TOLEDO, Ohio — Striking technical and service unit workers voted on Sunday to ratify the proposal from Mercy Health.
Two thirds of the health care workers who went on strike almost four weeks ago will be returning to the job, according to the UAW.
Mercy Health released a statement saying they are grateful for reaching a solution that allows them to move forward.
"After 10 months of negotiations – and with the help of a federal mediator – we were able to come together on a fair proposal. The agreement provides pay raises and other improvements while addressing associates’ concerns on issues like on-call and healthcare benefits," the statement read.
Mercy Health says they will be welcoming these workers back to work throughout the week.
The hospital said they are coordinating the schedule for service and technical associates and that those details will be made available soon.
Nurses still haven't reached a deal.
According to Mercy Health, the negotiation regarding registered nurses involves a different UAW local and they chose to not allow members to vote on their offer.
"Therefore, given our ongoing obligations to our patients and community, we will keep moving forward with our long-term staffing plans to ensure we remain fully available to meet our community’s needs," Mercy Health's statement said.
Mercy Health said they are disappointed those in the RN Unit were not "given an opportunity to vote on the updated proposals offered to address the Union's publicly raised concerns, including":
- 2 percent wage increase plus market adjustment of up to 6 percent for those eligible;
- Reducing on-call hours by 15 percent over an 18-month period – including at least 10 percent in the first 12 months – in surgery, where the RN Unit identified the concern;
- Limiting out-of-pocket maximums and deductibles to remain the same in 2019 and 2020, with a limited 10% increase in 2021. As part of this solution, associates will be enrolled in the Be Well Within wellness program in 2020.
Mercy Health said there are no additional conversations scheduled within the RN Unit at this time, but they are willing to meet.
"Given our ongoing obligations to our patients and community, we continue with our long-term staffing plans and are hiring aggressively to ensure we remain fully available to meet our community's needs," Mercy Health's statement said.