Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Ohio Council 8 and AFSCME Local 2415, representing about 1,900 employees on Health Science Campus at The University of Toledo, voted Thursday to accept a tentative three-year agreement.
UT’s Board of Trustees must still approve the agreement.
“This agreement with our colleagues in AFSCME is an important step forward for The University of Toledo,” said Interim President Nagi Naganathan. “I want to thank members of both bargaining committees for their special efforts. I believe we have a framework that will facilitate a constructive and mutually beneficial engagement throughout the term of the contract and beyond.”
The agreement runs from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017, and calls for wage increases of 2.5 percent in year one and 1 percent in both years two and three.
While health care and other contract costs still are being calculated, UT officials estimate the contract’s wage increases to total $3.7 million over three years.
The agreement provides employees and their dependents expedited primary care appointments at UTMC health-care facilities. It also reduces monthly health-care premiums by 2 percent as UT works to make premiums uniform across all collective bargaining units and employee groups. The new contract also establishes labor-management committees that will leverage strong partnerships to drive improvements in patient care and satisfaction and to address unique employee occupational categories.
Dave Morlock, CEO of UTMC and executive vice president for finance and administration, emphasized how important this agreement is.
“Without a contract, there is uncertainty,” Morlock said. “By working together with great partners in AFSCME, I think we all have a better sense of what the future looks like in health care and across the Health Science Campus.”
Naganathan and Morlock also thanked Jovita Thomas-Williams, associate vice president for human resources and talent development, for her leadership role in the negotiations on behalf of the University.
