Ad
Featured
AFT Union rejects UNM Hospital’s request to negotiate
Sandoval Regional Medical Center. (File photo)
Published
Modified
Once again, the United Health Professionals of New Mexico division of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and UNM Hospital have failed to come together to negotiate a contract on behalf of the employees the union seeks to represent who work at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center – A Campus of UNM Hospital (SRMC).
On Aug. 9, UNMH announced 3% general wage increases for all of its employees who work at the campus on Lomas Boulevard, the hospital’s clinics and for many of the employees who work at SRMC.
The wage increase went into effect for all non-union employees as of Aug. 4 after UNM Hospital administration successfully negotiated a 3% increase with the following labor unions:
National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees District 1199NM Licensed & Technical Staff.
- National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees District 1199NM Support Staff Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA).
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) working at SRMC.
However, UNM Hospital said it would not be able to provide a wage increase to 200 UHPNM/AFT employees at SRMC.
UNMH says that UNM Hospital administration provided the UHPNM employees that AFT seeks to represent with the same raise provided to other UNM Hospital employees in January and February. But those employees were left out of this round of raises.
UHPNM held a press conference Aug. 19 outside of SRMC to discuss its decision about the wage increase offered to all UNMH employees except those who are unionized at SRMC.
UHPNM attorney Shane Youtz said the union offered a memorandum of agreement to the hospital that would give the UHPNM workers the same 3% wage increase as the hospital system provided its other employees earlier this month. Youtz said at the press conference UHPNM employees would accept the 3% wage increase now even though UNM SRMC continues to refuse to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.
UNMH said the sticking point in ongoing negotiations with AFT involves the union wanting to include PRN employees into their membership. PRN employees are freelance, temporary employees and are not regular employees of the hospital.
UNMH responded in a proposal sent to AFT on Aug. 21 asking for the following:
Ad
- Resume bargaining for regular employees as AFT had agreed to do in January 2024, including bargaining regarding a wage increase.
- Bargaining regarding PRN employees will be deferred until a NM District Court judge rules whether or not PRN employees should be included in the bargaining unit, as AFT had agreed in January 2024.
- AFT will cease future communications that factually misrepresent the situation.
“What we are asking for is very common sense and what our expectations are of all unions at UNM Hospital. We want this union leadership to meet us at the bargaining table,” UNM Hospital CEO Kate Becker said. “That is the only way collective bargaining agreements are reached. Agreements cannot be reached by one party simply announcing they have agreed to an offer that has not been made.”
UNMH said an attorney representing AFT notified the hospital on Aug. 22 that the union rejected the offer and again demanded to include PRN employees within negotiations.
In November, the New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board ruled that PRNs are “regular employees.”
“UNM SRMC is refusing to give employees the 3% raise now even though we said we agree for them to give it now,” said Stephanie Ly, union deputy senior director of Organization and Field Services. “UNM SRMC is refusing to come to the table for the entire bargaining unit that the public employee labor board certified. The public employee labor board had the legal authority to make the decision. UNM SRMC doesn’t like the ruling so they continue to waste taxpayer money fighting the ruling. It is time for UNM SRMC to give the raise now and come to the table so we can provide better patient health conditions and better working conditions. Enough is enough. The patients, community and workers deserve better.”
This is the second time this year UNM Hospital employees, except AFT-represented employees at SRMC, have seen an increase in their pay. In January and February all hospital employees received wage increases, including the clinical staff AFT seeks to represent. However, after UNM Hospital increased wages for that group, AFT’s leadership filed a complaint with the state’s labor board alleging the hospital committed a prohibited practice by providing a wage increase that was not bargained for and agreed to.
According to UNMH, “using AFT’s own logic, in order for this employee group to see an increase in their pay, the union’s leadership must meet UNM Hospital at the bargaining table. The union cannot simply announce an agreement on wages prior to negotiations being held.”
“These clinical employees at SRMC are so deserving of these wage increases,” UNM SRMC President Jamie Silva-Steele said. “We very much encourage their union representatives to meet us at the bargaining table so that we can work out a contract for the regular employees of the hospital.”
