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Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011 | 2:46 p.m.
Sun Archives
- Union members could get raises under contract deal (3-14-2011)
- SEIU takes its chances by going through mediation with county (3-14-2011)
- Firefighters' quest for a new perk was short-lived (3-4-2011)
- County prepares smaller budget that could leave 400 jobless (3-1-2011)
- Under scrutiny, firefighter sick leave falls (2-27-2011)
- Commissioners: Budget puts unfair burden on 900,000 county residents (2-26-2011)
- County considers seeking reimbursement over firefighter sick leave abuse (2-15-2011)
- County finds more widespread abuse of firefighter sick leave (2-1-2011)
- County OKs contract with firefighters that saves $7.4 million (2-1-2010)
- Arbitrator backs county over firefighters' union in contract negotiations (1-19-2011)
- County struggles to balance budget as property tax revenue tanks (1-12-2011)
- County firefighters union preaches frugality, to others (11-2-2010)
- Sisolak offers proof of firefighters 'gaming' sick leave system (9-11-2010)
- County, firefighters' union spar over contract negotiations (8-3-2010)
- Is a wave of county firefighter retirements on the horizon? (6-25-2010)
- New plan to curtail Clark County firefighter overtime (6-5-2010)
UMC Pay Cuts
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KSNV coverage of pay cuts at University Medical Center, Aug. 16, 2011.
Against the wishes of about 3,000 unionized University Medical Center workers, Clark County commissioners approved a binding agreement to cut union pay by 2 percent and force members to pay back to the county about $280 each.
That means UMC employees will see $13 less in their paychecks every two weeks for 21 pay periods.
Before the vote to approve the pay cut — it passed on 5-2 vote with Commissioners Lawrence Weekly and Tom Collins voting no — Collins argued against members paying anything back. The debate extended to state law, the definition of “retroactive pay,” and other topics as commissioners strongly sympathetic to the union tried to negate the $280 payback.
The requirement that employees pay back part of their wages was forced by an agreement struck in April between the county and the union. UMC union members had refused to ratify an agreement between the county and their union, the Service Employees International Union.
The two sides went to an arbitrator, with both agreeing to abide by whatever the arbitrator said and that the new contract would be effective May 3, 2010.
Months later, the arbitrator chose the county’s proposal to cut pay 2 percent — the same pay cut endured by SEIU members who work for other county agencies. But because the pay cut was retroactive, union members would have to return that 2 percent they were paid between May 3 and when the two sides agreed to a final contract.
SEIU President Al Martinez said he was “taken aback” when he learned about the payback provision. He claimed that portion of the agreement was signed after binding arbitration, which might make it less binding.
A county lawyer, however, said the May 3 provision was signed by an SEIU representative in April.
UMC nurses and others pleaded with commissioners not to force them to pay back money.
“I don’t know if there’s a union in America that’s had to give back what they already had,” one member said. “I think the 2 percent cut, the 2 percent retroactive (payback) was a huge insult.”
Ed Euhling, a businessman who often speaks at commission meetings, urged commissioners to stick with the agreement.
“Here we have all these tears shed for these employees,” he said. “And here we have 200,000 people (in Las Vegas) who have lost their jobs. Not 2 percent of their pay, but 100 percent of their pay.”
The 2 percent pay cut over a year will save the county $4.4 million. Merit pay maximums for union members will be capped at 3.4 percent instead of 6 percent, saving about $248,000. In total, the county will save about $4.6 million from concessions in the contract.
If the UMC workers were allowed to keep that $280 each, the savings would be $1.1 million less.
Commissioners argued over the definition of retroactive and whether they could alter the binding agreement.
The county’s attorney, Mary Ann Miller, said that if commissioners were to alter one part of the agreement, they could reasonably expect another concession from the union.
“It’s $1.1 million,” she added. “You don’t give it away without getting something in return. Doing that would raise the question that you are violating your fiduciary duty.”
Boo hoo. I took a 5% pay cut and get NO merit. Where's my investigative news story?
$13 less per paycheck? That's news?
$13 every two weeks is a "huge insult"? I've been in and out of work for more than two years. Get a frickin' clue, you frickin' union slackers. You don't know how easy you have it. Maybe reality will come find you, like it did me and the rest of Las Vegas, and come bite you in the ...When it does, don't come to me for sympathy.
Clark County has made quite a statement regarding their opinion of professional nurses. I would doubt that there is any other hospital in the entire country who has forced pay cuts on nurses. People think hospital & generally the first mental image is of the nurse. UMC pay for RN's is already the lowest in the city - now it will be even lower! With a new VA hospital opening & the additions proposed at St Rose, does administration really think that the best nurses in the city will choose UMC first when they can go right down the road & make substantially more money.
Where is the thought process here? Reputations of hospitals not to work at spread rapidly among nurses both locally & nationwide. If the nursing staff is inadequate in numbers or education, the patients will pick up on that and quit going to UMC. Do the commissioners not care about that?
Just so we're clear. UMC employees are going to make $26 less every month. Right?
If it was $260 less a month I doubt the 15% of Las Vegas that is UNEMPLOYED would care.
Nice plant article Joe. Was it designed to stir up outrage of the community for the poor little UMC employees? How long have you lived here? Nobody cares about $26. Buy 1 less Frappachino a week. There, problem solved.
