Butler Union Negotiating Team Expands Committee for More Inclusive Process
    News

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2025 | CONTACT: Amelia Abromaitis - 484-363-9783 & Eric Johanson -EJohanson@seiu1199ne.org | 860-280-6443

    Butler Union Negotiating Team Expands Committee for More Inclusive Process

    16 June 2025

    Providence: As the union negotiating committee at Butler Hospital prepares for bargaining tomorrow, June 17, at 10AM, they have announced they will expand the bargaining process to include a larger group of member representatives. Butler's bargaining committee is currently comprised of approximately 40 workers from across the hospital, representing almost every unit and department. 

    In the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, we felt it was important at this stage for a larger board group of members to participate in the bargaining process. Getting more people involved means more voices can be heard and everyone gets a better chance to weigh in on both the union’s and management’s proposals. We have been saying for weeks we are ready to bargain, with or without a federal mediator. Hopefully, management sees this as a chance to let more of its frontline staff help shape our hospital's future.

    - Catherine Maynard, Registered Nurse, Delegate and Bargaining Committee Member

    Since the strike began, union workers have met with federal mediation on four separate occasions, each session lasting up to eleven hours. On May 29, Butler offered union workers even less than they did on Wednesday, May 7, the last time they offered their “last, best and final proposal,” citing the millions they spent on replacement workers as the reason. There have been no meetings since June 5 due to the lack of mediator availability. Union workers are urging the hospital to bypass this requirement and continue negotiations as quickly as possible in order to settle a contract and end the strike.

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    District 1199 SEIU New England represents 29,000 health care and service workers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Southeastern Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, 1199 SEIU NE represents almost 5,000 members. 1199 SEIU NE is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – a union of over 2 million members across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. SEIU has been a national leader in pushing the growing Fight for $15 and a Union movement.