit in the waiting area for hours,” said Madera. “If you hurt your ankle, instead of waiting six hours to get to the ER, we have these new units that can see you without you having to wait so long. We register you, take you inside to see a nurse, and then send you to the appropriate department. It’s quicker and the patients are happier.”



As a result of the success of the Labor Management Committee partnership, both parties have agreed to do something unique in South Florida and implement Departmental Labor Management Committees.



While these departmental committees will still operate under the guidance of the main Labor Management Committee, the new sub-committees will allow staff to more quickly address departmental opportunities that arise on a daily basis, and to give each person a voice in how these opportunities are resolved.



In a letter to all staff from the Labor Management Committee on behalf of the leadership team of UMH and 1199SEIU, the committee highlighted the success of the partnership and high expectations for the new project, saying “As we have seen with the success of the ER Gain Sharing Project, patient care at UMH greatly benefits from our partnership, and we look forward to replicating those results with our new departmental committees. We welcome new ideas and opinions, and we look forward to working together on this project.”