UE Local 613 ratified a new four-year agreement on September 14, achieving key goals set by the local entering into negotiations. The union, which consists of the teachers, speech language pathologists, registered nurses, and therapists who work at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, ran a strong contract campaign rooted in active member involvement.

All members will be guaranteed an immediate minimum increase of at least $5,000 in the first year of the new agreement, with an average increase in year one of over $10,000. Step one on the most widely used scale will increase in year one from $48,568 to $58,000, with the top step on the same scale increasing from $98,620 to $109,750 in the first year. Significant improvements were gained on every step of each scale, with substantial increases on every step in each subsequent year of the contract.

“The gains we achieved on salaries will allow our extremely deserving members to pay their bills, meet their basic needs, improve the living standards for themselves and their families, and try to keep up with economic demands,” said UE Local 613 President Alison Oniboni, who also served as co-chair of the bargaining committee. “So much of our campaign was rooted in the message of increasing our compensation so that the school can better recruit and retain employees. With this agreement, not only do our current and future members benefit, but ultimately the students and community we serve. There is no better feeling to know that the gains made at the bargaining table will allow us to provide better continuity of service, which is what our students need to receive the education and healthcare services they deserve.”

Colleen Benton, the other co-chair of the bargaining committee, added, “It was very rewarding and inspiring serving on the bargaining committee. The group worked tirelessly to fight for the contract we achieved. Our membership stuck together and without a doubt, that helped give us the momentum we needed to reach the kind of agreement we ultimately did.”

One of the local’s key goals on compensation was to shorten the salary scale, thus shortening the time it takes members to reach the top of their scale. The new contract will see an immediate decrease in the number of steps on each salary scale from 24 to 20.

“Reducing the number of steps on our salary scales will not only lead to better pay for our members, but will result in more equitable compensation based on seniority," said Benton.

In other wins, there will now be a $2 per hour shift differential for second- and third-shift nurses and a new $4,000 yearly stipend for orientation and mobility specialists. The number of paid bereavement days for loss of an immediate family member will increase from three to five. Registration fees for attendance at professional conferences will now be paid by the employer and meal allowances for attending those professional conferences will increase from $60 to $80 per day. The Induction Mentorship Program stipend will increase from $1,000 to $2,000, and the New Employee Mentorship Program stipend will increase from $1,000 to $1,500. The contract will now include a $250 stipend for in-house staff presentations at the school.

The local also kept the increases to employee premiums for enrollment in the EPO insurance plan minimal.

In another major victory, the local won full incorporation of the newly organized [1] occupational therapists, physical therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, and physical therapy assistants into the contract. “I am so proud of my co-workers for trusting each other in taking the step to unionize and join UE Local 613,” said enthusiastic bargaining committee member and occupational therapist Hannah Pecyna. “We already see the difference having a union makes — having a voice on the job means having a true influence on your working conditions and, in turn, the learning conditions of our students. Nobody knows our jobs and how to best serve the students more than the staff working directly with the them every day.”

“What makes this local so special is how democratically it is run and how involved and active we were throughout negotiations,” added bargaining committee member and physical therapist Diane Campbell. “Speaking on behalf of the therapists, we are really excited to be part of the union and help build the local together. Us joining the union has been a long time coming and it is a good feeling to be part of something bigger.”

The local’s contract support committee distributed surveys throughout the campaign to help identify areas of importance to the local, and the negotiating committee provided regular updates to members during bargaining. These updates included impromptu gatherings at the school amongst the membership. Members collectively wore their union shirts in solidarity on Mondays during negotiations.

“The school definitely saw the local as a united and strong force” said bargaining committee member Patrice Bucheli. “In retrospect, the contract campaign really kind of started when the therapists were organized into our union earlier this year. The fact that we joined hand in hand made us that much more powerful as a group throughout the bargaining process.”

The rank and file emphasized working conditions as a core priority entering into negotiations. In turn, the contract will now have caseload language establishing workload targets for speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. Language will be added allowing missed duty-free time to be restored and used in the future, the number of flexible scheduling days for teachers and nurses will increase from 10 to 12 each year, and the local maintained its 45-minute preparation periods that will now be guaranteed to therapists.

In another major win, the contract will include a new retiree health insurance stipend of $500 for every year of service to be available for continuation of coverage upon retirement. The stipend will be available for any member with 20 or more years of service.

“The gains made on retiree healthcare mean a lot,” said bargaining committee member Kim Snair. "The work we do as direct care providers is physical and takes a toll on the body. Having the option to retire a little earlier and have continuation of coverage will have a hugely positive impact on some of our longest-serving members.

"While it was not everything we wanted, the retiree stipend is both a win and a stepping stone upon which future contracts can build.”

The union also fought back concessionary proposals that would have allowed the school to mandate working additional days, extend probationary periods, utilize temporary employees for longer periods of time, and significantly limit the amount of parking spots members would have long-term.

“We met with the school at the bargaining table over twenty times, and as a committee dozens of other times preparing for negotiations,” said bargaining committee member Jackie Demoise. “The resiliency of the committee was incredible. We were resolute in our conviction that our members needed and demanded something significantly different and better, and stuck to that objective. We were not to be moved off our fundamental beliefs during many long nights at and away from the bargaining table. We would not have achieved what we did if not for our positive attitude and a healthy degree of stubbornness.”

“When reflecting, it was truly a labor of love to serve on a committee like this and for a local like this,” summarized Oniboni. “I think that’s how we all felt, that’s why we succeeded like we did. Our membership supported the bargaining committee fighting at the negotiating table. I am grateful for all of the help we received from our contract support team. We had everyone united and working towards a common purpose. That’s what it’s all about,”

The UE Local 613 bargaining committee consisted of President and Co-Chairperson Alison Oniboni, Co-Chairperson Colleen Benton, Kim Snair, Patrice Bucheli, Hannah Pecyna, Diane Campbell, and Jackie Demoise. The contract support committee consisted of Jenn Concannon, Allison Burke, and Laura Przybyla. The local was assisted by UE International Representative Ben Wilson.

UE Research Director Karl Zimmerman provided valuable research used during negotiations.  UE Director of Organization Kim Lawson, UE General Counsel Margot Nikitas, UE Staff Coordinator Valentina Luketa, and UE Staff Coordinator John Thompson each made contributions in the campaign to organize the therapists into the local.