Hospital employees with the United Public Workers union picket at the main entrance to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku on Thursday afternoon. Union members have voted to reject the fourth tentative agreement between the union and Maui Health. The Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photo
United Public Workers union members voted to reject Maui Health’s latest contract offer that included pay increases and one-time bonuses, pushing the strike at three Maui County hospitals to nearly a month.
An “overwhelming number” of the 332 members who voted rejected the contract, according to the union, with one member citing the increases as “not enough” to put them on par with employees at other hospitals.
It was the largest turnout for a member ratification meeting for Maui Health during these negotiations, the union said in an email Monday morning. UPW did not provide a breakdown of the vote, which lasted from Thursday to Saturday.
The union represents nearly 500 workers who include nurses’ aides, respiratory therapists, housekeepers, cooks and others at Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital, which are operated by Maui Health. The strike began on Feb. 22.
“It’s not enough,” strike captain Leonard Rodrigues Jr. said Monday afternoon of the recent proposal that contained wage increases.
“Everything looks good on paper until you get to the fine details. It’s not for everybody,” said Rodrigues, a general maintenance worker.
He explained that the offer of an 8.9 percent average pay increase to all job classifications in the first year would favor some but not all members, stressing that the percentage was an “average.”
Rodrigues said the wages Maui Health was proposing were still “below the market,” meaning the members would get paid more in their roles if they were at a different hospital.
UPW State Director Kalani Werner echoed Rodrigues’ comments about wages still being below the market rate.
“The employer has proven time and time again that they have money for traveling staff but spare none for the loyal local families that serve their community,” Werner said in a news release.
“Although frontline workers put their lives at risk through the pandemic, hospital management repeatedly fails to do what’s right and give them the respect they deserve.”
In a statement Monday afternoon, Maui Health said that the nine-month process of bargaining with UPW “has been challenging.”
“We have engaged openly and positively in contract negotiations with UPW and have reached four separate agreements in good faith, three of which were endorsed by the UPW bargaining representatives and each one was better than the last,” Maui Health said. “It is very unusual for four consecutive tentative agreements between an employer and a union to be rejected in ratification votes of the union members.”
Maui Health added that the “whole process has been chaotic, and it has been disruptive and stressful for our Maui Health community.” It said that more than 100 UPW-represented employees have chosen to come to work and that those who continue to be on strike have lost nearly a month’s pay.
“It doesn’t need to be this way. It shouldn’t be this way,” Maui Health said.
UPW said talks are scheduled again for Thursday, though Maui Health said that after the failures of the tentative agreements, “it is not clear where contract discussions go from here.”
“We will continue to seek common ground, and attempt to reach agreement with UPW in good faith,” Maui Health said. “This does not mean, however, that we will necessarily continue to improve our economic proposals. We call upon the union to work with us to find a basis for agreement that a majority of their members will accept.”
Maui Health again did not respond to specific questions of how the jobs of the union workers on strike are being covered.
According to Maui Health, the most recent three-year offer included evening and night shift differential increases, a one-time cash bonus of $1,500 for all UPW-represented employees and a one-time longevity payment for UPW-represented employees with the amount determined by years of service.
UPW did not respond directly to a question of how many members would be able to receive the longevity payment.
As the strike reaches the monthlong mark, the union said it does not have a strike fund for the workers. Members were aware of this but still decided it was important to strike despite the financial burden it could cause, the union added.
Rodrigues acknowledged that some members crossing the picket lines has caused some tension.
But he said other members are exploring employment outside of the medical facilities to help subsidize their income.
“This family that we made is amazing. They are holding strong, it couldn’t be better. They have each other’s back,” Rodrigues said.
* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
Hospital employees with the United Public Workers union picket at the main entrance to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku on Thursday afternoon. Union members have voted to reject the fourth tentative agreement between the union and Maui Health. The Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photoToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
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