ABQ Times

The University of New Mexico Hospital has reached a contract agreement with the United Health Professionals NM division of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). This agreement will represent approximately 400 clinical employees at UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center, a campus of UNM Hospital.

Negotiations began on September 18, 2024, and involved nine meetings before reaching a collective bargaining agreement. The contract includes employment terms for both regular and PRN (pro re nata) employees, featuring a 3% wage increase. This increase aligns with those received by other UNM Hospital employees earlier this year. Union members ratified the contract, making the wage increase effective as of October 13, 2024.

Kate Becker, CEO of UNM Hospital, expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “I’m pleased the negotiation teams were able to come together at the table and reach an agreement. I appreciate the time and dedicated effort that went into every meeting over the last month. Our employees deserve the focus and collaboration that was required to get this done.”

While PRNs are included in this current agreement, both UNM Hospital and AFT await a final ruling from a New Mexico District Court judge regarding their inclusion in the bargaining unit. According to New Mexico law, only "regular employees" can be part of such units legally. Since PRN employees are freelance workers, there is debate about their eligibility for public union membership. Despite this uncertainty, UNM Hospital agreed to include PRNs in good faith while awaiting judicial clarification.

Jamie Silva-Steele, President of UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center stated: “This is great news for our clinical employees here at SRMC who work hard to deliver high-quality and safe care to every patient who comes through our hospital doors. We remain committed to providing the very best care to our patients while also supporting our staff who selflessly put their patients first.”