Union Contract

New Union at UMass

The United Commercial and Food Workers union (union) has recently been recognized by the UMass Memorial Hospital (Hospital).  It is in negotiations with the Hospital regarding its first contract. The main sticking point is the “no layoff” provision of the new contact. The Hospital does not want to guarantee jobs through the next contract. The union wants to keep its members employed. There was a proposal before the union came to close several departments at the Hospital and the lesson of layoffs has not been lost.

The last contract offer was rejected by the union in an overwhelming vote. Some of the workers on the picket line said that the Hospital bosses compelled some workers to go and vote as the bosses were under the impression that those workers would vote for the contract. There was a large turnout of workers, between four hundred or five hundred who came to vote with forty eight hour notice.

The union conceded pay raises in exchange for the no layoff guarantee, but the Hospital has not budged on this key issue. In response the union has approached Congressman Jim McGovern to act as mediator of sorts. This might have worked as the Hospital says it wants a settlement. 

To put the pressure on the Hospital the union held an informational picket at the Memorial Campus and the North Lake Ave. Campus. About fifty picketers showed up at the Memorial Campus. They carried signs and waived and cheered as passing cars sounded their horns in support of the workers. At times several of the union organizers would lead pro union chants as a way of increasing the enthusiasm of the people on the picket line.

Most of the signs carried by the picketers were about job security. Although good I thought that some signs would have dealt with patient care and racial disparities in medical care. About fifteen percent of the pickets were Blacks and Latinos. About half of the picketers were women and the other half men. There several kids, sons and daughters of the union members.

As is usually is the case corporations seek the protection of the state (police) when workers assemble.

The unionization of the workers by UCFW at UMass Hospital and the technicians at St. Vincent Hospital bodes well for the union movement in Worcester.