Providence Centralia Technical Calling All Techs At PCH!

Our Union bargaining team: Jennifer Frunz, Mammography Technologist; Jennifer Mullins, CT Technologist; Shauna Allen, Pharmacy Tech; Shea Carney; Respiratory Care Practitioner
 
Our Providence Centralia Hospital Technical unit bargaining team met with the Employer on Tuesday, April 22 for our second day of union contract negotiations.
 
During our second day with Providence, our bargaining team spent our morning doing a careful and thorough review of wages, premiums, and differentials that union Technical workers are earning at other hospitals & healthcare systems around Washington State, and used this data to complete our initial economic proposal, which we later presented to management. Our proposals included:

  1. A detailed article on how relevant experience is considered, which factors into how we are placed on our union wage scale. Our goal is to ensure that we’re paid according to the experience, knowledge, and skills we bring to Providence Centralia! This article also includes a “look back” at currently-employed workers so their wages are adjusted accordingly.

  2. An “Extra Shifts” incentive; similar to the nursing contract- if we work our FTE, and then offer to pick up more hours- we believe this should come with a premium!

  3. An increase to premiums & differentials- evening & night shift, weekends, & standby; including a proposal for a higher standby premium on recognized holidays, & an excessive standby premium- more money for being on standby longer!

  4. And most importantly; a significant proposal on wages; firstly, proposing to remove all “ghost steps” (steps where there is no increase for another year of experience)- and second; we believe the wages we presented will not only keep rates competitive, but to incentivize workers from other regions to come to PCH- and stay!

We are confident that our proposals made it clear to management that in order to fix staffing issues and high turnover in our hospital, our compensation has to incentivize Technical workers from across the state to come to Providence Centralia; particularly when healthcare wages have skyrocketed in Seattle, Tacoma, & Olympia; and our below market rates don’t seem to have filled many of the vacancies in our departments!
 
To make it clear to management that Providence Centralia Techs need to earn the wages that we deserve, we will need to make ALL of our voices heard- our bargaining team have called for an expedited Contract Action Team meeting to discuss what next steps we will need to take to make sure Providence know we are standing together for higher premium pay, credit for our working experience, and market leading wages!

CONTRACT ACTION TEAM MEETING: Tuesday, April 29, 7:00 PM – 8:00PM

In-Person at Peppermill Inn, 1233 Alder St, Centralia, WA 98531

Or Virtually via Zoom, Click here to join the meeting>>
Meeting ID: 833 9444 0504 Passcode: 293511

Sign the strike pledge card: We need to show Providence we’re ready to do what it takes to get what we deserve. Sign the strike pledge card or ask a fellow member to sign it if they haven’t already. 
 
Step up! We need department leaders to keep members engaged in the fight. providence united — UFCW 3000   
 
Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join the union? Send them here.