After hundreds of members took action together this month to overwhelmingly authorize a strike, (Providence St. Peter’s Technical Unit, Centralia Support Service Unit/Technical Unit, and Providence Everett RNs) Providence proposes a wage scale and longevity wage increases at the bargaining table!

On June 22, our committee spent the morning identifying our priorities in order to advance our bargain to win a first and fair contract. Our team has presented a proposal which includes:

• Wage scale with longevity wage increases and cost-of-living increases all three years of the contract

• Reinstatement of our original PTO/EIB program which will ensure we receive wage replacement while we are on medical leave for ourselves and our family 

• 100% Employer paid healthcare and contract language which would prevent premium increases

• Securing our current retirement plan and contract language which would prevent reductions to contributions

• Daily overtime and overtime for hours above our FTE 

• Increase to lead pay 

Providence presented a package proposal which requires us to agree to the entirety of the proposal. Providence proposed: 

• 1.5% wage increase in Year 1 and Year 2 of a three year contract 

• Wage scale with longevity step increases in Year 2 and Year 3 of the contract 

• Current PTO plan with PTO reductions to employees with 10 years or more of service

• Preceptor pay

• Voluntary union membership

• Same insurance benefits as non-union employees and the ability to bargain over material changes

• A retirement plan that would allow Providence the ability to reduce the benefits without bargaining with the union 

Providence’s wage scale proposal was a significant win, but there is still more work to do! Our strike authorization and other actions are the reasons why we were able to obtain this proposal! We now need to fight for our EIB/PTO, a wage scale for all three years of the contract, and wage equity between new hires and senior employees. 

Striking is always our last option and our team is committed to bargaining in good faith to find solutions at the bargaining table. 

We will be at the bargaining table on July 21 and July 22. Remember if you didn’t vote please take a minute to sign a strike pledge card and attend a strike education meeting so you can better understand what it means to strike! 

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT), Colleen Castaneda (Cath Lab)