ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ

Andrew Stark, the international servicing representative for UAW Local 95 Region 4, said the union met with Mercyhealth management and a federal mediator at 9 a.m. Friday morning.

“The union remains committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement for these members that are out on strike and also helping that agreement get in place that allows for better healthcare outcomes here,â€� Stark told ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ in an interview Friday.

However, Stark said Mercyhealth indicated its position had not changed, standing by a contract offer that he said was “voted down overwhelmingly by membership.� In response, the union on Friday said it presented a new set of proposals and a strike settlement agreement.

Therese Michels, a media relations spokesperson for Mercyhealth, wrote in an email Friday afternoon in response to a request for comment from ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ on the dayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ negotiations, that the health system had nothing new to say publicly.

“We have nothing to add to our original statement,� Michels wrote in an email.

Stark said the union would like to see the walk-out end soon.

“Our goal here is not to sit on the picket line until the cows come home. Our goal here is to get Mercy to treat these members in a fair and equitable manner,� Stark said, adding, “what the membership will not do is settle for peanuts out here.�

Stark noted how executive compensation compares to pay offered to rank and file employees.

“We know what the executive compensation is at this facility,� he said, noting that Mercyhealth CEO Javon Bea “made over $11 million in 2023.�

“To say that the proposals that union members are asking for are unrealistic, are not in their business interests, is absolutely ridiculous to me,â€� Stark said. “ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a slap in the face to these workers that show up every single day, care for patients, and make the money for Javon Bea and his other executives that get paid these lofty and absolutely ridiculous salaries.â€�

Safety concerns are part of the unionÃÛèÖÊÓƵ bargaining proposals, Stark confirmed. He noted that security guards and working cameras, once in place at Mercyhealth East, are no longer present.

Stark expressed particular dismay at the companyÃÛèÖÊÓƵ actions regarding security since the strike began.

He recounted arriving at the clinic at 6:30 a.m. on the first day of the strike to find “a security van and multiple security guards walking the grounds.â€� This, he said, signaled that the companyÃÛèÖÊÓƵ concern was about securing the facility from employees, rather than for employees.

“It made these members feel as though they brought security here because they were afraid of the employees that work here, which is, again, just ludicrous,� Stark said, praising the strikers as “salt of the earth� and “caring� individuals who wouldn’t be in the medical field otherwise.

Despite the breakdown of FridayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ session, Stark said the union plans to reach out to the company again, reiterating its willingness to bargain for a fair agreement. No new negotiation date has been set.

Stark expressed pride in union members for their resilience through recent weather including “downpours, heat waves,� and also thanked community members and other unions for their support, including dropping off water and food.

A group of state legislators from the Rock County area have also joined the picket line and this week sent a letter to Mercyhealth, that ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ obtained a copy of, stating their support for striking workers.

“Those little gestures mean the world to these striking workers,� Stark said. “They are members of the Janesville community. So, when they see the Janesville community stepping up and having their back, it just, it can’t get any better.