VICTORY! Columbia Memorial Hospital Ratifies a New Contract!
TOGETHER, WE MADE HISTORY!
We have won a historic contract, which passed with an overwhelming majority of votes by our union members! 75% of our members voted, and 99.7% of the votes said YES! Now at Columbia Memorial, we can enjoy pay, benefits, and protections that honor the vital work we do for our community!
This new 3-year contract addresses short staffing and rising costs of living while also supporting training and well-being for all of our coworkers. We’re proud to say that, with our new contract, the lowest-paid caregivers will now be compensated over $18 per hour, up from $15 per hour. All workers will receive an average pay increase of 18% or more, retroactive to April 1. The details are in the Contract Summary section below!
Other wins include:
Earned leave: employees start accruing earlier at 15 years instead of 20, plus we won an extra 8 hours of paid time off;
Juneteenth as a holiday;
Improved differentials for Dock/Standby/On Call: increased from $4.15 to $5.00 for each hour and from $4.70 to $7.00 on holidays;
Reduction in the hours we must be on-call;
Increased lead differential, from $1.75 to $2.50 per hour; and
Protecting the joint union and employer Education Fund at Columbia Memorial, which provides access to fully paid career advancement and training programs.
CONTRACT SUMMARY
Across-the-Board wage increases—Retro to April 1, 2024:
Support: $4.00 which is a 21% increase in the first year
Pro/Tech: $6.00 which is an 18.6% increase in first year
April 1, 2025: 4%
April 1, 2026: 3.5%
This is an average 33.5% increase over the life of the contract!
Plus, some classifications are getting market adjustments:
| Job Classification | Current Grade | New Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Housekeeper, Laundry Aide, and FSW | 4 | 4.5 |
| Cook | 4.5 | 8 |
| FSW/Diet Aide | 4.5 | 6 |
| Surgery Housekeeper | 4.5 | 5 |
| PT Aide | 4.5 | 9 |
| Diet Aide | 5 | 8 |
| Nuc Med, and CT Tech | 6.5 | 6.75 |
| Advanced Rad Tech 2 | 6.75 | 7 |
| Sterile Processing Tech | 9 | 11 |
| PCT/UCT | 8 | 10a |
| UCT | 10 | 10a |
| Pharmacy Tech | 10a | 11 |
| Reg Respiratory Therapist | 5 | 6 |
| ED Tech | 10 | 10a |
