Where Negotiations Are At as of 11/16/22

Ascension’s Current Wage Proposal

  • Nurses placed on a step-system based on years of licensure
  • Year 1 pay range:  $33.44 – $46.82.
  • Pay will increase an average of 19% in the first year, but the amount will vary based on where you are now and where your years of licensure put you on the new scale
  • Nurses move up a step (2% pay increase) each January
  • Top of Scale is 17 years of licensure on ratification, but goes up to 19 years by end of contract
  • No cost-of-living adjustments in Years 2 or 3 of the contract
  • See 11/10/22 email from Dr. Rohs for a chart showing the pay grid
  • $1 per hour preceptor pay
  • No other changes to differentials (nights, weekends, charge, reassignment, on-call, etc.)
  • No appreciation/retention bonus for experienced nurses (despite $20K sign-on bonus for new nurses)

Concessions Management is Currently Demanding

  • Requirement to work every second weekend, instead of every third weekend
  • In departments with self-scheduling, managers will move nurses off their chosen days when needed on a rotating basis, not based on seniority
  • Nurses in ALL departments, including those with mandatory on-call and closed units (e.g. OB, CSS, Behavioral), can be floated or assigned as helping hands
  • Eliminate right to Family Medical Leave until you work 1250 hours in a year
  • Eliminate right to extended leave for a new child in your family
  • Eliminate right to extended leave for personal injury or illness of employee
  • In place of our current leave language, we would have the same leave policies as other employees, which Ascension can change unilaterally
  • Eliminate Retirement HRA account which provides $1200 per year of service for health expenses in retirement if you retire after at least of years of service and age 55
  • Eliminating all management accountability for following staffing guidelines
  • Right to employ STOs for up to 39 weeks

Improvements Ascension Has Agreed To

  • Eliminate BSN requirement
  • Increased consultation for temporary or permanent unit closures