MultiCare Covington Medical Center RN, Service, & Tech Bargaining Update
/Yesterday, November 25, our union Bargaining Team representing the RNs, Service and Tech workers met with the Employer for the second time.
Read MoreYesterday, November 25, our union Bargaining Team representing the RNs, Service and Tech workers met with the Employer for the second time.
Read More
“MultiCare is holding hostage your present stability for the sake of future uncertainties”—Brian Dansereau, Pharmacy Technician
Our union bargaining team met with MultiCare on Wednesday, March 6 to continue negotiations on our nine contracts.
While responding to our proposals on topics such as concerns with our insurance benefits, or a guarantee that parking will remain free- Management’s unwillingness to agree to these proposals was chalked up to an uncertainty over what MultiCare might decide in the future, or sentiments that the insurance benefits are “system wide”- so we’re left to suspect that means it’s too difficult for them to amend?
We feel it is too difficult to navigate the constant changes in health insurance for ourselves, our families, and our children; we feel it is too difficult to wait longer and longer to see our physicians; and we feel it’s too difficult to get the prescriptions those physicians have prescribed us when we have to navigate MultiCare’s narrowing in-network eligibility!
If MultiCare can’t hear the demands of our bargaining team —they WILL hear the voices of over 2,000 MultiCare employees represented in these nine contracts: we’re here to bargain for our benefits and our working conditions!
Take action checklist:
Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare
Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract
“They basically showed us that our priorities are not their concern. We feel that we put a lot of thoughtful proposals on the table, and they were just unceremoniously rejected.” —Gregg Barney, Press Operator
Our Union Bargaining Team met with MultiCare on Friday, March 1 to continue negotiations with management on the nine contracts we’re represented in.
When it was the Employer’s time to respond to our evaluations and proposals over necessary changes to our health insurance benefits, it became clear that they had something else in mind entirely —rejecting all initial proposals made on the plan.
Our Bargaining Team has heard on countless occasions, from our union Bargaining Surveys and stories told by our coworkers, that our insurance benefits are not only one of our highest priorities in this round of negotiations —but one of the most consistently challenging aspects of being a MultiCare employee.
We work tirelessly every day to provide health care to our patients, why should we have to work even harder to seek health care for ourselves? Especially while being employed at one of the largest health care systems in Washington State.
While we feel disappointed that this is the response from the Employer, we know that one of the only ways forward is to stick together, and fight for what we deserve out of this process!
Take action checklist:
Sign up for a Contract Action Team meeting on March 5 & April 8
Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare
Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract
After many months of bargaining, we finally have a tentative agreement. We worked hard to get a contract that works for all! We won historic wage increases that can help recruit and retain qualified staff!
We also won:
New wage scales and job classifications.
Filled in all ghost steps.
Low Census Limits for RNs.
Staffing Accountability Language.
And other great wins!
The vote will be in-person and members will have the opportunity to speak to Bargaining Team members before casting their ballot. Please arrive during the posted vote times as we cannot allow members to enter the vote room outside of the advertised times.
We worked hard to get some great improvements to our contract, but we couldn’t get everything we wanted this go around. We won new historic wages with the largest first year increases we have ever seen – making us the highest paid in the MultiCare system. We are proud to recommend a YES vote!
After months of bargaining, we finally reached a tentative agreement and fought hard to get a contract that works for all. As a result, we won historic language and wage increases!
» Historic wages that can help recruit and retain qualified staff
» New wage scales and job classifications
» Filled in all ghost steps
» Low census limits for RNs
» Staffing accountability language
» And other great wins!
PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING TIMES SO YOU CAN VOTE ON OUR NEW CONTRACT!
If you have questions, please reach out to a Bargaining Team member OR call Union Rep Ian Jacobson @ 206-436-6550.
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.