MultiCare Auburn MC RN & Case Manager RN Accretion Bargaining Update—Sending A Message

On Wednesday, January 22, our Auburn Medical Center RN & Case Manager RN bargaining team met with MultiCare for our tenth bargaining session of this contract cycle.

During this session, we felt a significant shift in the balance of power. The energy and solidarity from our well-attended Informational Picket just days prior were still palpable. When we met with MultiCare in the afternoon to present our counter proposals- we also shared that in just six days' time more than 180 nurses had signed our strike pledge...

52%!

This turnout is nothing short of extraordinary, and even at the time this update is being written, that number continues to grow.

Sharing this with MultiCare sent a powerful message: Auburn Medical Center nurses are fed up, and ready to take action. For far too long, our concerns have been ignored, dismissed, or brushed aside- and paired with five months of rejected proposals aimed at addressing the severe staffing shortages and improving recruitment and retention- we are demanding the respect and attention we deserve.

In response to our renewed strength and resolve, management responded with urgency, and requested that we schedule additional bargaining sessions as soon as available. Our bargaining team agree that this next session will determine our path forward. We are hopeful that MultiCare show up ready to work, and ready to bargain in good faith to get RNs and RN Case Managers at AMC the fair contract we deserve.

STRIKE PLEDGE CARD
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Samaritan Health RN - New Three-Year Contract Ratified with Unanimous Vote on January 6, 2025

After two sessions of bargaining and countless hours of hard work and dedication put in by our bargaining team, we were able to recommend and ratify our new contract which included competitive wages, increases to many premiums with additional premiums for those that go above the minimum requirements which we believe will help recruit and retain qualified Nurses.

We look forward to building on the foundation that we have strengthened and unified during these negotiations. We are calling on all nurses to get involved and share the responsibility in building a strong union within our facilities and show Samaritan Health that we will not be divided in our fight for a fair contract that recognizes and respects all of our hard work and dedication.

Please contact your bargaining team or Union Rep Amy Radcliff at (509) 340-7370 with any questions or concerns.

Your Bargaining Team:

• Babette Donnelly, RN ER

• Kina Treiber, RN Mother Baby

• Ruth Cammack, RN Mother Baby

• Teresa Erickson, RN ICU

• Russell Roden, RN Clinic

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center RN & RN Case Managers Bargaining Update - THINGS ARE HEATING UP!

Our bargaining team for Auburn Medical Center RNs and RN Case Managers met with MultiCare on Thursday, January 2, marking the eighth day of negotiations this cycle.

Following our previous session with management on December 11, and a highly attended Contract Action Team meeting on December 16, our team was empowered and eager to continue pushing for a strong contract that reflects the hard work and dedication of Auburn Medical Center nurses.

After much anticipation spent awaiting management’s responses, our team was presented with an economic offer from MultiCare that we feel continues to undervalue our nurses by raising their previous proposal by a mere half of one percent—bringing the new total to 7.50%.

Even more concerning, MultiCare’s proposals for across-the-board wage increases in Years 2 and 3 of our contract (3.00% and 2.75%, respectively) are not only well below current market standards but could further widen the gap between the wages of Auburn Medical Center nurses and those at competing King County hospitals.

Another major point of frustration is MultiCare’s continued rejection of our proposal for a Staffing Premium—contract language that mirrors agreements in place at two other MultiCare hospitals. Despite extensive discussion, MultiCare claims they are “unsure how to implement and track” the premium at Auburn Medical Center... puzzling, considering they have successfully implemented similar provisions at their other worksites.

Overall, we feel MultiCare is not acknowledging the realities of the nursing wage market in King County. As a result, we spent the rest of the day on January 2 planning the next steps to stand together and demand change, including holding an Informational Picket at the Medical Center.

If MultiCare doesn’t see our value, then we will make sure they see OUR SOLIDARITY!
 

INFORMATIONAL PICKET:

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
Thursday, January 16, 2025
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

RSVP Here >>

& Join our Picket-Making-Party on January 13 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM:

UFCW 3000 Office
23040 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198
 

PRE-BARGAINING DROP IN MEETINGS:

Join us for a 30-minute drop-in meeting before each day of negotiations from 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Click Here to Join >>
 

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Your Bargaining Team:

• Nick White, RN

• Nicole Joseph, Case Manager RN

• Sandy Hegg, Case Manager RN

• Cory Larsen, RN

• Sarah Murry, RN

Jefferson Healthcare RN - Contract Ratified!

