Negotiations with the Teamsters resumed this week with bargaining sessions on Monday and Tuesday. Since negotiations began last June, we have consistently encouraged the Teamsters to engage in open and realistic dialogue during bargaining to help us understand what nurses prioritize in a first contract. This week, we were finally able to begin the meaningful discussions necessary to reach an agreement.
Our discussions with the Teamsters this week focused on staffing, wages and wage structure and benefits. Based on recent feedback during bargaining from nurses that a defined step-based wage system was a significant priority, we developed and presented a wage proposal that introduced a grid with step-based increases. The grid would replace the general pay increase (GPI) that has been the standard for annual increases and market-based salary adjustments.
There is still a lot of work to do before we reach an agreement but we are encouraged by the quality of the bargaining sessions this week and having the discussions that are necessary to reach an agreement. We added a third bargaining date in May and will be negotiating May 11-13. For more information on the status of bargaining dates offered by both sides, click here.