Facts Matter. You Matter. – Message #10

FICTION: The union says Sharp is punishing employees in recently formed bargaining units by not giving them pay adjustments while giving increases to non-bargaining unit employees.

FACT: This is not true and Sharp is not punishing our team members. SEIU-UHW is well aware that once a union is certified, “status quo” is triggered between the parties until a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is reached. During status quo, items such as employee wage rates, are subject to negotiation between the parties and generally will not be adjusted until rates are agreed upon in a CBA or an exception applies.

One such exception is when pay is legally mandated for an increase, such as what recently occurred at Sharp with the early implementation of SB 525, which raised the minimum wage for all Sharp employees, regardless of bargaining unit membership. Another exception could arise in emergent adverse patient care situations; however, the parties would still be required to negotiate over the wage rates after the employer implements the needed adjustments.

The parties have been negotiating wages for many months and Sharp has made several proposals to date that the union has rejected. We look forward to continue bargaining in good faith to arrive at a contract for the recently formed units at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Sharp HospiceCare and Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. The union has delayed that process by engaging in regressive bargaining and waiting nearly six months after negotiations started to introduce their initial economic proposal.

Facts matter. You matter.

Get all the facts about collective bargaining and unionization at sharpstayinformed.