Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital workers ratify three-year contract

The contract covers a bargaining unit of about 200 workers, including licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, housekeeping and maintenance staff. Cleveland Clinic said roughly 100 were actively on strike and that inpatient care, appointments and scheduled procedures continued without disruption.

What the ratified contract contains

The union's summary lists nearly 11% in wage increases over the next three years. The agreement did not specifically target healthcare premium costs, the issue that drove the walkout. Staff with six or more years of service get an additional $0.50 an hour.

The contract also adds certification pay, a ratification bonus and increased shift differentials, and improves paid time off protections and benefits. It recognizes and protects religious holidays and strengthens the union's right to bargain throughout the life of the agreement.

Cleveland Clinic's statement stresses a different clause. The contract, it says, "maintains Cleveland Clinic's commitment to a drug-free workplace, including through random drug testing", a measure the statement calls long-standing and says helps support a safe environment for patients and caregivers. The Observer reported the union sought limits on testing, arguing employees should not face it unless there are visible signs of impairment.

The benefits cutoff on 1 October

The Observer reported that Cleveland Clinic moved on 1 October to end active health benefits for striking workers who no longer met eligibility requirements, seven days before the ratification vote.

The union said employees had less than six hours' notice, despite deductions of healthcare premiums from their September paychecks. The clinic said the affected workers no longer met eligibility because they had not worked their scheduled shifts, and that employees were pointed towards continued coverage options. SEIU District 1199 passed a resolution to help members keep coverage through COBRA, the federal law that lets workers maintain the same plan for more than a year after a job loss. The Observer reported that costs are often higher because the coverage is retroactive. Vanessa Dalesandro, regional director for SEIU District 1199, said: "These caregivers deserve better than threats and intimidation from their employer who claims to care about their workforce and the patients they serve."

Why the workers struck

Bargaining began in February, and the previous contract expired in April. Rising healthcare premiums and deductibles were the primary sticking point, Cleveland 19 News reported. Dalesandro said the clinic was "forcing workers to eat the cost of health insurance premiums and deductibles that have recently increased", which no wage rise would offset.

The union also raised random drug testing. Becky Williams, the union president, said the clinic wanted to "turn it into a tool to police workers' private lives". Williams also said the clinic's answer to workers who could not afford their healthcare was to have them sell vacation and sick time.

About 200 employees walked off the job at noon on 23 September, according to Ideastream. The union had said the strike would start at noon that day unless an agreement was reached. Brian Higgins, a power plant mechanic and SEIU District 1199 executive board member, said staff worked 12- to 16-hour days: "We're not asking to become millionaires. We're asking for affordable healthcare and a living wage."

Return to work

The strike lasted more than two weeks. Workers are prepared to return to work under the ratified contract, a union spokesperson said. The contract runs three years. Cleveland Clinic said it was pleased to have reached an agreement and looked forward to moving ahead with a shared focus on providing safe, high-quality care.