After almost two years of struggle, UE Local 150 won another critical victory, a salary increase from around $57,000 to $70,000 for Registered Nurses at North Carolina's three psychiatric hospitals, which are run by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities (DHHS-DSOHF). Nurses will also receive a $1,500 step raise every two years.
The campaign was principally waged by union members at Central Regional Hospital (CRH) who had been meeting with the CRH CEO, DSOHF administrators, and state legislators in order to push for a raise for all staff for nearly two years. Workers also spoke out publicly to the news media.
The UE150 DHHS Council collected nearly a thousand signatures on a petition, including a majority of workers at CRH in 2023. The petitions was delivered to DSOHF Deputy Director Mark Benton in a meeting in Raleigh in March 2024. Following the meeting, CRH workers documented three serious events that resulted in staff injuries due to dangerous understaffing. Union representatives met with DSOHF and state legislators, including Senator Jim Burgin, separately throughout the summer.
In a rare move, state legislators responsible for DHHS oversight initiated a meeting with UE150, DSOHF Director Karen Burkes, and CRH CEO Robin Whalen in September 2024. At the meeting, Butner Chapter President Rakesh Patel pressed hard on the group of decision-makers for pay raises and management accountability, and also gave more documentation for 'sentinel events'. The raise was announced a few weeks later.
Winning $13,000 raises and other improvements shows that worker organizing works. The UE150 will continue to build a Safe Staffing campaign to win raises for all DHHS workers, safe staffing levels, and more mechanisms to hold management accountable!
This article was published first by UE Local 150.