Just a few months after they voted to join NUHW, 56 workers employed by Wellpath, a private equity-backed firm that provides health services at the Merced County Jail, ratified their first union contract with 9.5 percent wage increases over three years.
The contract, which covers registered nurses, physician assistants, and mental health providers at the facility, also includes:
- Up to $1,000 annually in continuing education unit reimbursements.
- Extra pay for working shifts on holidays, nights, and weekends.
- And call-off notifications at least two hours prior to the start of a worker’s shift, unless there’s a validated emergency.
Workers were very engaged during the negotiations, which moved at a faster pace after NUHW members who work for Wellpath at five other county jails in Northern California negotiated a “synchronized agreement” earlier this year that covers much of the non-economic contractual provisions, leaving only wages and certain economic issues to be resolved at each location.
The synchronized agreement covers nearly 400 caregivers represented by NUHW at jails that contract health services to Wellpath in Stanislaus County, Sonoma County Jail, Solano County, Lake County, and Merced County. The accord also covers workers at other jails who choose to join the union, including Merced.
“I voted yes for the contract because we’ll have consistent pay raises and that will help us have enough staff to provide the care our patients need,” said Jaime Harper, a registered nurse. “I think that’s important for encouraging employees to stay, grow, and build a long-term career with the company. Overall, I’m happy with the outcome.”
