Mercy Hospital employees with 1199SEIU secure 18 percent raises

Employees of Mercy Hospital, in Rockville Centre, who are members of the 1199SEIU union, also known as United Healthcare Workers East, have successfully negotiated a new contract agreement with Catholic Health services that includes an 18 percent wage increase over the next three years.

The contract agreement — the third since Mercy joined the union in 2017 — covers more than 500 staff members working in patient care, housekeeping, transport, food preparation, pharmacy and other parts of the hospital. It does not include doctors and nurses, but applies to the technicians and aides that keep the facility running smoothly from day to day.

Jobs with the lowest pay will receive additional increases over the next year, to bring their compensation and benefits closer to those of other 1199SEIU members in the metropolitan area.

“The pay increases we fought for and won are substantial,” Dawn Naughton, a dietary aide who has been working at Mercy for 15 years, said in a statement. “A lot of us have been working overtime or two jobs to survive. I did the calculations, and (the increases) are going to make a big difference in my life.”

Mercy is part of the Catholic Health system, which oversees six hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice care and a network of physician practices across Long Island.

In September, Mercy employees who are members of the union held a demonstration outside the hospital demanding better wages and benefits. Union leaders said the protesters were calling attention to their compensation amid rising concerns about deteriorating staffing, job retention, inflation and the cost of living.

Manny Oxilus, a clinical laboratory associate at Mercy for 14 years, said that under the hospital’s previous health plan, it cost him as much as $130 for prescription medication. The average out-of-pocket expenses for health benefits ranged from $5,000 to $7,000 a year. Under the new contract, staff members will have the option to access an improved Catholic Health Select Plan that features no premiums or co-pays for doctor’s visits or treatment in the Emergency Department treatment or by urgent care partners.

“This is the biggest win since we voted to join the union,” Oxilus said. “People said it couldn’t be done, but we did it. This contract has competitive wages and benefits that will help attract new talent and workers — and better staffing means better patient care.”

Union workers will receive a 7 percent increase in their base pay on Feb. 1, an additional 6 percent increase on Feb. 1, 2025, and a 5 percent hike on Feb. 1, 2026.

Union representatives also indicated that employees including personal care assistants, medical assistants, behavioral health associates, and emergency department technicians will receive additional adjustments to their base pay in July 2024, to reach the minimum hourly rates provided in the contract.

Other highlights of the contract include increases in evening and night pay differentials, a larger uniform allowance, and additional pay for caregivers who train other staff members.

“This contract is a long time coming,” Tracy Fraser-Lewis, a unit secretary celebrating 23 years at Mercy, said in a statement. “We fought to the bitter end, and we prevailed with good intent for our 1199 Mercy family.”

Union members also won the inclusion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, and the option to take Juneteenth off as a paid holiday.

“We are pleased to conclude these negotiations in an amicable fashion,” Catholic Health representatives stated following the announcement. “This agreement brings the salaries at Mercy Hospital closer to those of other employees in our health system. We are especially pleased that the union appreciated the value of our employee benefit plan, which is offered to the overwhelming majority of employees in our health system. We remain committed to offering all of our employees competitive salaries, affordable benefits and the best working conditions possible.”