On December 30, a majority of RN/LPN voters approved the new contract! This agreement includes meaningful improvements:

• 7.5% or $3/hour wage increase the first full pay period following ratification

• Elimination of the $1.722 per compensable hour health insurance contributions

• Bonus shift pay

• Increased premiums

• Other changes aimed at retaining and recruiting staff

Over the next few weeks, we'll be drafting and formatting the final version of the contract. Once it's signed, we'll post it on the UFCW 3000 website and distribute copies to all bargaining unit members. In the meantime, you can review the redline contract and updated wage scale here: View Contract >>

Grievance Update: Fighting for Missed Bonus Shift Pay

We've filed a grievance regarding missed bonus pay for nurses who signed up for bonus shifts and were later canceled. Under the previous contract, these nurses should still have received bonus pay, but the Hospital claims otherwise.

We strongly disagree and are fighting for backpay. If you've been affected, please gather any documentation of bonus shifts you picked up but were canceled. Your records are important for determining the liability.

If you receive discipline or are called into an investigatory meeting, notice changes to your workplace conditions, or have other contract questions, please contact your Union Rep Kimberly Starkweather (206) 436-6515.
 

Samaritan Health Hospital RNs - Fully Recommended Tentative Agreement! Contract Vote Scheduled

Our Bargaining Team is excited to announce we have reached a tentative agreement with Samaritan Health Hospital that recognizes our hard work and dedication. The employer heard our team’s requests regarding wages and equity and made significant changes that the bargaining team believes will improve retention and recruitment while boosting satisfaction. We still have work to do and will continue the work through the next three years so that we can build on what we have worked so hard for. We look forward to sharing all the details at our vote.

Drop-In Vote Meeting!
Monday January 6, 2025
Room 404

• 6:00 AM — 10:00 AM

• 2:00 PM — 5:00 PM

Please join the bargaining team in voting YES! Complete documents will be available for review at the vote. You must be a member in good standing to vote. Please reach out to your Union Representative at (509) 340-7369 or any member of the bargaining team with questions.

“We stood in unity and achieved a fair and equitable contract for Samaritan RNs!”

Jefferson Healthcare RNs - BARGAINING UPDATE

On Monday December 2, we informed the hospital management team that we were sticking with our original proposal for strong wage increases, emphasizing that it is essential for Jefferson to provide wages that are both competitive and sustainable to meet the high cost of living. Our other proposals included increased Shift Differential, On-Call/Low Census Standby Pay, Weekend Differential, Charge Pay, Preceptor Pay as well as changes to Resource RN parameters and pay, PTO Maximum Accruals (specifically when PTO is denied and the nurse is close to reaching the maximum), and changes to PTO Cash out and Deferral options. We also responded on language regarding Holidays and Low Census Rotation.

We had an extensive discussion about scheduling. Although both teams have an interest in some self-scheduling practices, Management's initial proposal for scheduling was restrictive and unsustainable, particularly around weekend work. We expressed in great detail our concerns over this proposal. Management agreed to review their proposal and make revisions. We are currently working on a response to their revised proposal as well as our proposals for Healthcare and Pension and the Addendum for Surgical Services RNs.

Our previous proposals included adding per diems in the bargaining unit and we are continuing to talk to per diems about this to ensure we are representing their interests. Please seek out and encourage your per diem colleagues to fill out the Union Showing of Interest cards.

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday December 10.

For additional information contact Bargaining Team Members: Robin Bridge, Emily Bishop, Chris Beatty, Michelle Grimmer, or Union Representative Kimberly Starkweather (206) 436-6515.

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MultiCare Auburn Medical Center RN & Case Manager RN Accretion - BARGAINING UPDATE - November 13, 2024

On Wednesday, November 13 our Auburn Medical Center RN and Case Manager RN bargaining team met with MultiCare to continue negotiations on our contracts at our fifth session with management.

After three sessions without a response to our initial proposal to welcome the Case Manager RNs into our union, we were excited to see that at our previous session management came prepared with a proposal on their placement on a wage scale & how years of nursing experience would factor into their union rates of pay.

However, management's proposal introduced some new challenges—for instance, the proposed Case Manager wage scales they presented differed from the wage scale in the main union contract; and although the wage scale for Case Managers appeared higher than that in the nursing contract, management later clarified that this is because Case Manager RN's years of clinical nursing experience are not counted one-for-one when figuring out where we would be placed on the wage scale. Additionally, MultiCare proposed a new set of premiums specific to Case Managers, such as shift differentials and a weekend premium, but at rates lower than those in the nursing contract. We ultimately felt that these differing wage rates, premiums, and experience calculations were designed to create a division between Case Managers and the rest of the RN unit. In response, we presented counterproposals in the afternoon that would align Case Manager compensation with the main nursing contract—ensuring that experience is recognized consistently, that wages are aligned more with the RN wage scale, and also rejected the proposed lower premium rates.

"Despite what we feel are efforts to divide us, we feel more united than ever before!"

