Over the last few months of negotiations, we have identified a few violations of federal labor law called unfair labor practices (ULP), but we believe that there are more ULPs occurring at Vestis. We need your help to identify ULPs. By identifying and reporting possible ULPs, you play a critical role in enforcing the law and strengthening our bargaining power.
Read MoreOn Feb 13, our member-led Bargaining Team returned to the table to fight for better wages, more hours, and other policies we need to uphold our co-op values.
We made some progress, reaching a Tentative Agreement with PCC that gives Helper Clerks top priority for promotions to Clerk positions.
Read MoreFebruary 18
Bargaining felt flat. We waited until 10:30am for the Employer to show so we could get them the proposal we'd worked on at our previous session—only to learn that their finance team wouldn't be present, so we couldn't get a response on economics from them. This has been the second time in a row that the Employer could not be there for bargaining or did not have the appropriate mix of people to give full responses to our proposals. Additionally, the Employer left mid-afternoon (which has happened before) despite us working to provide a list of topics we wanted to focus on in the next round of proposals. We had these dates scheduled far in advance and would appreciate more notice as issues arise.
That being said, we presented our counterproposals in the morning and then spent the rest of the day comparing and contrasting our proposals, the Employer's proposals, and the existing Capital Medical Center union contracts to get a thorough analysis of how to move toward mutual agreement on our contract language.
At our last session, we started rolling out strike pledge cards and by the end of the day we had the majority of members signed up.
Our next bargaining dates are March 2 and March 30.
"Bargaining is adults and Professionals coming to the table to work it out together."
— Roger
"We need action, we are spinning our wheels waiting for the Employer to get to work."
— Tammy
"Remember the MultiCare values, particularly, kindness, respect and collaboration. Also, do not forget about joy."
— Kimberly
March 5 @ 7pm and every two weeks after!
"We're not trying to take away the good things we love about our clinics or make huge changes; we are trying to create a more successful Dreamclinic for all workers and our clients!" — Erin Burgan, LMT
"The employee handbook is not enforceable—the Employer may change anything at will. We are simply asking for a transparent and fair set of guidelines for everyone." — Ross Honaker, LMT
"The Employer says they want to collaborate with us but their actions say they don't want us to have a seat at the table where our voices can be heard. So many of our proposals will cost them nothing." — Marianne Brennan, LMT
On February 20, we finally met with the Employer for our first in-person and almost full day of bargaining since January 13. We continue to negotiate in good faith, offering thoughtful proposals, but the Employer is pushing back against the most basic worker contract rights and protections including:
NO! Wage scale or annual wage step increases in the contract
NO! Worker legal rights in the contract
NO! Seniority
NO! Safety and Labor Management Committees
Refusing to provide all requested information to inquire in the Trust benefits including health insurance
Join us to learn what's happening at the bargaining table and review the proposals. Bring your questions and your thoughts!
Monday, March 2 at 10am
Join Zoom Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 337 759 5508
Thursday, March 5 at 4:30pm
Join Zoom Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 337 759 5508
Our Bargaining Team meets with the Employer:
March 17 and 31 for half-day sessions
Bargaining Team: Erin Burgan, LMT; Ross Honaker, LMT; Marianne Brennan, LMT
Please reach out to your Union Rep, Christie Harris, with any questions or concerns: (206) 436-6523.
Fresenius workers can see in Trevino’s story what solidarity looks like in action: Checking your check, speaking up when something's wrong, and stepping up to lead when your coworkers need you.
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Our Bargaining Team at Grand Central Bakery is excited to represent their fellow bakers and baristas across all four Seattle cafes.
Our first days of negotiations will take place on Monday, February 23 and Tuesday, February 24.
Pastry Lead, Wedgwood Location, 5.5 years
"I have seen the Wedgwood Cafe struggle through changes in management and high turnover for years, and I've witnessed the toll that has taken on my coworkers. I feel that I have a responsibility to ensure that our current team — and our future ones as well — can feel supported and thrive, not just survive. I'm hopeful that GCB will recognize that our proposals are tools to create a welcoming, empowering, and productive workplace. I'm looking forward to making GCB a better place, together!"
