Mayo hospital workers ratify contract

Members of Hotel, Hospital, Restaurant and Tavern Employees Union Local 21

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voted overwhelmingly to ratify a contract with Albert Lea Medical Center/Mayo Health System on April 30 that provides major changes in wages and health care.

Local 21 and ALMC reached the agreement after an all-day negotiating session April 25. ‘This contract benefits our members, the hospital and the whole community of Albert Lea,’ said Dave Blanchard, business manager for Local 21.

The previous contract between Local 21 and ALMC expired on November 31, 2000, and negotiating began in September of 2000. In January 2001, after failing to reach an agreement, the ALMC workers voted to authorize Local 21 to call a strike if necessary. The union then began a comprehensive campaign to gain the support of the community.

A contract committee met with area politicians, community leaders and labor leaders to educate the community about their issues. ‘We felt that when the people of Albert Lea knew what our struggle was about we would gain their support,’ said Russell Hess, organizer for Local 21.

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Key issues
The four-year contract covers nursing assistants, escorts and the dietary, materials management, laundry, utility and housekeeping departments. One of the union’s campaign themes was ‘Equal Wages and Affordable Healthcare For All.’

‘This contract guarantees our members affordable health insurance and includes substantial increases in wages,’ said Blanchard. The contract provides for wage increases of 18%-24% over the life of the contract.

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Many of the workers also believe they issued a wake up call to the Mayo Health System. A second theme of the campaign was ‘Don’t Treat Us As Second Class Citizens.’

‘Hopefully the Mayo Health System will realize that when they treat workers in smaller facilities differently, they will eventually stand up and demand what is right,’ said Cathy Bronson, a dietary worker at ALMC.

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