Our union Bargaining Team returned to negotiations with MultiCare twice this week; Monday, June 16, and Thursday, June 20, on the heels of last week’s powerful and spirited informational picket.

Historic turnout of members and community has shown MultiCare that our Bargaining Team is serious when they say workers across the system are frustrated and committed to take action for a fair contract. And our team feel even more confident, knowing that so many community supporters, workers from other unions, and elected officials also have our back.

Unfortunately, during the picket MultiCare engaged in actions that we believe are illegal under federal labor law: 1) there is evidence that MultiCare security illegally surveilled the picket line, taking photos and/or video; and 2) MultiCare security ordered members to stop leafleting patients at a hospital entrance and even threatened to call the police on them. UFCW 3000 attorneys are reviewing these incidents and may file unfair labor practice charges against MultiCare to hold them accountable.

We returned to the table on Monday the 16 when our Bargaining Team presented the Employer with an amended wage proposal that maintains our position for MultiCare to be a market leader compared to neighboring hospitals. We shared data with the Employer to highlight again that for many classifications, their most-recent proposal would leave our wages behind competitors such as St. Joseph Medical Center and UW Valley Medical Center.

Then, on Thursday the 20, our efforts focused on looking for creative solutions to address the serious issues with our healthcare benefits. This included a package proposal that would address our skyrocketing healthcare premiums and the secession of the Healthy@Work program. We concluded the day after providing MultiCare with responses on all our outstanding Articles, leaving everything in the Employer’s court. We look forward to receiving their responses at our next scheduled session on Thursday, June 27.

What you can do

You and your co-workers can help keep pressure on the employer by continuing to wear your buttons, shirts, and stickers, and by continuing to talk with each other about this bargain and you’re ready to do to win a fair contract.

Next big moment

Following our next-scheduled negotiations day on June 27, our union Bargaining Team will be holding a Telephone Town Hall at 8PM. On that call,we expect to make major announcements about our next steps in the fight for a fair contract. If your phone number is current with UFCW 3000, you will receive a phone call inviting you to join the Telephone Town Hall at 8pm.

“It was truly amazing to see how many people came to our picket to support us. We felt the power of our Union! However, we do wish MultiCare wouldn’t have violated our rights while we were out there… Their email to us said they respected our right to picket!?” —Catherine Cox-Shaffer; Radiology Tech at Tacoma General Hospital