The practice of “rounding” an employee’s timecard is being eliminated, and instead CHI Franciscan are converting their timekeeping systems to an “actual timekeeping” calculation- where employees are paid to-the-minute, rather than having the daily totals of their hours-worked rounded up or down to the nearest quarter-hour, respectively.
Read MoreUFCW 21 sent a letter to management detailing our demands during this outbreak, and have received a response from management that they would like to meet with UFCW 21 leadership as soon as this week. We will update everyone with whatever we learn.
We also wanted to report back some of the results of safety surveys many Harrison/St. Michael workers took last week. The surveys showed:
78% of survey takers have had an issue with damaged, untested, or inadequate supply of PPE
60% believe they had an exposure to a COVID-positive patient or coworker since Aug 4
50% of quarantined respondents were put on paid admin leave while quarantined
18% were quarantined while waiting for test results
43% learned of the outbreak from a coworker
30% learned of the outbreak from news media
21% learned of it from hospital management
In many departments, large amounts of new PPE showed up almost overnight last week, and while we are frustrated that it took this much hard work from union hospital staff to get protective equipment on the floor, we’re glad it has now been made available. If you continue to have issues with unsafe PPE, you can always send us a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org.
“We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
OUR PRO-TECH BARGAINING TEAM: Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes
Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on August 12 and, thanks to further community support during last week’s action, we were able to once again make significant progress towards an agreement.
The most notable movement was Management’s willingness to withdraw their new healthcare proposal, which would allow new hires onto the terrible CHI Franciscan plan. While the employer hasn’t officially withdrawn the proposal, they have agreed to withdraw it when we finalize updated language regarding the Sound Health & Wellness Trust. We’re pleased with this development as the Employer’s plan to force new hires onto the CHI Franciscan plan was a serious threat to our affordable healthcare, as it would give the Management leverage to take away our healthcare when we renegotiate in 2023.
Additionally, we have made progress on a new member lead pandemic safety committee, we continue to fight against an attack to the per diem premium and are much closer to an agreement on wage increases. We are still working against some equity issues with the Employer latest wage proposal but are hopeful those issue can be resolved soon.
Your Bargaining Team is looking forward to resuming negotiations on August 19 and 28.
We met with Management on May 19 and made progress on outstanding issues such as ensuring new hires receive adequate training, addressing harassment in the workplace, and reassurances that our contract will withstand any future mergers.
We remain apart on wages and are still fighting for wage increases that will both retain workers and attract new hires by having increases in every year of our contract. We are committed to fighting for a fair contract that invests in our future and ensures that wages at Harrison Medical Center are competitive with other employers in the region, that we have reliable costs for our healthcare and are treated with dignity and respect at work.
If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.
“We, the essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, deserve a fair contract with wage increases that invest in our future.”
Harrison Service & Dietary Bargaining Team
“Please join us for our first virtual Contract Action Team meeting next Tuesday May 19 @ 7:30pm!”
Harrison Medical Center Pro-Tech Bargaining Team
CHI Harrison Medical Center Service & Dietary + Pro-Tech Contract Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, May 19 - 7:30PM
RSVP to get call join info
PRO-TECH UPDATE
Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on May 5, 12, and 14. We have come to agreements with the employer to improve language regarding schedule posting, promotions, new hire orientation, and safety.
However, we are still fighting the employer to protect our Union healthcare, maintain successorship language that has protected our contract through recent mergers, create a member driven emergency preparedness team, and fair wage increases that keep Harrison Medical Center market competitive. Our next bargaining dates are June 5, 12, and 14.
If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.
BARGAINING TEAM: Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes
SERVICE & DIETARY UPDATE
Your Bargaining Team met with Management on May 8 and achieved improvements on schedule postings, new hire orientation, safety, and won a new short-term personal leave benefit.
However, we continue to fight Management to maintain successorship language that has protected our contract through recent mergers, ensure adequate training for new hires, job positing transparency, create a member driven emergency preparedness team, and fair wage increases that keep Harrison Medical Center market competitive. Our next bargaining date is May 19.
If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.
BARGAINING TEAM: Bobby Harris, Susan Mayer
UFCW 21 is working hard with our partners at SEIU 1199NW Healthcare and WNSA to keep our members safe. Thanks to the many submissions to safetyreport@ufcw21.org we are able to take members’ concerns directly to the employers. We hope to reach similar resolutions like this one with other employers across the state to ensure the safety and well being of workers on the front lines. We need to take care of the workers that take care of us.
DATED this 15th day of March, 2020:
The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU 1199NW Healthcare Union, and United Food and Commercial Workers Union (Unions) and CHI Franciscan (Employer) hereby enter into the following Memorandum of Agreement in response to ongoing health concerns presented by the COVID-19 virus.
PRINCIPLES:
A. The parties share a mutual interest in assuring the health and safety of patients, clients, families, staff and the community.
B. Nurses and other healthcare workers are on the front lines in the delivery of essential health services to patients in need.
C. The decisions of all parties should be guided by the Center for Disease Control and other public health agencies.
D. The parties wish to work together to take reasonable steps to protect patients, clients, families and staff from unnecessary exposure to communicable diseases including COVID-19.
AGREEMENT:
A nurse or healthcare worker who the Employer does not permit to work due to exposure to Covid -19 disease while at work shall be placed in paid leave status during any required quarantine period. Paid leave status may be a combination of L&I Workers Compensation and employer paid administrative leave. The combination of which will ensure the employee will experience no loss of pay or accrued time off until such time as the Employer permits the employee to return to work. An employer representative will be available to assist employee with coordination of federal, state and employer benefits as may be applicable.
A nurse or healthcare worker who self-quarantines based on concern of social exposure to COVID-19 shall have access to extended illness bank on day 1 until the employee is able to return to work.
