UnityPoint Health – Meriter support and staff ratified a new contract on Monday night after having achieved a tentative agreement between their union and management on May 13, according to SEIU Communications Specialist Elena Price. The ratification began at 6 a.m. and ended at 8 p.m.
Agreement highlights include average wage increases of 4.9% in 2024 and 4.65% in 2025, along with a ratification bonus of $800 over the next two years. Shift premiums for night and weekend shifts will also be increased.
Another function of the new contract is to update language in the contract regarding reports Meriter management sends to its union, which Meriter has not always done adequately in the past, according to Meriter Cook and SEIU Wisconsin Healthcare Vice President Brenda Frary. Other updated contract language will enhance safety measures and maintain critical shift incentives.
The contract will also establish a two-hour call-in notice for all employees and automatically apply any future holidays Meriter establishes to the bargaining unit — the group of employees the union represents.
Frary said she was happy with the number of people who showed up to vote on the agreement. A virtual option made things more accessible. During the vote, Frary was out of town at SEIU’s 2024 International Convention in Philadelphia which was occurring simultaneously.
Change has been in motion for weeks. On May 9, the union held an informational picket to show management they were serious about going on strike if they didn’t receive an improved contract with a focus on raising wages and employee retention, Frary said.
Meriter released a statement after the picket promising a fair contract with SEIU.
“Meriter has been a proud part of our Madison community for over 125 years. We are committed to supporting our team members, and we are hopeful we will reach an agreement in the coming weeks, as we have for decades,” the statement read.
In the statement, Meriter stressed the importance of fair compensation, benefits and reducing turnover for its employees.
Now that the agreement has been reached, Frary encourages the community to support Meriter’s employees. Frary has been with Meriter for 44 years and believes the county hospital holds great importance in the area, as it has more babies than any other hospital in the Midwest, she said.
“We have an excellent nursing staff, that supports us and the community can help by letting administrators know that Meriter is not only a good place to come for patient care, but that they need to support the workers with good wages, benefits and working conditions,” Frary said.
