Providence Centralia Hospital RN Organized, Focused, & Ready: Bargaining Begins for Centralia RNs!

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Our union bargaining team: Amanda Coleman, Outpatient Surgery RN; Angela Lamb, L&D RN; Jeannette Wrzesinski, PCU RN; Alicia Howard, ED RN

On Monday, June 9, and Tuesday, June 10, our union bargaining team representing the RNs at Providence Centralia officially kicked off 2025 contract negotiations with back-to-back sessions with management.
 
In preparation, our team met on June 4 to review feedback from the bargaining surveys submitted by union members, identified our top contract priorities, and conducted a thorough review of our current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to pinpoint areas for improvement. We also examined contract language gathered by our coalition partners- SEIU 1199NW and WSNA- which helped inform and strengthen the proposals we brought to the table.
 
Over the course of our first two sessions, we presented Providence with non-economic proposals on our contract pertaining to workplace topics such as: equal opportunity employment & anti-discrimination practices, workplace safety improvements, & several key articles aimed at strengthening our union rights at work.
 
Following a number of our non-economics being presented to management, our team shifted focus to the economic sections of our union contract; gathering wage data from surrounding workplaces & analyzing various premiums and differentials RNs in our region are earning- we then used this information to support an well-informed initial compensation proposal, which we are confident reflects a number issues we’d like to see addressed in our new contract, including:

  • Eliminating ghost steps in the wage scale (years where no step increase is provided for continued service at PCH)

  • Full credit for previous nursing experience to ensure placement on the wage scale rewards our level of experience

  • New incentives for nurses who work beyond their FTE, or agree to pick up additional on-call shifts

Overall, our discussions with Providence felt productive, and our team noted management’s engagement around several issues we raised at the table- in fact, we quickly reached agreement on a few topics, such as:

  • Donning and doffing language, ensuring nurses are paid for time spent changing into and out of scrubs before and after their shifts

  • Expanded bereavement leave, adding provisions that strengthen our right to time away from work to grieve and heal

While we know this only marks the beginning of this years’ negotiations, we’re proud of the strong foundation we’ve built over just these first two sessions. Our team are organized, informed, and united behind our priorities. We look forward to returning to the table to present proposals on other key issues like safe staffing, retirement & health insurance benefits, and more.
 
“We’ve hit the starting line, and we’re ready to keep pushing forward!” -Alicia Howard; ED RN

CONTRACT ACTION TEAM (CAT) MEETING: June 25 from 7:00-8:pm

In Person: Peppermill Inn 1233 Alder Street, Centralia
Virtual: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88902651071?pwd=XTtD3pBlJnoO4UwTYq6xlAY4N2lXzR.1

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 a union? Send them here.