Published: October 12, 2017

Dakavia workers VOTE on our new contract this week!!
Fernhill Voted on Wednesday, 10/11/17 during Afternoon and NOC shift changes. 
Pacific Vote is Thursday, 10/12/17 during Afternoon and NOC shift changes.

We are proud of the gains we made in this contract. It was only possible because we stood united and took action together to win a strong contract.

Key Highlights and Improvements:

Wages

  • October 1 date for raises for everyone, instead of October and Anniversary date. This is more in line with other ownerships and is less confusing. This will apply even if you received your step increases recently!
  • Everyone will receive the FULL raise of $.80 cents whether you are in between steps or above the wage scale. We sent a clear, united message that we wanted everyone to move forward together in this contract. We will each receive our $.80 cent per hour increase retroactive to October 1st.
  • Agreement that the wage scale will be in compliance with new minimum wage and future 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. This is an important win for Dietary, Housekeeping and Laundry Workers.

Health Insurance

  • Management agreed to maintain the current 75% management portion to 25% worker portion for the four years of the contract. We appreciate that Dakavia agreed to keep the 75/25 split without taking away from our raise.
  • We will also be exploring a Health Care Trust that will hopefully mean better health insurance that costs less.

No Mandation of Shifts

  • We stood united against management’s proposal that would have allowed them to mandate/require us to stay up to four hours after our scheduled shift has been completed. This policy would have been bad for those of us with children, family commitments or a second job to get to.

Shift Bonuses:

  • Before, it was a flat $25 bonus. Now we have a phased-in bonus over the course of the next 4 years.

$30.00 from October 1, 2017 to October 1, 2018
$35.00 from October 1, 2018 to October 1, 2019
$40.00 from October 1, 2019 to October 1, 2020
$45.00 from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021

  • Any earned extra shift bonuses will be honored, unless the employee misses any of their next three (3) scheduled shifts.
  • Extra shift bonuses will be paid out within the pay period it was worked.
  • Any ineligibility for a shift bonus can be waived for mitigating circumstances such as sickness with doctor’s note, low census, FMLA, home and health circumstances, and anything that is protected by law.

Other Improvements:

  • Seniority: We agreed on new language for workers to apply and carry their seniority between Dakavia facilities. Additionally, if Bargaining Unit workers lose more than two shifts related to low census or other reasons, they will now get information ahead of time and more options in anticipating their future hours and making plans for their lives.
  • Bereavement Leave: We agreed on broader language on who is covered in the immediate family for Bereavement Leave which would not only include domestic partners but also same-gender couples.
  • Labor Management Committee: We agreed on allowing up to four members of the Bargaining Unit to be part of the Labor Management Committee so as to include more voices in the problem solving process, and to represent the whole facility and more departments and shifts.
  • Increased days of training for new workers and giving existing workers access to paid trainings around dementia and Alzheimer’s.
  • Getting subcontractors (like HCSG) to be trained on the aspects of the contract they are required to enforce, and having them be a part of LMCs.
  • Establishing rights and protections for immigrant workers—some of the strongest language in the nation.

We are counting on you, our coworkers to stay UNITED!

In Solidarity,
Your SEIU 503 Dakavia Bargaining Team