Of course I’m voting yes to ratify the UHP contract. Following is a breakdown of my reasoning for also voting yes to ratify the SEBAC tentative agreement.
Please note in this case I am speaking for myself individually and not UHP leadership.
To me, the short-term reduction in income to maintain our retiree and health benefits is a small price to pay to protect our workforce (and the people we serve) from privatization and massive layoffs.
This is about more than forgoing raises until 2019. I believe without this deal it will be well beyond 2019 before we see another raise.
I don't see it as caving in or weakening SEBAC as much as I see it as a preservation of the protections SEBAC offers as labor navigates through an uncertain future.
I have faith that the labor leaders who negotiated the SEBAC deal have our collective best interests in mind, particularly in the long run.
I believe as a public employee I have an obligation to the public to be part of a reasonable solution, even if I didn't cause the problem.
My belief that this indeed is a reasonable solution is solidified by the rhetoric from labor opponents. Many of them want us to reject SEBAC--I think they have a reason for that, and I do not believe it's because they have our best interests at heart.
I take the big-picture view that this vote really is for the long-term solvency of our right to collectively bargain, and that rejection will mark the beginning of the end of that right.
I am convinced that the excellent UHP contract we negotiated, even if we ratify it, will not survive the Connecticut General Assembly if the SEBAC deal is not ratified. And if that happens, the conditions to negotiate anything are far from ideal.
Please join me in voting yes to ratification of both the SEBAC tentative agreement and the UHP contract.
In Solidarity,
Chris DeFrancesco
VP for Communication
UHP 3837