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For healthcare groups, many employ those who are a part of a union. The union functions as a spokesperson for the employees as a whole, especially in instances of employment disputes. Recently, a group of hospitals in New York, including some of the largest private hospitals, has agreed to a three year employment contract for many of their workers. The union, 1199SEIU, is the largest New York health care union.
The contract, effective October 1st, impacts over 90,000 employees. The original negotiations for salary increases was nearly derailed when a dispute concerning employer pension contributions, upset the union. The agreement will give workers 3% raises annually for the next three years. These employees are employed at over 90 different healthcare facilities across New York.
Employee-employer negotiations can be a tricky subject, in the healthcare industry or otherwise. When a union gets involved, they can throw some serious power around, not like in traditional employee-employer negotiations concerning salary or otherwise. Luckily, the union and employers were able to come to an agreement that satisfied both parties. If this does not happen, strikes can cause businesses to come to a screeching halt without employees to keep them running.
Avoiding a deadlock situation during employee-employer representation negotiations can’t always be avoided. However, in many instances they can with the right negotiation strategy. Whatever side one is on during an employee-employer dispute, each party needs to decide what priorities are most important to them. This can help focus the discussions on what each party wants and thus eliminates any of the less-important issues that can sometimes slow down discussions.
