Matthew C. Jones Executive Vice President and General Counsel | Albany Medical Health System
Matthew C. Jones Executive Vice President and General Counsel | Albany Medical Health System
Columbia Memorial Health (CMH) has finalized a new four-year contract with 1199SEIU, following a year of negotiations. The union members approved the agreement on February 4, 2025.
Negotiations began in January 2024 when CMH invited 1199SEIU to discuss terms for professional, service, and technical employees. This unit comprises around 750 of the hospital's total workforce of 1,300 employees.
"For more than a year, CMH has been advocating to advance a contract that respects our team’s expertise and our mission to the people we serve," stated Dorothy Urschel, DNP, president and CEO of CMH. "We are thrilled to reach an agreement that provides our employees the wages and benefits they have earned and deserve. The robust enhancements we put on the table will also allow us to advance our continuing commitment to grow our workforce and our mission. It is time for us to move forward together."
Key aspects of the new agreement include a phased wage increase totaling 22.5 percent over the contract period: 7 percent retroactive to 2024, followed by increments of 5 percent in 2025, 5.25 percent in 2026, and another 5 percent in 2027. Additionally, there will be an increase in the minimum starting hourly wage to $18.
Other benefits include reduced contributions to health insurance plans, elimination of copays for CMH services, increased pay for preceptors and orientation duties, as well as enhanced vacation time.
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