Melrose-Wakefield Hospital Workers Reach Settlement
Deal between staff and management on salaries, benefits, staffing levels
WAKEFIELD, MA – Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East reached a settlement with the management of Melrose-Wakefield Hospital (MWH). The deal resulted victories ranging from salaries to benefits relating to sick days and holiday pay.
Members of 1199SEIU held an informational picket at MWH in April, as a response to stagnant contract negotiations with Hallmark Health System. Workers’ contracts had been expired since October 31, 2013, and the two sides had significant differences. During negotiations, hospital executives proposed a “two-track” wage and benefit system, an attempt to extract concessions, specifically from low-paid workers that are newer to the hospital. In response, workers contended that MWH and Hallmark Health are financially sound enough for their success to be reflected in employee contracts.
About 300 MWH employees are represented by 1199SEIU, including surgical staff, patient care technicians, imaging staff, lab staff, counselors and more. Seth Carleton, a 15-year CP Tech in Radiology at Melrose Wakefield Hospital and a part of the bargaining team said, "I think the process and negotiations were done fairly."
“Today’s agreement reflects the reality that Hallmark Health System has the resources to treat its workers fairly,” said Veronica Turner, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “With the potential for Melrose-Wakefield to be governed by Partners Healthcare, an even more financially secure firm, in the near future, it was important that the staff who have played such a critical role in Hallmark’s success be allowed to share in that success.”
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Representing nearly 50,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and nearly 400,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
Deal between staff and management on salaries, benefits, staffing levels
WAKEFIELD, MA – Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East reached a settlement with the management of Melrose-Wakefield Hospital (MWH). The deal resulted victories ranging from salaries to benefits relating to sick days and holiday pay.
Members of 1199SEIU held an informational picket at MWH in April, as a response to stagnant contract negotiations with Hallmark Health System. Workers’ contracts had been expired since October 31, 2013, and the two sides had significant differences. During negotiations, hospital executives proposed a “two-track” wage and benefit system, an attempt to extract concessions, specifically from low-paid workers that are newer to the hospital. In response, workers contended that MWH and Hallmark Health are financially sound enough for their success to be reflected in employee contracts.
About 300 MWH employees are represented by 1199SEIU, including surgical staff, patient care technicians, imaging staff, lab staff, counselors and more. Seth Carleton, a 15-year CP Tech in Radiology at Melrose Wakefield Hospital and a part of the bargaining team said, "I think the process and negotiations were done fairly."
“Today’s agreement reflects the reality that Hallmark Health System has the resources to treat its workers fairly,” said Veronica Turner, Executive Vice President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “With the potential for Melrose-Wakefield to be governed by Partners Healthcare, an even more financially secure firm, in the near future, it was important that the staff who have played such a critical role in Hallmark’s success be allowed to share in that success.”
# # #
Representing nearly 50,000 healthcare workers throughout Massachusetts and nearly 400,000 workers across the East Coast, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. Our mission is to achieve affordable, high quality healthcare for all. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union.
