The Union Difference for Professional Employees

Education

College faculty and Staff

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) members who are faculty and staff at Portland Community College (Oregon) secured the following with their union contract:

• 14% cost of living raises over two years

• Raised part-time faculty pay to 75% of the full-time rates for any given class

• A lump sum payment of about $700 for faculty who taught in the 2023 fall semester and 2024 winter semester

• A one-time $1,000 bonus for academic professionals

• Increased pay for part-time faculty whose classes are canceled

• A “wage opener” in 2025, to allow for the negotiation of additional raises in the last two years of the contract

• Increased employer contributions to health insurance premiums

• Remote work improvements

• Seniority for part-time workers

• First choice for classes taught based on seniority

• Hiring preference for current part-time faculty when full-time positions open

United Steelworkers (USW) members who are faculty at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their first union contract:

• A minimum salary of $60,000 for full-time faculty (previously some full-time faculty were making $25,000 per year)

• $50,000 minimum annual salary for instructors and visiting faculty

• Increases to salary minimums in 2024, 2025, and 2026

• Salary minimums for full-time faculty will increase by $3,900 in 2024, $3,140 in 2025, and 2.5% in 2026

• Minimum per credit pay will increase for part-time faculty by 4% in 2024, 2.75% in 2025, and 2.5% in 2026

• A cap on future health insurance premium increases

• Paid leave for jury duty

• Personal days for full and part-time faculty

• Longer appointments for most full-time, non-tenure-stream faculty, and guaranteed presumptive renewal for all faculty with few exceptions

• Layoff protections, including limiting layoffs to financial emergencies or the closure of a campus; providing at least six months' notice for layoffs (or as soon as is feasible); management's commitment to a good faith effort to reassign faculty subject to layoff; and at least four months' severance pay for full-time faculty

High school Teachers

AFT members at Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School (Massachusetts) secured the following with their union contract:

• Wage increases between 12% and 14.5% (the largest in the school district’s history)

• An amended pay scale, which values career and technical education teachers who have professional experience but lack a bachelor’s degree

• Improved longevity and a future retention bonus

• More prep time as well as compensation for teachers responsible for the highest number of students

• Increased transparency through improved hiring committees, a procedure to resolve workplace complaints, like unfair treatment, and a new hire orientation

Non-teaching staff

Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) members who are professional, non-teaching staff at New York University’s (NYU’s) Tandon School of Engineering secured the following with their union contract:

• A 17.25% increase in base salary

• Childcare subsidies

• Eligibility to participate in NYU’s Portable Tuition Benefits Plan, which reimburses tuition up to $7,275 annually for members’ dependents who attend an accredited college or university

• A say in the development of a new remote work policy through a labor-management committee    

Resident Assistants

OPEIU members who are resident assistants (RAs) at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) secured the following with their first union contract:

• A pay structure that accounts for seniority and substantial increases to annual stipends, which raise RA stipends to $11,500

• Time off for holidays

• A labor-management committee made up of representatives from the union and management that will meet at least twice per semester to discuss issues like RA’s placement in housing

• A non-discrimination clause prohibiting the university from discriminating against any worker for any reason

• Sanctuary campus status, which guarantees the university will require immigration agents to comply with all legal requirements before ever interacting with workers

OPEIU members who are RAs at Tufts University (Massachusetts) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Increased compensation by 46% with the addition of a meal plan with 80 swipes per semester and a $1,425 stipend

• Holiday pay of a $50 credit to RAs’ student spending accounts for each day of a holiday worked

• An adjusted summer training schedule, which requires RAs to arrive on campus a maximum of eight days before the first move-in date (previously RAs were expected to arrive up to three weeks before the start of the academic year)

• The creation of a labor-management committee made up of five university representatives and five RAs to regularly discuss issues of mutual interest

• Staffing ratios capped at 50 students per RA

OPEIU members who are RAs at the University of Pennsylvania secured the following with their first union contract:

• A $3,000 stipend (previously RAs did not receive a stipend)

• A one-time payment of $750 for ratifying the contact for those who worked during the 2024 spring semester

• 20 additional meals as part of their meal plans

Healthcare

Nurses

AFT members who are nurses at Oregon Health Sciences University secured the following with their union contract:

