Veterinary hospital union successfully ratifies contract

Gajus/stock.adobe.com

The veterinary team at All Creatures Animal Hospital (ACAH), and its parent company Cara Veterinary Corp, reached an agreement last month with the unionized hospital staff. The agreement included base and yearly pay increases for veterinary team members, excluding veterinarians, increased paid time off accruals, and a transparent wage system.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA),¹ the deal between the hospital and the union, ACHA Alliance, included the formation of a workplace safety committee, standards for air quality and temperature were set, and an abusive client policy was adopted. Nonveterinarian employees at the hospital will also be entitled to bereavement time for a pet’s death as well as employee discounts for veterinary care at the hospital.

The labor contract will cover 20 All Creatures Animal Hospital employees, except veterinarians. They originally began bargaining in July 2021 with goals from their first contract such as improvements to paid time off, workplace health and safety, and pay equity.¹ The contract also includes a just cause standard where a person is fired for misconduct or a different sufficient reason as well as progressive disciplines.

“With the negotiations process at All Creatures Animal Hospital complete, we will turn our full focus to our important work: setting a new standard for quality care for pets and their parents and supporting the extraordinary people who care for them,” said Peter Brown, DVM, president and cofounder of Cara Veterinary Corp., to AVMA News.

This new contract outlines skills-based layoff and recall procedures, outlines seniority, union education for new team members, and a grievance procedure to be sure contractual obligations are being adhered to. A tiered pay structure was also added to the contract that takes into account the seniority, skill, and knowledge of staff members.

Reference

Veterinary hospital union, management ratify two-year contract. News release. American Veterinary Medical Association. October 30, 2023. Accessed October 31, 2023. https://www.avma.org/news/veterinary-hospital-union-management-ratify-two-year-contract