Multicare Auburn Medical Center (Professional) - Bargaining Continues

Our Union Bargaining Team (L-R): Marci Pindi. Social Worker; Ramona Strassburg,Mental Health Technician; (Not Pictured: Brent Kirshenbaum,Pharmacist)

“It was a nice change to be able to pass proposals back & forth today, it felt productive! However- I didn’t like hearing that they’re not planning to move much on their wage proposal…” —Marci Pindi, Social Worker, Bargaining Team member

Our Bargaining Team met with MultiCare Management on May 8, to continue negotiations on our first Union Contract.

Throughout this process, we have felt increasingly frustrated about Management’s approach to working towards a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with us; for the most part, rejecting our proposals time and time again, or holding their position with little to no change for weeks (or even months) at a time.

While we’re not sure we can confidently say that this pattern has changed entirely, we are feeling very positive about the work achieved at the bargaining table on May 8. We’ve come to agreements with Management on some issues like shift differentials (evening & nights), the minimum guaranteed hours we’re paid when we’re called into work (On-Call), and memorializing our participation in the MHS Gainsharing Plan.

This progress is encouraging, but we still have a fight ahead of us on some of our highest priorities, considering management confirmed that they have not increased their wage scale proposal at all.

Are MultiCare feeling the pressure? We think so! However, we need to stand together now more than ever to make sure management understand that our wages need to reflect the life-saving care we provide every day.

Join our next Contract Action Team meeting:
Thursday, May 16 @ 11:30am—12:30pm
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, Cascade Training Room