—Nicole Geff; Case Manager RN

Meanwhile for the RN contract, we also began our morning reviewing the latest set of proposals from management at our previous session. We are glad that in some areas of the contract we are making progress on getting to a final agreement with the employer, however many our highest priorities remain on the bargaining table as open issues for continued negotiation:

SAFETY:

• Maintaining free on-site parking, and working to secure language around transportation safety for nurses who have vehicles broken-into or damaged in the on-site garage.

STAFFING:

• Updating our contract language to reflect the new hospital staffing law in Washington State, and pushing for additional compensation for nurses who care for additional patients above what the hospital staffing plan permits.

WAGES:

• After receiving management's initial wage proposal at our last session—we were disappointed to see that their offer only provided a three percent (3%) increase in the first year of our 2024 contract—which doesn't even compete with the wages that nurses are earning in a number of Pierce County MultiCare hospitals.

We know that it would take more than twice that percentage—around 7.00%—to get us up to market with many other MultiCare nurses—so we hope management come to our next bargaining date on November 21 with a serious proposal that pays nurses at Auburn Medical Center for the lifesaving care we provide every day.

"Hopefully MultiCare find the rest of the budget for their next wage proposal!"

—Cory Larsen; RN

CONTRACT ACTION MEETING

To learn more about our ongoing negotiations, and to team up with our union siblings in the Service Unit with SEIU, join your bargaining team for a UNITY BREAK:

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Cafeteria
Wednesday, December 11
7:30AM – 8:30AM

 

Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Health RNs - Tentative Agreement Reached on a First Contract

Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Service and Technical

VOTE SCHEDULED
November 25, 2024
12:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room
7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA.

The Bargaining Team is recommending a YES vote.

Our bargaining team is encouraging all employees covered by this agreement to join them on November 25, 2024 any time between 12:00 AM and 7:00 PM in the Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room at 7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA. This is a great time to learn about the new contract, ask questions and vote. The new contract guarantees 2 wage increases each year of the contract, a competitive wage scale, additional paid time off, job security, grievance process, continuing education reimbursement, union security and much more.

We are excited, hopeful and confident the first contract will lay a strong foundation for an even stronger future. We believe equality and fairness has been achieved in this three-year contract. We now have a voice and a seat at the table to discuss wages, benefits and working conditions. WE CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE. Ask your bargaining team how to get involved.

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Our Bargaining Team: Jennifer Medrano MA, Jose Munoz Lazo MA, Kaylene Kuhn, Radiological Technologist, Amy Brown LPN, Sandra Pineda MA.

“We came together as a group, asking for fairness and security. After many months of hard work, we have achieved it! The more unified we are, the stronger we become.” 

— Kaylene Kuhn

“Unity is strength...when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved”

— Jose Munoz Lazo

“I love my Lourdes team, and no matter what position or role you play in this company, we are ALL VITAL employees. Looking forward to a better future for all with a YES vote on this initial (first) contract.”

 — Amy Brown 

Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Health RNs

VOTE SCHEDULED
November 25, 2024
7:30 AM and 10:00 AM
Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room
7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA

The Bargaining Team is recommending a YES vote.

Our bargaining team is encouraging all Nurses to join them on November 25, 2024 any time between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM in the Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room at 7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA. This is a great time to learn about the new contract, ask questions and vote. The new contract guarantees 2 wage increases each year of the contract, a competitive wage scale, additional paid time off, job security, grievance process, continuing education reimbursement, union security and much more.

We are excited, hopeful and confident the first contract will lay a strong foundation for an even stronger future. We believe equality and fairness has been achieved in this three-year contract. We now have a voice and a seat at the table to discuss wages, benefits and working conditions. WE CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE. Ask your bargaining team how to get involved.

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Our Bargaining Team: Kimberly Edwards, RN and Leilany Garcia, RN

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Bargaining Update

Our Bargaining Team is working hard to make sure that everyone has competitive wages and a fair and equitable place to work!

We have provided Summit with wage charts from many other area hospitals and clinics. We have discussed the cost of living and how competitive pay is for jobs in the area. Management has said they are listening and understand how recruitment and retention works. Our last bargaining session, management came to bargaining and told us why competitive wages are important to Summit's success.

WE AGREE! It's what we have been saying all along.

We all need to make enough money to pay bills and support our families.

Summit will be expanding soon and we know this means better service to our community. Management needs to understand that we are part of this community and we need to be paid fair wages.

OK Summit Management, it's time to put money in people's pockets.

Our next bargaining session is Friday, November 8.We hope that management will be ready for us.

Bargaining Team:Kimberly Starkweather, Allison Felder, Monica Ortiz, Barb Ford, Judea Prouty, Kurt Phillips.

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