New CBA Highlights

Dear Housestaff,

This notice is to inform you of the upcoming vote on the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) contract with Cook County, where we hope to ratify the agreement. The vote will take place on January 10th, 2022. Your house staff council has worked tirelessly over the past year and a half to negotiate our working conditions with our employer and to represent our house staff’s shared interests. Attached is a copy of the changes to the CBA that you will be voting on.

Below is an abbreviated list of improvements, for your convenience:

• Bonus pay in the pre-tax amount of $2000 this academic year and $1000 next AY.

• Pandemic pay in the pre-tax amount of $1000.

• General wage increases retroactive to 6/1/21 as outlined in the CBA, with 1.5% across the board upon ratification of the contract. The total increase over 4 years will be 8.5%.

• Increase in moonlighting pay (pre-tax) from $57.22/hr to $93.75/hr.

• Change to meal stipend: Every paycheck will include a taxable stipend for food, in the amount of $211.54 (pre-tax) per paycheck. This will be put in place instead of the meal card.

• Paid time off for bereavement (total of 3 days, may be 5 days depending on location)

• Paid time off for 12 national holidays and 2 floating holidays, as well as an increase in the window of time to use banked holidays (total of 120 days, whereas the prior contract limited the window to the end of that academic year).

• Total of $1500 reimbursement that can be used towards educational expenses and conferences. Timing of reimbursement to be generally within 30 days.

For this new CBA to be approved, 51% of registered members who participate must vote yes. Only registered members can participate in the vote and the last day to register will be one week prior to the vote. Please stay tuned for notice of a House Staff Association event that will take place 12/20 at 12pm, where there will be an opportunity to learn more about the HSA and to discuss the CBA prior to the vote. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of having a powerful representative body for house staff has become increasingly evident. We are grateful for our union’s time-tested presence and for your commitment to our shared workplace.

Sincerely,

House Staff Association Council