After 5 Years, Antelope Valley Hospital Signs Union Contract

Two area hospitals,Antelope Valley Hospital and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center,have reached agreements with Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers-West.

For Antelope Valley Hospital, settling on a contract marks the end of a five-year struggle.

“It took a long time. We are very, very happy that finally we finished everything,” CEO Edward Mirzabegian said. “We can get together and forget our differences and be on one team and make this place a better place for our patients and all the employees.”

The contract, reached Aug. 23, includes pay increases of 4.75 percent, retroactive to July 2006; 5.4 percent retroactive to July 2007; and 3.25 percent, effective in January.

According to the hospital, both parties agreed to reopen the contract exclusively for wage negotiations for the third year of the agreement, which will extend through June 30, 2009.

“The fact that people did not give up after a five-year struggle certainly was a culmination that brought the contract to a resolution,” said John Borsos, chief negotiator and vice president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West. “Folks in the Lancaster-Palmdale area saw what competitors were providing. It’s really hard to argue that caregivers should receive significantly different wages and benefits. Caregivers in Lancaster and Palmdale were willing to stand up and do something about it.”

According to Mirzabegian, one of the key negotiators was John Sullivan, AVH vice president of human resources.

“John Sullivan did excellent work,” Mirzabegian said. “He’s a very seasoned executive. He’s done these negotiations in the past. He’s very knowledgeable about union rules and has a vast knowledge of negotiation skills. We came to that budget target as far as dollars and as far as other policies and procedures it was very mutually agreed, so we kind of accomplished what we needed to do.”

On Aug. 29, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and SEIU ratified a tentative contract agreement following seven months of negotiations. The four-year contract is retroactive to April 1, 2007, and expires on Sept. 30, 2011.

“Both sides are very satisfied with the end result of the new contract,” hospital spokesman Dan Boyle said. “SEIU had set a date of June 13 on striking, but the strike was averted when SEIU agreed to [Councilman] Richard Alarc