If UMC was a "REAL" business it would have closed years ago. These jobs would have been gone years ago. UMC employees should be grateful. They should welcome 2% cuts. Remember, we pay the salaries. 2% is a drop in the bucket...and just watch how the union will work to get that 2% back and pay it all back to the employees. Unions need to live in the real world and not in an entitled one. Unions are fine but we the people, the non unionized ones, are done overpaying for services and products provided by the unions. Those days are over.
Everytime people justify the poor treatment of the American Worker with the claim "they are lucky at least they have a job", they further erode everything this country has worked for. While it is true that people are lucky to still have jobs, employers are now using this kind of mentality to cut benefits and pay while increasing workload and often becoming verbally abusive to their employees. The end result is not going to be positive for the American Workforce. I am sorry for those that do not have jobs but when the day comes that the economy is better and you return to the workforce you are going to find that your basic rights and benefits as an employee have been stripped away by companies that have taken your cries of "the are lucky to have a job" to heart and used them against everyone.
UMC nurses already make less an hour than every private sector in town. They knew this going in and have done their jobs at a lower rate of pay because they care for the residents of Las Vegas. Most of the time they are taking care of people that are indigent, incredibily sick or have been dumped at UMC because the hospitals refuse to treat them without complaint. They have a right to feel slighted when their already low pay is lowered again. When you have completed the schooling and training for a job you expect to receive comparable wages. I am tired of people expecting those working for the county or state to take pay and benefit cuts when those in the private sector would be screaming how unfair it is. It doesn't matter if their salaries are paid with tax dollars, they still do their job and deserve a decent wage for it.
Being an ex-employee of UMC, I can personaly tell you that these nurses make 35.00 and up an hour, not counting those that work in other department and they starts around 20.00. You will lose no help because UMC pays also their retirements to PERS, which other hospitals do not. They have paid medical benefits, other hospital you must pay cost. UMC has Pay differentials and longevity pay after 8 years of service.
Now, the state has already chopped thier employees pay and benefits, but Clark county seems to be dragging thier feet. UMC's problem isn't payroll its to much brass at the top. We had supervisors supvising each other. Multiple Directors for departments that really only needs one. And the Union claims this as a "huge insult".. UMC management is anti union always has been.
They dont need to cut pay, they need to elimate the waste in all departments, starting at the top. Start forcing early retirements for those with 20 years or more, shut down thier job no replacement, with the over staff that the facility has they can combine that particular job into another.
How much did the top executives give up in their pay? UMC is really mismanaged, I don't think that can be denied.
We are in so many catch 22's, it's mind boggling. Why should our wages continue to decrease while our money in inflated away and prices continue to rise? Why should these people get upset at a 2% pay decrease when millions are out of work?
@ greatninja - People stopped buying the extra coffee a long time ago... As shown with Starbucks closing a lot of their stores over the years. Frankly I care about $26. You can buy 20 soups at smiths for $20 and 2 gallons of milk when it's on sale. 10 for 1 soups. Milk 3/gallon. That's a month worth of food for the poor folks.
I dunno, good luck, we are going to need it with this dog eat dog attitude.
@greatninja: You must be a state employee like me. You left out - this is our third year of a 5% reduction, our health care insurance has been gutted with almost doubled premiums and our dental plan might as well not be there.
the 2% Obama SS employee tax cut pays for that $14 so everything is not so bad. The problem is you have a company with low revenue because so many customers are treated for free. It is a bad business model and therefore a bad business to work for. I am sure many stay because of necessity or convenience but anyone employee can get another job somewhere else anytime they want, their is no contract you have to stay. My business income is down 15% this year so a 2% decrease seems very good, wish I could have that deal.. The glass is half full or half empty.
ivegotcha, i see why you are a ex employee...if you were one of my employee's, i would have fired you just based on your spelling and use of the english language. you dont spell "thier" like that. its properly spelled "their". And "not counting those that work in other department and they starts around 20.00." they starts? Really? where would you like me to start on that one? and finally, ". We had supervisors supvising each other. Multiple Directors for departments that really only needs one. ". spelling and misuse of needs.
First we need to fix the education system in las vegas, second we need to examine how the county is using "our" money instead of trusting our elected officials to use it for us. Third we need to stop bashing each other because they have a job and others do not. Sorry people, did you expect your high school diploma to keep you a job in the casino industry. There is a reason why you couldn't get the job with more responsibility...it's called education and experience. It's much harder to cut educated people compaired to high school educated people. get real people....
A 2% decrease is way better than the 100% decrease I got. Sure, I found more work, but the paid vacation, paid holidays, paid medical care are now gone too. I pay for my own medical care now, and if I want a day off, I take it with no pay. If there's no work, I get the day off with no pay, not by choice. (I use that day off to look for additional work). It's tough at times, but I'm not out there crying about it to anyone, I just made it work. I have no complaints, the above notes are merely comments on my situation, not complaints. At least I'm not a slave to a union. (Is the union leader taking a similar pay cut? I doubt it). Will the union reduce the cost of dues? I doubt it. When this terrible economy turns around, I'll be ready to take even more and higher paying work, and sacrafices I am making now will mean I will have minimal bills. I'll be LIVING BETTER, and not working union.