When facing a deeply entrenched and resource-rich employer, collective action and community support are vital to solving structural problems and securing fair contracts. They are even more critical when worksite managers deploy illegal practices and unfair tactics in an attempt to sow division and foment apathy. That is the lesson from an AFT Connecticut-affiliated healthcare union’s recent contract victory, featured in our latest report on collective bargaining wins.
Members of the bargaining team for our Backus Federation of Nurses began negotiating with their employer last summer to secure a successor contract and resolve a worsening patient care crisis. Representatives of Hartford HealthCare (HHC), the health network that owns and operates their acute care facility, responded with foot-dragging and unfair labor practices.
Worse, hospital administrators began willfully and repeatedly violating the state’s safe patients law, prompting local leaders to take legal action.
The bargaining team, guided by AFT Connecticut Field Representative Caid Murray (middle, in photo, above), developed an escalation plan to more deeply engage members and mobilize community support. Tactics included organizing a public demonstration and launching a solidarity petition.
“We knew our efforts succeeded when HHC continued to negotiate despite threatening not to,” said local union President Heather Brauth, RN (third from right, above). “That is what collective action does. It forces a hand to feed open mouths even when they’re claiming there’s no food,” she added.
When the network’s representatives came back to the table following the May 15 informational picket, they proposed a “last, best and final offer” (LBO) on the outstanding issues. Bargaining team members pushed back; HHC’s lawyers relented and agreed to another meeting.
“We organized ‘transparency sessions’ as we were heading back to the table to revisit HHC’s LBO,” said union Vice President Danielle Berriault, RN (third from left, above). “Our officers spent 12 hours a day for an entire week at our local union office discussing the details that made this contract ‘revamp’ imperative. This ensured our members had a solid grasp of what the fine print of the Hospital’s offer entailed – and what was at stake,” she added.
At that final session, the bargaining team moved HHC’s representatives to reach a tentative agreement that included historic pay raises and increases to differentials. They also achieved an extension on a ratification bonus, a reduction in employee medical insurance cost shares and boosted the employers’ health savings/flex spending account contributions.
“Our members took ownership and showed up in record numbers to cast their ballots in favor of the new agreement,” said union Secretary Melissa Moreau (right, above). “This is only the beginning, and we now have a new floor to work from – not a ceiling. This contract is a great example of why all of us – from our newest members to senior nurses like myself – need to be a strong union,” she added.
Members ratified the tentative agreement, which is retroactive to July 1 of last year, on June 1. In addition to the economic gains, the new contract also updates parental leave, improves both scheduling and on-call procedures plus includes language empowering nurses to better advocate for their patients. The team also codified legal mandatory overtime protections under the safe patient limits law and secured a new article on workplace violence prevention protocols.
Since our previous report last October, seven additional collective bargaining wins have been announced:
- Middletown Federation of Paraprofessionals
- VNASC Federation of RNs & HHAs
- Meriden Federation of Paraprofessionals
- Ansonia Federation of Paraprofessionals
- University Health Professionals
- Natchaug Hospital Unions United – Therapists Chapter
At press time, an additional settled local union contract not yet publicized was tentatively planned for inclusion in the next quarterly update.
