Butler union members reject hospital’s ‘final’ offer, citing inadequate wages
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Nearly two weeks after Butler Hospital presented its “last, best and final” proposal to the union, striking workers have responded, claiming the offer “keeps its lowest paid members in poverty.”
Butler workers represented by the New England Health Care Employees Union (SEIU 1199NE) have been on strike for more than two months, marking the longest hospital strike in Rhode Island history.
The union criticized Butler for publicly posting the proposal online and issuing a press release on July 11 before members had a chance to review it.
While the offer raises wages for nurses and mental health workers, union member and registered nurse Catherine Maynard argued it remains unfair to others.
“These are the workers who feed hundreds of patients, staff and visitors daily. These are the workers who keep our hospital clean and safe. These are the workers who ensure that your privacy is protected when you seek treatment,” Maynard said in a video posted to social media.
Joanna Futrell, a union member who works in medical records, added that starting pay under the proposal would remain “nowhere near” enough for those in her department to cover basic needs, calling it a “slap to the face.”
“We cannot accept a proposal with so little change to management’s wage offers for anyone who is not a mental health worker or nurse,” Futrell said, referencing clerical staff, dietary workers, housekeeping and social workers.
“We didn’t strike for over two months to go backwards, or to be punished for trying to make our workplace safer for ourselves and our patients,” Futrell added. “No hospital becomes better by undermining its workers’ union rights or forcing them to make concessions, especially when they have the money to invest in its workforce.”
Meanwhile, United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) — which represents nearly 2,500 workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital — ratified a new three-year contract on July 18. Rhode Island Hospital spokesperson Kelly Brennan described the deal as “market-competitive.”
Butler leadership argued that its proposal is “competitive and market-leading,” and in some cases stronger than the UNAP contract.
Butler spokesperson Mike Raia accused SEIU 1199NE of using the strike as a “political power move” and claimed it has “regrettably and unconscionably put an unnecessary strain” on the state’s health care system.
“It’s becoming clearer and clearer by the day that SEIU’s ongoing strike has never been about Butler, its employees, or its patients,” Raia said in a statement. “Reasonableness must prevail. It’s time for SEIU to end its strike and let their members get back to work.”
According to Butler, the hospital’s proposal includes:
An average annual raise of 4%, totaling a 16% increase for off-scale employees over four years
Starting pay of around $18 an hour for the lowest-paid workers, $21.79 an hour for mental health workers, and $36 an hour for registered nurses
11 holidays
Two health insurance options with $0 premiums
Pension protections and a tax-sheltered annuity system
A Workplace Violence Prevention Task Force and support plan
SEIU 1199NE said more than half of Butler staff surveyed struggle to afford the cost of food and housing. The union cited a recent report indicating a Rhode Island resident must earn $25.31 an hour to afford a studio apartment, $27.25 for a one-bedroom, and $33.20 for a two-bedroom.
The union said it is now working on a counterproposal that includes fair market wages and health care benefit protections for all hospital workers.