— Oliver Anderson
Barista, Eastlake, 1 year 8 months
"Over the past couple of years, we've dealt with increasingly unaccountable management, unsafe environments, and erratic scheduling. I joined the Bargaining Team to create a workplace that respects our time, pays us well for doing the work that keeps this company running, and ensures that we feel secure when we are there. I'm so proud of my coworkers for standing strong and supporting each other through the intimidation and union-busting the company has put us through for the last many months. We're going to win a great first contract for each other!"
— Fianna Shae
Shift Lead, Wallingford, 1 year
"I'm excited to advocate for fair wages for team members, leads, and assistant managers, as well as for clear, consistent communication expectations and policy enforcement. I am proud of my community of colleagues who've worked tirelessly to organize our Seattle cafes to ensure that GCB is accountable to the needs of their workers and upholds their values of equity, sustainability, excellence, and fair compensation."
— Amanda McClean
Pastry Lead, Burien
"We as a company do so much to make our customers happy; we strive to work with local farmers and suppliers to provide the best products. This is an opportunity for Grand Central Bakery to direct some of the intention, effort, and care that we show to our customers and partners inward. I want to be involved in bargaining so that the future of Grand Central is an equitable, inclusive, and fair one, making it more than just a place to work. I'm proud of our team for having the courage to fight for a better work community, creating a company that we can be proud to work with, allowing us to give more of our energy to creating for our customer community, knowing that as we take care of them we are being taken care of as well."
— Amelia Gunn
Our CAT Team will work with the Bargaining Team throughout negotiations to keep our coworkers informed as we fight for our first union contract. If you are interested in joining the CAT team, then please reach out to your Union Rep, Allison Hanley, at (206) 436-6586.
Culinary Lead, Wedgwood, 2.5 Years
"I am so proud of my coworkers for always standing together in solidarity throughout this whole process and am so excited to begin bargaining. I'm looking forward to bargaining for consistent and fair schedules, a competitive wage scale with raises for tenure, and better protections for employees."
— Emi Glaeser
Barista, Eastlake, 3 years
"I'm looking forward to developing a culture for GCB that brings the company back to its roots of equity and sustainability. In my three years here, I have witnessed the gradual decline in our company values in service of infinite profits, which has led to a rise in burnt-out employees and unsatisfactory customer service. Without this union, I firmly believe there is no future for GCB cafés in Seattle, and that would be a shame because our employees and our loyal customers are worth more than they are being treated."
— Luke Younger
Please reach out to our Bargaining Team or Union Rep Allison Hanley at (206) 436-6586 with any questions.
Tuesday, March 10 at 5:30pm at LinkedUnion 12601 W. Explorer Dr., Suite 200 Boise ID 83713
On February 12, we met for our seventh bargaining session with management to continue negotiations on our first contract. We received a response to our proposals from January 23 from the Employer at 10:30am and have been making steady progress.
After our discussion regarding inclement weather, the Employer came back with a proposal that addressed the majority of the concerns of the team from their previous proposal on the subject. We agreed to a 5% minimum increase in pay for those who obtain certification or licensing within the same covered discipline throughout their employment at CTC. This means if a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Developmental Specialist, Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (or other positions) obtains their licensing while working at CTC, they will receive no less than a 5% increase. We also have had ongoing conversations surrounding the caseload calculator.
We presented management last time with our market analysis of wages, so they returned with publicly listed jobs that had information about wages and paid time off at other organizations. The Employer is insisting their "Total Compensation Package" (which includes paid time off and health care insurance amongst other benefits) is the reason why their competitors might pay more or less in wages than CTC. The way we see it is our health care costs are very high, we do not feel our wages are very competitive, and we are offered less in total time off than other employers. We have pointed out to CTC that the current compensation model has not attracted candidates to fill open positions, leaving CTC with more vacancies compared to similar employers. It is difficult to reconcile how all of these components factor into the "total compensation" offered by the Employer, and we are currently analyzing the information to inform our next response.
We spent the rest of the day working on a response, however, we were unable to finalize one before the end of the day. Our next meeting with the Employer is on February 27, and we will present our proposals in the morning.
Please join us for a Contract Action Team meeting on February 24 at 7pm to discuss our next steps in securing our first Union contract!
We began our ninth session on February 9 with MultiCare by receiving the Employer’s proposal, which included some tentative agreements on shift differentials for RNs and Technical CBAs (Service was already above market), but left a lot of outstanding issues, including Charge Nurses, Staffing and Low Census, amongst others.