During the quarantine period described in both situations above, the healthcare worker is required to participate in the Employer’s monitoring process. If criteria is met to return the employee to work, in accordance with CDC guidelines, and the employee nonetheless refuses to return to work, the rights set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 will no longer apply.
A nurse or healthcare worker who travels to a foreign country on the CDC’s high risk list, will need to be quarantined for 14 days when they return. EIB would not be applicable and the nurse or healthcare worker would need to use PTO or other benefits available under statutory rights.
A nurse or healthcare worker who is unable to work due to being part of the CDC’s at-risk group (older than 60 or with an underlying medical condition) may request an accommodation. If a workplace accommodation cannot be granted, the employee will be granted a leave of absence and have access to accrued time off benefits. If the employee's paid time off accruals exhaust during the leave, Employer will work on a case by case basis with the employee to ensure appropriate continuation of medical benefits until the employee is deemed eligible to return to work by the Employer.
When possible, telework or alternative assignments may be provided as an accommodation for nurses or healthcare workers who are in an at-risk group identified by CDC guidelines.
The Employer will provide all nurses or healthcare workers who have been exposed, such as treating a patient who was not confirmed, but later is to have COVID-19 with written notice within eight (8) hours of known exposure. The written notice will include: the date of exposure, assessment of exposure risk and Employer decision on whether to permit the nurse or healthcare worker to work or placed on paid leave.
Nothing in this agreement is intended to prevent employees from accessing other state benefits for which they may qualify, including but not limited to unemployment compensation insurance, paid family and medical leave, or workers compensation.
No less than weekly, the Employer will provide the Union with the number of its represented nurses or healthcare workers who have been exposed and the leave status of the employee.
Duration of this agreement is no later than when the Franciscan Regional Disaster Plan is inactivated.
March 15, 2020
In response to the developing COVID-19 situation across the south Sound, an incentive (“Temporary Assignment Incentive”) has been created to encourage employees in defined job classifications to volunteer for temporary assignments at other acute care CHI Franciscan locations experiencing staffing shortages (“Secondary Hospital”). The incentive will be in place through no later than when the Franciscan Regional Disaster Plan is inactivated.
An employee in an eligible position who volunteers and is assigned to a Secondary Hospital will be leased to the entity. Associated labor costs incurred while working at the Secondary Hospital will be paid by the hospital where the employee is employed (“Employer Hospital”) and charged back to the Secondary Hospital through a lease agreement process. The charge back will be invisible to the employee, who will experience no change in employer status, base pay, service credit, or other related terms of employment. Employees who volunteer for reassignment as described above will receive their regular rate of pay, plus Temporary Assignment Incentive, for all hours worked at the Secondary Hospital. All policies and CBA requirements relating to pay, premiums, and benefits covering the employee at the Employer Hospital remain in effect for the employee during their temporary assignment at the Secondary Hospital.
Unit manager approval from Employer Hospital is required before an employee is authorized to participate. The employee will be required to commit to a full week assignment at the Secondary Employer and will be removed from their regular schedule at Employer Hospital for the duration of the commitment. Employee will be guaranteed hours at no less than their regular FTE at the Secondary Hospital. The employee will receive mileage reimbursement for the number of miles traveled between their facility of employment and the Secondary Hospital where assigned. In the event the need for work at the Secondary Hospital diminishes during the commitment period, the employee will be returned to the schedule at their Employer Hospital without loss in hours.
ED RN
PCU RN
ICU RN
Pharmacist
CT Technologist
Respiratory Therapist
Telemetry Tech
Certified Nursing Assistant
RN - $10.00 per hour
CT Tech - $10.00 per hour
Respiratory Tech - $10.00 per hour
Per diem RN; CT Tech or Respiratory Tech: 1.5x pay
Telemetry Tech - $5.00 per hour
CNA - $5.00 per hour
An employee temporarily assigned to a Secondary Hospital will be unable to use the timeclock at the Secondary Hospital and must manually document all shifts worked on the Kronos paper Exception Log.
The KRONOS Exception Log entry must include shift date, in punch time, out punch time, number of hours for the applicable shift, and “Temporary Assignment Incentive” noted in the explanation/comments section.
The employee must send, scan or fax the exception log to their regular manager at their Employer Hospital by the Sunday immediately following their temporary assignment.
The local HR timekeeping department is responsible for processing all Temporary Assignment Incentives. The Temporary Assignment Incentive for FTE employees will be paid using the Shift Bonus $ pay code and will be visible in Kronos. For per diem RN’s the overtime pay will be processed in Kronos to generate the appropriate pay.
a. In departments that perform their own timekeeping, the manager and/or department editor will not have access to the pay code for Temporary Assignment Incentive. They must enter applicable shift and relevant edits for the on-loan employee and fax the approved Exception log to the local HR Timekeeper, who will apply the pay code and process the timecard.
b. In departments that utilize local HR Timekeeping services, the manager must approve/sign the exception log and fax it to the local HR department timekeeper for processing of all exception log entries.
About SEIU Healthcare 1199NW
SEIU Healthcare 1199NW is a union of nurses and healthcare workers with over 30,000 caregivers throughout hospitals, clinics, mental health, skilled home health and hospice programs in Washington state and Montana. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW’s mission is to advocate for quality care and good jobs for all.
About WSNA
WSNA is the leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state, providing representation, education and resources that allow nurses to reach their full professional potential and focus on caring for patients. WSNA represents more than 17,000 registered nurses for collective bargaining who provide care in hospitals, clinics, schools and community and public health settings across the state.
About UFCW 21
UFCW 21 is working to build a powerful union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and our communities. We represent over 45,000 workers in retail, grocery stores, health care, and other industries in Washington state.
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
