Recovery Cafe - Bargaining Update: Progress Toward a Deal

We organized at Recovery Cafe to safeguard our coworkers from retaliatory management and arbitrary policies, for guaranteed and predictable wage increases, and to better this organization for staff and the members we serve. After nearly a year of negotiations, we can see our progress toward those goals nearly ready for a ratification vote. Our bargaining committee met with Recovery Cafe on May 12 for a half day of negotiations.

After weeks in between sessions, our bargaining committee focused on our top priorities to get us to a deal: health care and wages. Our team met before our last session to put together a proposal around dependent coverage on health care that would cap the maximum amount our coworkers would have to pay to have their families on the Employer's insurance. Recovery Cafe responded by supposing a $300 contribution toward health care costs for dependents, while introducing a new cost share for the platinum health care plan at 85 percent covered by the Employer and 15 percent covered by workers.

We don't agree that the way forward is to take money from other coworkers to offset dependent health care costs. To get toward this goal, we did what's called a package proposal: combining many articles together to trade some proposals the Employer wants for some proposals our Union bargaining committee wants. Our package proposal maintains the existing health care cost sharing, introduces a $500 contribution from the Employer toward dependent coverage, responds with a reasonable wage counter, and includes us agreeing to nearly every other article the Employer has proposed.

While we hoped the Employer came prepared to continue negotiations after reviewing our package proposal, they were not ready to respond to our most important articles and needed to break for the day.

At the end of the session, the Employer then proposed an attendance policy. Because we are in a Union, we have the ability to negotiate before any attendance policy is implemented. The Employer's intent is to treat our discussion over the attendance policy separately from our contract negotiations. We hope to get to a deal on our contract first and then continue discussions with Recovery Cafe regarding the proposed attendance policy.

We have set another bargaining date with Recovery Cafe for June 2 with the explicit goal to get to a deal that we can feel proud of, to serve as the foundation for future negotiations.

Contract Action Team Meeting

May 28
7pm
Meeting ID: 822 3510 5335
Passcode: 437517

Join Zoom Meeting >>

Join our next contract action team meeting on May 28 at 7pm on Zoom to discuss some of the tentative agreements we have and the next steps toward a contract vote.

Covington Medical Center - Bargaining Update

"We’re done being patient."

— Ryan Boyd

"There is a lack of respect for people who care about time."

— Poonam

"Miscommunication: This is what management stated to us after we waited all day for a proposal from Management. Our team feels there was no miscommunication; however, we felt there was a lack of respect."

— Faith

"They were treating our proposals as if they were unworthy of attention."

— Fortunate

Our Bargaining Team felt completely disrespected by the Employer after we waited a full day for the Employer to give us a proposal of any kind. We asked the Employer to come talk with us about our frustrations. When the Employer finally showed up an hour later, our team spoke about why union membership was so important to everyone.

The pressure and solidarity shown in the field are making a difference. Because members have continued to stay engaged, speak up, and demonstrate unity, the Employer has begun moving on several of our key priorities at the bargaining table.

We have another bargaining date scheduled for May 28, where we hope to have further discussions with the Employer to address the outstanding issues.

We are asking everyone to continue signing strike pledge cards to show solidarity and build power within the Bargaining Unit. Please sign below and join our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting on May 21 at 6pm to talk about our next workplace actions!

Sign the Strike Pledge >>

Forks Community Hospital RNs - Bargaining Update

Forks Community Hospital RNs
Bargaining Update

Bargaining Session #2: April 28 and April 29

Our sessions on April 28 and April 29 were relatively productive. We are continuing to work with management to retain and improve our contract, but we are still facing challenges. Despite reaching a decent amount of tentative agreeements, management has proposed increases to our health care plan premiums, changes to other benefits, and new cost-cutting proposals that work against our interests. We need to move forward, yet management is trying to take steps backward with takeaways.

What We’ve Won So Far

• Removed management’s ability to reopen economics mid-cycle.

• Workers do not have to use minute-to-minute PTO to make up for leaving early.

• Workers will be paid for any incremental overtime, with all applicable premiums included.

Areas of Concern

• 3.1 Union Access — management is trying to restrict our Union Rep’s access to us at work.

• 9.10 Multi-Competency Premium — management is adding hoops to jump through to retain this premium.

• 12.2 Worker Discount — management wants to reduce the discount by limiting it to the patient responsibility portion of the bill instead of the total bill, which is the current practice.

• Proposed increases in premiums for all health care plans, including for individuals.

Please join us at Pacific Pizza on Thursday, May 14 from 3pm to 5pm for an informational meeting about the proposals, what we are fighting to improve, and what management wants to take away from us. Food may be available.

Contract Action Team Meeting

May 14
3pm - 5pm
Pacific Pizza
870 S Forks Ave
Forks, WA 98331

EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Bargaining Team Holds Firm on Member Priorities

Our Bargaining Team met with management and continued working through proposals that reflect the priorities members have been raising. While there was some movement at the table, management has not shown interest in many of the proposals the team has brought forward.

Our team came prepared and focused on presenting a meaningful and equitable proposal. We continue to hold firm on the issues members have said are important, including standby, callback, rest between shifts, year-for-year experience, and fair and equitable raises for everyone.

"We are really focused on giving management what we believe is a meaningful and equitable proposal. They are not interested in a lot of what we are suggesting, but we are holding firm on the things we know are important to our members, including standby, callback, and rest between shifts. Management may think we can wrap this up in the next session, but we are still far apart on key issues."

— Anna Hennager

Tentative Agreements Reached

• Access to personnel files at any time

• Expanded Union Steward leave

• Agreement on overtime language related to the timekeeping system

These agreements are important steps forward, but there is still more work to do.

What We Are Still Fighting For

• Year-for-year experience recognition

• Strong standby and callback language

• Rest between shifts protections

• Fair and equitable wage increases for everyone

Contract Action Team Meeting

May 28
5pm - 6pm
Tan 134

Members are encouraged to attend the next Contract Action Team meeting. This is an important opportunity to stay informed, talk through next steps, and make sure members are ready to support the Bargaining Team as negotiations continue.

Management may be optimistic about wrapping things up quickly, but the Bargaining Team knows there are still major issues on the table. Now is the time for us to stay united, stay engaged, and show support for our team as we continue fighting for a fair contract that respects Evergreen Kirkland workers.