1199SEIU members at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) voted on May 8 to ratify a tentative agreement with management at the hospital. The contract is for the period of one year (expiring April 30, 2014) and includes a bonus and 1% wage increase upon ratification and a second 1% wage increase on December 1, 2013.“This is my third time being on the bargaining committee, and this was by far the toughest,” explained Sheila Saunders, a unit secretary at GBMC. “But the members stood together and we stayed united. And it paid off. It really shows there’s power in numbers. We got a great settlement!” The contract protects union members’ health insurance coverage, holding costs down and slightly decreasing costs for the most popular coverage. The contract covers more than 350 healthcare professionals in dietary, environmental services, nursing, central sterile, materials, and transportation.Union members also won GBMC’s continued participation in the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, which had been among the numerous management take-backs that were originally on table but were beaten back by workers at the bargaining table. The new contract also improves job security and sick leave language, and increases shift differential pay.- See more at: http://www.1199seiu.org/caregivers_reach_settlement_with_greater_baltimore_medical_center_in_baltimore_md#sthash.4eePYdGw.dpuf