WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Health care workers in Maui County have secured a contract with Maui Health, averting another strike.
United Nurses and Health Care Employees of Hawaii (UNHCEH) leaders announced shortly after 4 p.m. Monday that approximately 93% of its members voted to ratify their contract with Maui Health, an affiliate of Kaiser Permanente.
The union is made up of approximately 950 health care workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital.
The new four-year contract includes raises totaling between 27% and nearly 50% over four years for the lowest-paid workers.
All union members’ wages will increase at a minimum of 21% up to nearly 98% over the life of the contract.
“It’ll help a lot of people with rent, with their children,” said China Kapuras, Maui Memorial Medical Center case manager. “Before it was like everybody was scaling, trying to save for what they can. Now it helps so much.“
Negotiations began in July. For three days in November, the union went on strike for the first time ever.
A second strike was looming, but after 26 bargaining sessions, the parties reached a tentative agreement on Dec. 20.
Members started voting on Thursday and the votes were tabulated on Monday.
”Our end-base salary is now the highest on the island due to this. A lot of our other positions are the highest on the island, and we’re getting competitive with Oahu. Still, the cost of living here is extremely expensive, but I think this is the right step to get things going where they need to be,” said Matt Pelc UNHCEH co-chair and CT tech.
The union also secured enforceable staffing ratios.
“Right now we’re getting multiple complaint forms every day from our nurses saying how short staffed they are, how unsafe they feel,” said Melissa Robinson, UNHCEH co-chair and registered nurse. “We’re going to be one of the first contracts in Hawaii to have enforceable staffing ratios.”
Josh Masslon, Maui Memorial Center critical care nurse, said, “Maui Health is going to have to answer for unsafe staffing or short staffing, and we have a plan to hold them accountable and to help us devise a plan to retain staff and provide safe, adequate care.”
Maui Health CEO Lynn Fulton said in a statement, “I want to recognize the tremendous work of both bargaining teams to bring this to fruition and reach an agreement that affords competitive compensation to all job classifications represented across the bargaining unit.
“Our nurses and nurse leaders will continue to collaborate on staffing plans that are dynamic and flexible, ensuring that we can continue to provide exceptional health care to our community,” Fulton said.
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