Strike Averted as Hospital Workers Ratify Strong New Pact (7/7/09)

An eleventh hour negotiating session allowed the bargaining committee for Local 550 members at Fairmont General Hospital to successfully negotiate an acceptable pact for the 185 workers there. The new contract was ratified on July 3.

“It came down to the wire, we were literally one hour away from going on strike,” said RWDSU representative Mike Flanery, who helped negotiate the contract. “But the workers stood strong and stood united, and with their support we were able to get the company to agree to a strong contract.”

The workers at Fairmont General Hospital, in Fairmont, West Virginia, overwhelmingly rejected the hospital’s “final offer,” voting it down shortly before the previous contract was about to expire. Members objected to a paltry raise offer of 15 cents per hour the first year.

Hectic bargaining sessions followed, and on June 30, a tentative agreement was made with management right as the previous contract was set to expire.

The new contract contains healthy raises of 40 cents the first year, 20 cents the second, and 25 cents the third. The new contract also contains the largest shift premium that workers at Fairmont have ever gotten in a new contract. Employees working the second and third shifts will earn an additional 30 cents per hour.

In addition, the health care plan remains virtually unchanged. There are small increases in some costs, but that is negated by a $600 decrease in premium contributions paid by Local 550 members for family coverage during 2010.

The pension plan also gains the biggest increase members at Fairmont have ever gotten in a new contract. There will be a $1 increase per year in the weekly hospital contributions to the pension plan.

“It was tough going, but we got a very good contract in the end,” Flanery said.

RWDSU members at Fairmont General Hospital work as nursing, medicine and medical assistants, lab secretaries, and perform dietary engineering, housekeeping, medical record, and janitorial services.