UVM Medical Center has reached its first contract agreement with the union representing the more-than-2,000 members of the support staff at Vermont's largest hospital.
Union membership still needs to ratify the contract before it's finalized. It was reached after an overnight bargaining session that ended early Thursday morning.
Patient service specialist and union member Trecia Pallman-Hamilton says safety was a major concern for support staff.
She says recent violence against hospital workers — especially those in the emergency department — led to an important contract provision.
"If we feel like we are in a situation that is going to be violent for us, or we don't feel comfortable, that we can bring that to the attention of management, and have the right to be able to back off from that situation," Pallman-Hamilton said. "So we are making great strides in that area."
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Workers will also see immediate wage increases averaging 22%, according to UVM Medical Center. Prior to the contract, the lowest-wage workers were making less than $16 an hour according to Pallman-Hamilton.
"And now those positions start at $20 an hour and go up from there," she said.
She says the contract secures more floating holiday time for religious minorities, too, and better protective gear for staffers in the emergency department.
In a statement UVM Medical Center said it's proud of the contract, and expects it to help the hospital recruit and retain employees.
"As the region’s Level 1 Trauma Center and academic medical center, every one of our employees is central to delivering exceptional patient care," the hospital said. "We committed to bargaining in good faith to reach an agreement as quickly as possible, and are pleased that we were able to reach agreement."
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