Kaiser Spokane Pharmacy Techs - Union Update • February 23

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We Pharmacy Techs know there are a lot of questions on the future of our union representation in Spokane and having a Union contract that addresses the issues that are important to us. 

An NLRB Election to determine if we would like to be represented by UFCW 21 will take place by mail over a four-week period. UFCW 21 has disclaimed the Pharmacists and currently the Pharmacy Techs are still represented. Only Pharmacy Techs in Spokane are eligible to vote. Ballots will go out by mail on March 8  and must be returned to the NLRB Regional Office by no later than April 5, 2021. The ballots will be counted and election results determined on April 7. 

Before the decertification petition was filed with the NLRB, bargaining was scheduled for February 23. Because the Pharmacists are no longer represented, we returned to bargaining as the Pharmacy Tech Unit. 

Our union bargaining team members are Tiffany Yeates and Jackie McFarlen, and Tiana Tupou is the alternate and helping lead the contract action team. 

Why are we bargaining while there is a pending NLRB Election? 

The NLRB Election on April 7 will determine whether we continue bargaining and are represented by UFCW 21. We currently have bargaining dates scheduled for April 1, 15, and 29. We are committed to sticking together and negotiating a strong contract for ourselves and our coworkers. Being at the bargaining table allows us to be informed directly from UFCW 21, the Alliance of Health Care Unions, and management- and have a voice in addressing and prioritizing the issues of Pharmacy Techs. 

Will we receive our merit pay increases and Rewards Bonus next month?

Yes. In bargaining, we discussed scheduled merit increases and the Reward for Results bonuses. The Alliance of Health Care Unions has negotiated nationally that due to Covid-19, all union represented employees will receive 100% of the bonus regardless of whether the Regions have met all their goals. The Alliance fought hard to make sure that the annual bonuses were paid at the maximum to all Kaiser workers, regardless of Union representation. 

This means that we will receive 100% of our Rewards bonus and it will be on our paycheck March 5. Over the next week and a half, Jim and Melanie will meet with us to let us know our individual bonus amount. We also secured that we will receive our merit increases as normal on April 2. If you have any questions about your individual bonus or increase, please reach out to our Union Representative Maureen Hatton, 509-340-7370. 

Bargaining Update

We focused bargaining yesterday on outlining the issues that are most important to us in Spokane:

  • Maintaining our current Retirement Plan 

  • Securing our current Kaiser Healthcare Plan for the Future

  • Winning the wage scale in Western Washington for Pharmacy Techs in Spokane! UFCW 21 members in cities such as Olympia, Puyallup, Everett, Seattle, and Silverdale, all are on the same wage scale.

  • Wages and premiums that allow us to recruit and retain Pharmacy Techs- including on-call, weekend, evenings, Optfill, IV Tech, Lead, and Float premiums

  • Staffing and float coverage for covering vacations, sick time, and FMLA. We discussed creative solutions that included temporary part-time employees, more floats, and healthcare apprenticeship programs for Pharmacy Techs. 

  • Rebalancing and ways that this process can be improved in the future

For questions or for more information, please contact Union Representative Maureen Hatton, 509-340-7370.