CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It’s back to square one at Chicago’s Howard Brown Health, after unionized workers rejected the company’s latest contract offer.
The union, Howard Brown Health Workers United (HBHWU), said management presented their “last, best, final” offer after a two-day strike earlier in November. With 83% of union members voting, HBHWU officials said 94% of respondents voted to reject the offer.
“The membership of our union has shown that they will only accept a fair contract, and management’s [offer] is not fair,” said union bargaining committee member Louis Spraggins. “I hope management can see their actions that caused both of our strikes prove that we need the union protections we are fighting for in our first contract.”
In a statement to WBBM, Howard Brown’s Vice President of External Relations Katie Metos said the company recognized the union’s decision and would “continue to bargain in good faith.”
“The contract proposal that we put forth committed Howard Brown to invest an additional $5 million for its workforce over two years,” said Howard Brown President and CEO David Ernesto Munar.
Union officials said the proposed contract failed to “address cost of living adjustments that keep up with rising inflation, affordable insurance, equitable overtime pay, full time employment opportunities for Brown Elephant workers, or adequate protections from layoffs and changes to job duties.”
Metos said bargaining teams with the company and the union have spent nearly 400 hours across dozens of bargaining sessions to try and reach a deal on a contract. The latest offer, they said, featured a new living wage for all staff and “yearly wage increases that outpace inflation.”
The next bargaining session was scheduled for Tuesday.
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