Our Contract Expired: Here’s What It Means
Many of our contracts expired at midnight on Sept. 30, 2025.
We are now working without a contract. That does not mean we lose our rights, protections, or power. It means we are in the next phase of bargaining. Here is what every member should know:
Status Quo Rules
Even though the contract has expired, the law requires the employer to maintain the status quo.
- Pay, benefits, and working conditions remain the same as under the previous agreement.
- The employer cannot make unilateral changes while negotiations continue.
Bargaining Continues
Our teams continue to meet with management, and our goal remains to win a fair contract.
- Both the union and employer are required to bargain in good faith.
- We will not stop until we secure improvements for our members, patients, and communities.
We Can Strike and Take Action
With no contract in place, the no-strike clause has expired.
- We can strike (health care requires a 10-day notice).
- We can picket.
- We can sympathy strike in support of other unions.
- We can sympathy picket alongside our allies.
These actions give us more power to hold management accountable and win the agreement we deserve.
Arbitration and Grievances Under Expired Contract
- Arbitration: The arbitration process ends when the contract expires, unless both sides agree to extend it. New disputes cannot be taken to arbitration without agreement.
- Grievances: Issues that arose before Sept. 30 may still be processed under the old contract’s grievance procedure.