If our Bargaining Team is unable to reach a fully recommended offer at our next session on April 8  —then our union Bargaining Team is recommending a NO vote on the contract proposal and a YES vote to re-authorize a strike. 

When we fight we win! Management heard us because of our unanimous strike authorization vote. With the strength and support of our co-workers behind us, we were able to lock in significant movement at the table:  

We beat back management’s attempts to gut our dental plan. 

• Proposals were exchanged that would ensure NO changes to our contractual dental plan over the course of the contract and included language that would ensure we keep our Dental plan in place long term, as long as it remains the standard for the Service & Maintenance unit at the hospital.  

We also locked in new Tentative Agreements on:  

• Recognition of past experience for New Hires 

• Increase Shift Differentials 

• Increased Standby pay 

•  Preceptor Premium 

• Adding MLK Day as a holiday 

• Clarity of sick leave usage 

• Removal of Ghost Step for step 23 and Step 11 

• Improved Grievance process 

• Staffing LOU  

• Tuition reimbursement increase 

While these are promising improvements they are not enough until we win significant improvements on wage proposals. 

Caregivers deserve respect from Management, Sacred Heart is the only level 2 trauma hospital in the area and is a vital resource for our community for miles around. Other hospitals send us their most complicated and desperate patients to get the care they need. 

Throughout the negotiation process Management has tried to circumvent good faith bargaining by unanimously implementing procedures around mealtimes and breaks, imposing a wage path without negotiating, frustrating the process by failing to provide essential information to our union bargaining team, and other unfair labor practices.  

Contract vote scheduled: Thursday, April 11 from 7am to 8pm in the Leahy Room (next to the cafeteria). 

If we are unable to reach a fully recommended offer at our next session scheduled for April 8 our union Bargaining Team is recommending a NO vote on the contract proposal and a YES vote to re-authorize a strike. Any time there are significant changes to the proposal we must re-vote. All members in good standing are encouraged to vote. To receive the union strike pay benefit, you must complete a W9 form before we go on strike >>

“We need to show Management that the progress we made isn’t enough with a strong NO Vote. We hope we can reach a tentative agreement, but we are united and ready for a ULP strike if we must. Over the next week we will be signing up for strike shifts and picket captain trainings. We are not afraid to do what we must to win,” - Craig Kistler 

“We need to recruit and retain talented caregivers so that we can provide the quality healthcare this community expects from a Trauma level 2 Hospital. Spokane has become one of the most expensive places to live in Eastern Washington, we need wages that stay competitive with other area healthcare centers and acknowledge the unique and important role that Sacred Heart plays in caring for communities for miles around.” - Teresa Bowden

Next steps:

1. Addend the contract vote/strike re-authorization vote on Thursday, April 11 from 7am to 8pm in the Leahy Room (next to the cafeteria.

1.  Strike shift sign-ups will be available next week 

1. To receive strike pay you must complete and return a W-9 >>