• Wage increases of 15%, 6%, and 6% in each year of the contract, as well as a new 30-step wage scale (the average base wage will increase 37% and will average to a $20.67 per-hour increase over three years)

• Paid training for trauma-informed care (in-person de-escalation training, including advanced physical skills, crisis intervention, and assault prevention)

• Additional contract protections requiring break-relief assignments so that patient care is not compromised

• Nurse staffing standards that align with the higher complexity patients

• Minimum safe staffing standards for the Emergency Department, Acute Care, and custom ratios and levels for all other areas

• Improvements to workplace safety (a commitment to immediately institute urgent changes to lockdown procedures, securing entrances, and other workplace violence reduction)

AFT members who are home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services (Oregon) secured the following with their union contract:

• Wage increases up to 16% over four years and pay raises for nurses with advanced degrees and skills

• A one-time bonus for nurses still with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services

• Increased support for nurses’ professional development

• The establishment of a health benefits task force to explore workers’ and families’ health needs and make recommendations to keep care accessible and affordable

• The ability to isolate to avoid compromising vulnerable, home-bound populations for nurses who are exposed to communicable diseases

• A provision empowering the interdisciplinary workplace violence prevention committee to address workplace violence and prevention, physical and verbal abuse, and harassment issues unique to home care environments

AFT members who are nurses and technicians at Central Vermont Medical Center secured the following with their first union contract:

• An average wage increase of 21.5% over the course of the contract

Other Healthcare Professionals

AFT members who are technical employees, including respiratory therapists, MRI radiology techs, ultrasound echo sonographers, at Mid-Columbia Medical Center (Oregon) secured the following with their first union contract:

• New standardized wage scales that match experience (wages will increase 4% across the board)

AFT members who are social workers, counselors, therapists, case managers and other frontline employees at Equitas Health (Ohio), a LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS-serving healthcare organization, secured the following with their first union contract:

• A 2% raise retroactive to January 1, 2024 (on top of a recent 3% raise)

• A $1,000 signing bonus

• Increased compensation for a degree, license, or certification advancement

• A cap to the employee share of health insurance premiums

• Additional bereavement leave

• A more inclusive parental leave policy

• Eight hours of paid time off to volunteer in the community

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) members at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home (Maryland) secured the following with their union contract:

• Pay increases of approximately 10.5%

• Improved time off language that allows employees after one full year of service to request a cash payment instead of taking time off

• Two additional floating holidays for employees with 20 years or more of regular full-time seniority

IAM members at Military and Family Life Counselors (North Carolina) secured the following with their union contract:

• Retroactive base salary equity increase of approximately 13.6%, plus a locality premium of 6.5%, with an additional 2% base salary increase in each year of the three-year contract

• Flex time

• Paid time off and holiday increases

• Job security improvements

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) members at Sodus Rehabilitation Center (New York) secured the following with their union contract:

• Increased wages by 40% for certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses

• Part-time employees receive time-and-a-half pay for holiday work

• Improved 401K contribution match by the company

• Higher uniform allowance

• Sick leave for part-time employees and an improved sick leave policy for full-time employees

RWDSU members at Bloomsburg Care & Rehabilitation Center (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:

• Improved starting minimum wage rates

• Annual pay raises

• Secured paid time off

• Improved job security

RWDSU members at Valley View Manor nursing home (New York) secured the following with their union contract:

• Instant wage increases of 18% to 32%

• A contract ratification bonus of $300

• Pay raises of 2% in each of the last two years of the contract

• Increased shift differential or pay rate for working at untraditional times

• 401K match by the company

• Additional paid time off based on years of service

USW members who are certified nurse assistants, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), recreation aides, dietary and housekeeping workers, and material handlers at four different Kane Community Living Centers (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contracts:

• An immediate hourly raise of $3 for LPNs and another $2 an hour by the end of the contract

• Employees with at least three years of service will receive longevity raises

• Increased uniform allowance to $400

• Union representation for part-time employees

• Clearer communication

USW members who are unit clerks, phlebotomists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapy assistants, environmental service workers, and other professionals at Oroville Hospital (California) secured the following with their contract:

