Butler waiting on union response on ‘final offer,’ union claims not all workers covered

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — It’s been nearly two weeks since Butler Hospital and its owner, Care New England provided their “final offer” to striking union employees.

Now the hospital’s management is asking once again for a response.

The hospital submitted the proposal on July 11.

Management compared the plan with the recent deal between Rhode Island Hospital and United Nurses and Allied Professionals.

Care New England claims their proposal includes a higher annual raise average, $36 an hour for nurses rather than $34 and a half, and an extra paid holiday.

In closing, the release accuses the workers, represented by SEIU 1199 of not caring about Butler or its patients, and calls for the union to end the strike.

We’ve heard back from the workers, who posted responses on their website.

The workers point out, the deal Butler is offering has wage increases for nurses and mental health workers, but that’s not everyone who’s striking.

A worker in medical records, said in part:

We cannot accept a proposal with so little change to management’s wage offers for anyone that is not a mental health worker or nurse – that includes employees in medical records, clerical, dietary, housekeeping, and social workers.

The union adds they’re currently working on a counter proposal focusing on healthcare benefit protections for all workers, but a date to meet Care New England for bargaining was not released.