Earlier this week, our bargaining team reached a tentative agreement on our contract! Here are some of the highlights:

• .81 cent per hour raise for all members, effective immediately and retroactive to October 1st.
• Ability to cash out up to 80 hours of PTO each year on your anniversary date, up from 40 hours.
• Our Central Table team reached an agreement to explore a healthcare trust that could result in long-term improvements to our healthcare. In the meantime we were able to minimize how much our healthcare premiums will rise by getting Prestige to maintain the percentage they pay for healthcare. This means those of us on an Employee Only plan will see our monthly premiums only rise by $5/month for the 2018 plan year.
• Increased flexibility around bonus shifts: now management can offer bonus shifts any time, not just within 7 days.
• Agreement that our wage scale will be in compliance with Minimum Wage; Every July of the contract when the minimum wage increases, any classifications that fall below the new minimum wage will be adjusted upwards so that Step 0 of the wage scale equals the regional minimum wage plus an additional 2%. All other steps of that classification will also be increased to maintain the .35 cents between steps. This is an important win for Dietary, Housekeeping and Laundry Workers.
• Management will take things like resident acuity, gender restrictions, and employee training into account when doing hall & section assignments.
• Transparency around light duty. Management will be meeting at least monthly to discuss light duty and will report relevant results to the LMCs.
• Worker will receive three hours of report pay instead of two when they show up to work and are not needed.
• A revised Attendance and Punctuality policy that is clearer and easier to understand.
• Management has to respond to PTO requests in writing within 14 business days.
• Prestige is the first SNF employer to agree to a statewide Labor Management Committee which will meet on a regular basis so that members can move complaints up the chain of command when needed.
• Workers cannot be asked to find their own coverage for time off.
• Agreement to work toward equitable workload distribution in facilities that have locked units.
• Non-Discrimination: We won some of the strongest language in the country around establishing rights and protections for immigrant workers!

Ratification votes are being planned for end of October or beginning of November. Ask your union organizer or bargaining team member for more information.

We will receive our raises retroactive to October 1st after all facilities have voted to ratify the contract. Stay tuned for more details soon.

In unity,

Your SEIU 503 Prestige Bargaining Team