Providence St. Peter Hospital RN It’s All Out There!
/
OUR UNION BARGAINING TEAM (L-R): Mary Bloomberg, Surgical Acute RN; Jacob Kostecka, PACU RN; Darlett Holm, SADU West RN; Mike Staley, SADU RN; Ashley McBride, L&D RN; Julia Douglas, Sepsis RN; Grace Kraege, ED RN; Kelly Williams, Inpatient Psychiatry RN; Melanie Oakes, ED RN; Andy Dusablon, PACU RN; Haley Sweet, Neurology RN.
“It’s all out there- our team has worked really hard to put proposals on the table that won’t just recruit new nurses, but will take care of our nurses already here at St Pete’s” -Haley Sweet; Neurology RN
“The proposals we put forth over the last two days are groundbreaking in the ways they would improve the lives of nurses at St. Pete’s. Excited to move forward in the bargaining process now that all of our proposals have been presented.” -Grace Kraege, ED RN
On May 13 and 14, our RN Bargaining Team met with Providence St. Peter Hospital management for an eventful series of negotiations. These back-to-back sessions began with management presenting their initial economic counteroffer and concluded with our team making our final new proposals on retirement and healthcare.
Employer’s Economic Counteroffer:
Providence responded to our Bargaining Team’s wage scale proposal—one that was designed to eliminate “ghost steps” and shorten the wage scale, which is necessary to remain competitive with neighboring hospitals. Management’s response? Insulting.
Providence kept ghost steps. Their proposal kept three steps with no increases at steps 19, 25, and 27.
Top-of-scale nurses? While Providence’s proposal would give the base rate a 9% increase, nurses at the top of the scale would receive a jaw-dropping 16 cents per hour wage increase.
They rejected our proposal for a “Legacy Bonus”—an annual recognition for nurses who’ve reached the top of the wage scale and no longer receive step increases.
Management also made very little movement on our other economic proposals, including zero increases to our wage premiums and differentials. This counteroffer is not just disappointing, it’s disrespectful, especially for nurses who given decades of service to this hospital.
Proposing a More Secure Retirement
Planning for retirement used to be more straightforward. Previous generations could rely on a combination of Social Security, an employer pension, and personal savings to retire with stability and peace of mind. But today, pensions have become rare—and more of the responsibility has been pushed onto individual workers to rely more on their personal savings in retirement.
Our Bargaining Team believes we deserve better. That’s why we proposed adding the Sound Variable Annuity Pension Trust (SVAPT)—a secure, union-managed pension plan that already serves about 40,000 workers across Washington—as an additional retirement benefit for nurses at St. Pete’s.
This isn’t just a benefit—it’s a commitment. A pension would provide eligible nurses with a guaranteed monthly check for life after retirement, offering peace of mind and financial stability for those who choose to build their careers here. Alongside Social Security and personal savings, this would create a stronger, more reliable path to retirement than we have today.
Trailblazing Healthcare Proposal
Providence workers across our Union have been frustrated with our healthcare options, especially after the recent change to Atena. Our Bargaining Team wanted to explore options that would not only provide better, more affordable coverage, but also give workers more control over future changes to our insurance.
That’s why our Bargaining Team has proposed the creation of a Union Taft-Hartley Healthcare Trust—a health plan that gives nurses a direct voice in shaping our insurance. Under this model, we would have real decision-making power over premiums and deductibles, provider networks, and all future plan changes.
This model already works for thousands of union members across the country. By creating our own plan, we would gain the ability to bargain over our healthcare, instead of being subject to unilateral changes by Providence—as we were when the plan was switched to Aetna.
Our vision is clear: better care, lower costs, and a healthcare plan built by and for Providence union members.
What’s Next?
Our RN Bargaining Team is scheduled to meet with Providence again on May 21. In the meantime, you can help build pressure for a fair contract by signing a strike pledge and attending an upcoming Contract Action Team meeting.
TeleTown Hall: On May 22 at 7:30pm we will be hosting an all-Providence Teletown Hall in solidarity with SEIU 1199NW and WSNA.
CAT Meeting: May 29 at 8 pm – 9 pm Via Zoom >>
Meeting ID: 858 1875 0093 Passcode: 3000
ACTION ITEMS:
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.