• An average one-year wage increase of 9.5% in the first year of the contract

• An additional week of vacation for members in the business office and service unit to address disparity issues

• Formation of a worker-driven joint health and safety committee (which will also address worker concerns related to patient care and workplace violence)

USW members at Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) secured the following with their union contract:

• Wage increases of between 2.5% and 20% in the first year of the contract

• General annual wage increases of 3% for the next two years of the contract

• Paid time off for maternity and paternity leave for full-time employees

Nonprofit

International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) members at the Animal Legal Defense Fund (California) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Equitable and guaranteed salary increases

• A retroactive cost of living adjustment

• Monthly remote work stipend

• Expanded holidays

• Protected existing benefits of paid sabbaticals, alternative work schedules, and a health insurance plan with 100% employer-paid premiums by adding them to their union contract

IFPTE members at Voces de la Frontera (Wisconsin) secured the following with their first union contract:

• An immediate wage increase of at least 6%

• Cost of living increases of up to 10%

• Layoff protections, guaranteed severance pay, and advance notice in the event of layoffs

• More paid time off

IFPTE members at East Bay Community Law Center (California) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Established a $50,000 salary floor

• Individual average salary increases of 15%

• Secured back pay and salary adjustments to individuals misplaced on their salary scale

• 100% employer-paid benefits for medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Vacation accrual cap raised to 40 days and sick leave cap raised to 35 days

• Secured paid time off for holidays, including two weeks off for winter holidays, four floating holidays, May Day, standard federal holidays (including Cesar Chavez Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day), and the ability to observe alternate holidays

• Sabbatical leave (after five years, employees may take an eight-week sabbatical leave, the first five weeks are fully paid, with an option to extend. Employees may also take a prorated amount of sabbatical leave at years seven and 10 years.)

• New attorneys are entitled to 20 days of paid leave to study for the bar exam

• Hour-per-hour comp time for staff who do not qualify under the law for overtime pay when they work more than 45 hours in a week

• Penalty pay for missed meal breaks

• Preserved a 35-hour workweek by codifying it

• Alternative work schedules and telework

• De-escalation protocols and training provided by the employer to improve safety

IFPTE members at The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis (Virginia) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Creation of a $50,000 salary floor and formalized salary bands

• Retroactive pay at adjusted salary rates for 2023

• Guaranteed annual salary increases

• Twice-a-year office closures to promote rest

• Additional annual leave and sick leave

• Improvements to family and medical leave and bereavement leave policies

• More accessible retirement benefits

• Formalized teleworking policies and secured employer’s commitment to a hybrid workplace

OPEIU members who are project coordinators at City Bar Justice Center (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Immediate pay increases to $41,500 and $43,500 (depending on length of service), including back pay for employees misplaced on wage scale, which raised wages by 15% on average

• Annual pay increases

• A mental health stipend

OPEIU members at American Jewish World Services (New York) secured the following with their first union contract:

• A $60,000 salary floor and structural salary increases

• Health care and insurance improvements, including reduced copays, increased fertility care, increased transgender/gender-nonconforming benefits, and the addition of orthodontia coverage

• Increased employer match to the retirement plan

• 20 weeks paid parental leave plus 12 weeks unpaid

• Transparent processes for promotions, job expansions, and annual salary increases

• A fair process for employee discipline that protects due process rights

State and Local Government

Attorneys

USW members who are assistant district attorneys and public defenders for Crawford County (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their first union contract:

• $50,000 base salary for assistant district attorneys and public defenders who have not yet passed the bar exam, $53,000 base salary for those who have passed the bar exam, and a $56,000 base salary for those with two years of experience as a lawyer, which amounts to base salary raises of 35% or more

• $40,000 base salary for part-time assistant district attorneys and public defenders

• Pay increases of $1,350 in 2024, $1,500 in 2025, and $1,500 in 2026

Firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders

International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) members who are firefighters, medics, mechanics, and 911 dispatchers in Fairfax County (Virginia) secured the following with their union contract:

• Higher starting salaries and larger annual raises for employees’ first 25 years of service

• Pay for training

• Compensation for employees who pursue higher education

• Employees returning to work after pregnancy are eligible for an additional period of light duty

IAFF members who are career firefighters, fire marshals, medics and public safety communicators in Loudon Country (Virginia) secured the following with their first union contract:

