URMC and union workers reach tentative agreement, strike postponed
Rochester, New York – Workers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have decided to postpone their strike vote. This decision comes in the wake of a tentative agreement reached with management late Thursday night, potentially marking the end of months-long negotiations.
The strike, originally scheduled for Friday, involved Union Hospital caregivers and campus service workers at both URMC and the University of Rochester River Campus. The postponement signals a hopeful turn in the ongoing labor dispute.
The SEIU Union has announced that the specifics of the agreement will be disclosed to the public after it is ratified by the union members. This ratification process is expected to occur next week, offering a glimpse of the negotiation outcomes.
Angel Hagan-Sprinkle, a Cook I at the University of Rochester’s River Campus, expressed satisfaction with the results of the negotiations. “After 33 sessions of our hard work and dedication, we think we finally reached a very respectable agreement that we are proud to take back to our members for a vote,” she said.
The journey to this tentative agreement has been long and arduous. It involved four months of intense negotiations, which included a particularly lengthy 33-day bargaining session. These sessions, involving 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, 200United SEIU, and the University of Rochester Medical Center, began in late August.
The commitment and persistence of the negotiating parties have been crucial in reaching this stage. The potential resolution of this dispute not only impacts the workers and management but also serves as an example of effective negotiation and conflict resolution in labor relations.
As the URMC community awaits the details of the agreement, there is a sense of cautious optimism that the resolution will be favorable for all parties involved. The postponement of the strike is a testament to the power of dialogue and mutual effort in resolving labor disputes.
