the Union Difference

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER

Across the country, nearly 80,000 nurses united in SEIU are leading the fight for justice, raising standards of care, and improving nursing jobs at clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and home care.

But we don’t have to look far to see the union difference. Meriter nurses won great contracts in 2023 and 2025, showing us what we can do with our own union. Our strong union contract at St. Mary’s will allow us to provide the best care possible with fair and competitive wages, and a respected voice in patient care

MERITER NURSES WIN BIG

As we are seeing already, when nurses act together we are a powerful force. And when we form our union, we will negotiate a contract that speaks to our specific needs. But our colleagues at Meriter have shown some great examples of what we can do!

In their 2025–2027 contract,
Meriter nurses won…

  • A 12% increase in total wages, including a 10.4% base wage increase over two years (see current pay scale here)

  • Increases in charge, coordinator, float, on-call, and preceptor pay

  • Higher differentials including weekends, PM, and rotating and permanent nights

  • Increased holiday pay for on-call shifts

  • Expanded PTO benefits for first-year employees

  • Weapons screening device installed in the emergency department for nurse and patient safety

  • A stronger nurse voice in staffing matrices and policies:

  • Unit Work Design Teams that evaluate unit-specific scheduling options and pilot creative scheduling solutions, and require member feedback after the pilot and before final decisions are made.

  • Scheduling Solutions Committee of nurses and hospital admin who work collaboratively to reach creative scheduling solutions with input from nurses through Unit Work Design Teams

  • Cluster Float Task Force to refine cluster floating and review and modify current cluster float groups.

  • Annual meetings between hospital administration and unit nurses to review staffing models and matrices and address concerns. These reviews may include, but are not limited to:

    • Hours Per Patient Day (HPPD)

    • Charge nurse assignments

    • Admission / Discharge / Transfer (ADT) activity

    • Care variable tools

    These meetings may result in updates aimed at addressing staffing matrices and enhancing staffing strategies.

    RNs play a central role in this process by contributing their clinical expertise and frontline perspectives. Their insights help shape recommendations that support and sustain safe and effective staffing levels across all units.

  • The United Professionals/Nursing Administrative Council (UP/NAC) is a regular joint meeting between union leadership and hospital administration designed to maintain open communication and resolve mutual concerns.

See Meriter nurses’ full 2025–2027 contract here.

In their 2023–2025 contract,
Meriter nurses won…

  • A 14% increase in total wages, including a 9% increase in base pay over two years

  • Higher pay for newly hired nurses with previous nursing experience

  • A $2000 bonus for all employees hired before the previous sign-on bonus, aiding retention

  • Higher differentials for rotating NOC and weekends

  • New preceptor differentials, and mobile unit and resource pool incentives

  • New PTO and scheduling policies to improve work-life balance, including expanded access to no-weekend and no-holiday positions

  • Increased nurse representation on the Hospital Safety Committee

  • Review of staffing matrices on high-acuity units