Read MoreAs we make final preparations for bargaining—our ability to win a strong contract depends on having active, informed, and united Union Members in the workplace. We are working towards a strong and sustainable contract for all!
Read MoreStay informed! Stay involved! Our Union Nurse Bargaining Team will begin your contact negotiations on March 11. Attend the next bi-weekly Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting on Tuesday, February 17 via zoom.
Read MoreBecause Vestis is refusing to schedule more bargaining sessions, we are preparing to roll out strike pledge cards. Signing a strike pledge card means you are showing support and saying you are willing to strike if needed to win a fair contract.
Read MoreOur Bargaining Team is excited to announce on February 11 our contract was overwhelmingly ratified by Union members!
Read MoreIn March we'll be back at the table, and we are ready to keep up the fight! You are encouraged to join our upcoming Contract Action Team meeting on Thursday, February 19 to hear more.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, February 10 and 11, our union Bargaining Team representing the newly organized healthcare workers at the Optum Everett Clinic met with Management for back-to-back in-person negotiations sessions.
Read MoreOur team was informed at 7:20am that the Employer negotiator was sick. However, the Employer provided us with a proposal early in the morning that allowed us to work throughout the day. We were able to compile a response that we will be ready to present to the Employer at our next session on February 18.
In the meantime, our team is working on preparing strike pledge cards for all of us to sign! While a strike pledge card is not binding (that would require a vote of the entire bargaining unit), it is a great sign to the Employer of our seriousness. It indicates that we are ready to escalate our fight to get a fair contract. The pledge cards will be sent out shortly, and we encourage all of you to sign and show our solidarity!
As this campaign is moving along, we feel like scheduling regular Contract Action Team meetings to keep everyone informed. The cadence of these meetings will be every two weeks, and the next one is scheduled for February 19 from 7pm to 8pm. Please join us!
Bargaining Team: Amy Myrtue Nelson, Kimberly Vetter, Sela Smith, Tammy Taylor, Callie Hills (not pictured)
On February 5 & 6, our member led Bargaining Team returned to the table with Uwajimaya and made progress on many non economic issues. Uwajimaya also made their first economic proposal which raised concerns about key priorities for our Bargaining Team.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, February 4, our Bargaining Team representing the newly-unionized Pediatric Transfer Center RNs at Mary Bridge met with MultiCare for our first day of negotiations on how our group will enter into the existing RN Union contract.
Nurses working in the Pediatric Transfer Center won our Union election—certifying that we will be represented members of UFCW Local 3000—in late summer 2025. Because we will be joining the existing RN contract which already covers the majority of workplace topics like wages, working conditions, hours of work and overtime, we will engage in bargaining over the acquisition of our department into the larger contract.
For the most part, this results in a relatively more straightforward type of contract negotiations with the Employer. A direct example is the Memorandum of Understanding our team put together to present to MultiCare, which contained only five sections: seniority, PTO Requests and Accruals, floating and scheduling provisions within the Pediatric Transfer Center—and importantly—how our non-Union wages will be converted to placement on the Union contract wage scale. Unfortunately, this is where things seemed to get a bit more complicated in terms of management's position. In fact, placement on the wage scales remains the only piece we did not reach mutually agreed-upon language on.
While we proposed that placement would be based on credit for our years of nursing experience—with the important clarifier that this would not result in any decrease to our current wages if we're currently paid above where we would land on the Union scale based on experience—the Employer rejected the language that this placement would not decrease our wages. This theoretically opens up the possibility for a decrease in wages if our current rate is above that of the Union wage scale rate.
What's even more aggravating about this response is that MultiCare has agreed to follow a nearly identical process for several newly organized units across the past few years, meaning that what we are asking for is not anything more than what MultiCare has already agreed to for plenty of other unionized workers.
Unfortunately, our teams were not able to come to an agreement on our placement on the wage scales by the end of our scheduled session, and so we will now work to coordinate additional bargaining dates to continue these discussions. We're looking forward to winning a fair Agreement that respects our years of RN experience without compromising what we're already being paid by MultiCare.
Pediatric Transfer Center RN Bargaining Team: Kate Kersen, Megan Little
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