• Raises of 12.4% to 19.6% depending on job classification

• Near doubling of employer match to employees’ retirement accounts

• Increased paid time off

• Employees returning to work after pregnancy can be on temporary restricted duty for up to a year

• Established a labor management committee with representatives from the union and management to discuss issues of common concern

IAFF members in South Fulton, Georgia secured the following with their union contract:

• Guaranteed raises

• New incentive plans

• Protection of working conditions

IAFF members at the City of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:

• A 21.5% increase in base wages

• Six months of paid parental leave

IAFF members in Lansing, Michigan secured the following with their union contract:

• 9% salary increases

IAFF members in Houston, Texas secured the following with their union contract:

• 34% pay increases

• $650 million in backpay

IAFF members in Durham, North Carolina secured the following with their union contract:

• 22% pay increases

IAFF members who are firefighters at Boeing (Washington) secured the following with their union contract:

• 2% to 3% pay increases in each of the four years of the contract and guaranteed overtime, which raises average annual pay by up to $21,216

• A one-time $1,000 bonus

IAFF members in Palm Coast, Florida secured the following with their union contract:

• A defined-benefit pension plan

Librarians

OPEIU members who are librarians and library professionals at Somerset County Library System of New Jersey secured the following with their union contract:

• Guaranteed minimum raises of 8.75% with an improved policy to earn additional raises

• The addition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday bringing total paid holidays to 12

Other Public Sector Professionals

IFPTE members at the City of San Jose (California) secured the following with their union contract:

• Pay increases of 14.5% to 15%

• A one-time lump sum payment of between $442.50 and $1,770 based on their pension benefit level

• An improved market definition for more accurate comparisons as part of wage studies

• $2,500 to use for professional development

• Additional seven weeks of paid family leave for a total of eight weeks of paid leave

• Increased vacation sell back to 70 hours

• An additional eight hours of personal or executive leave

• Increased bilingual pay of $20 per biweekly pay period

• Up to $275 paid by the employer for protective footwear and insoles, with a $25 increase each year of the contract

• Employees who serve Emergency Operations Center shifts of 12+ hours for more than four consecutive days receive a minimum of 36 consecutive hours off

Utility

Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) members who are field workers and clerical workers at West View Water Authority (Pennsylvania) secured the following with their union contract:

• Total pay increases of 17.5% over their contract’s five-year duration, in addition to a one-time lump sum payment for employees and $1,000 annual bonuses after the contract’s first year 

• Fixed healthcare cost caps for the entire term of the contract

UWUA members who work on the water and wastewater systems for Anderson, Indiana secured the following with their union contract:

• Guaranteed 14% pay increases over the four-year duration of their contract  

• 40% increase in on-call pay, going from $250 per week to $375 per week

• Doubled annual longevity payments of $200 per year for 2022 and 2023, and a further increase to $250 per year in 2024, with no cap for years of service

• 15 paid sick days with an improved accrual method that will allow new employees to use their sick leave more quickly

UWUA members who are power generation employees at Seminole Electric (Florida) secured the following with their union contract:

• 10.25% in guaranteed wage increases

• $1,500 bonus upon ratification of the contract

• Increased pay for when employees are required to be on-call

• Improved healthcare benefits

• Two additional paid holidays

UWUA members who tend the roads, water, sewerage and buildings for East Longmeadow (Massachusetts) secured the following with their first union contract:

• 11% to 16.5% first-year pay increases due to step increases and changes in base step rates

• Guaranteed annual raises

• Improvements in standby pay

• Two new holidays (Juneteenth and Good Friday), increasing the overall number of holidays to 15 in a year

• An additional personal day

• Ability to take vacation after six months of service for new hires, instead of having to wait a year

• Changes that improve the way sick leave is calculated

UWUA members who work at Delta Gas (Kentucky) secured the following with their first union contract:

• 5% to 45% increases in base wages with most receiving a 15% pay raise on the contract’s first day

• Additional pay raises of 9% over the contract’s 3.5-year term

• Established a job progression structure that provides annual pay increases

• Double time pay for working holidays

• Increased employer reimbursements for work clothes and boots

• More vacation days and better short-term disability insurance