Today, after six (6) weeks of negotiating with SBMC management, we concluded today’s session with management’s final economic offer.  It is shockingly disappointing, but it is consistent with their intent to deprive you of your hard earned rights and benefits in order to satisfy their bond holders.

They will not give you any pension for 2010! No contribution to the Cash Balance Plan, the Legacy Plan, and no match for the 401(k) Plan.  This means that you will not only lose the contribution for 2010, but you will lose all earnings and interest on it. We cannot say it any other way:  you will not have a pension for 2010.  And they will not assure us that you will get a pension in 2011.  

11-02-09 SBMC Negotiations Update

Please be advised, the Livingston RN and LPN contracts have been extended for one week from the expiration date of our current contract. Your negotiating team concluded bargaining at 10 pm Friday, October 30, 2009 with most of the RN non-economic issues settled.  We are still discussing lay-off language in the LPN contract.

NJNU presented management our proposals on economics for both contracts in Livingston, and management rejected our proposals and has not offered any counter proposal at this time.  

For KMC/SBBHC, management has rejected all of our economic counter proposals and stated that we would receive no more than the non-union employee’s would receive. This means no wage increase in 2009 as well as no increase in 24 months.

We are resuming negotiations on Monday, November 2, 2009.  

On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 the KMC/SBBHC team met with the hospital. We expressed our disappointment with regards to the "Joe Hicks" meeting. The hospital said they would give the nurses what the non-union employees would be getting, but no more. We submitted a counter proposal which the hospital has not responded to yet.  

There will be a meeting as soon as we have something to bring to the membership. At that meeting we will explain everything and ask for a vote.

Remember we all are a part of the NJNU “TEAM” because:

Your Bargaining Committee