Collective Action Brings Staffing Incentives to UI Health

Workers at UI Hospital have received a new internal staffing incentive that will address short staffing issues and keep patients safe. Negotiations with management were completed in early January after months of pressure from Local 73, who has fought for incentives over policies that punish workers.

“The incentive disaster pay has been a bittersweet win. This was definitely a step in the right direction,” said Mirella Campos, Medical Assistant at UI Health. “Some of our members will be able to maintain their financial stability and care for their families as the pandemic continues to unfold.”

This new staffing incentive will broaden the definition of employees who should be eligible and significantly increased the compensation for each differential. Employees providing direct clinical and patient care services and working in-person at UI Health Hospital or Clinics can receive the incentive, which is in addition to negotiated differentials found in the union contract.

“Not every employee providing direct patient care is receiving this disaster pay, however. As a union, we will continue to take action so ALL workers receive fair disaster pay. Our families deserve to be properly taken care of when we encounter occupational-related risk/illness and bring it home with us,” said Mirella.

UIC members’ demands have not changed since the historic 2020 strike; they are still fighting for the respect, protections, and pay they deserve. By standing united and fighting together, UIC members have used collective action to win COVID mitigations that will save lives. The rise of the Omicron variant has shown the urgent need for workers to advocate for their own safety, and collective bargaining is a powerful tool that has proven to bring safety protocols into UI Hospital.