Today in bargaining we delivered our COVID petition for stronger safety precautions and hazard pay. A solid majority of our bargaining unit signed!
We also were able to reach agreements on some important contract provisions including:
Union recognition
Union access – our rep’s ability to visit to address worksite issues
Rules and rights for disciplinary & investigatory meetings
Duration of contract – 3 years
Back in August 2020, the RN unit overwhelmingly voted to reject the Hospital’s offer to: 1) extend the contract through 2021, 2) 4% across the board wage increase, 3) require nurses to pay for parking starting 2021.
On October 6, the RN bargaining committee and the Hospital began contract negotiations. The RN contract expires on October 31, 2020 and currently we do not have a contract extension, meaning we can take workplace actions like picketing.
On our first session, we made a proposal around union membership, union representative workplace access, and successorship language. The RN bargaining team put together a contract proposal which reflects the unit’s bargaining survey feedback and workplace concerns. Our goal this bargaining cycle is to hold Management accountable and obtain a contract with competitive wage increases, EIB, closed shop union membership, and better staffing language.
We are joining our fellow workers at Providence St Peter’s (Techs) and Providence Centralia (Tech and Support Services) at the bargaining table. These units are bargaining their first Union contract. We will be fighting together for good contracts and a fight with one unit is a fight with all!
Our next bargaining dates are October 21, October 28, November 13, and 17. We will be holding a car sign action at the end of October. Please contact your bargaining team or Anthony Cantu, Union Rep, to get your car sign.
If you want to be involved in the bargaining process or want more bargaining details, please join our Contract Action Team meeting on October 20 @ 8PM via Zoom.
Join our online CAT meeting!
Tuesday, October 20
8:00 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.
After bargaining for months, Management commits to engage in making a safe work environment but has no plan. We continue to bargain for safe working conditions and fair wages as top priorities.
Our Bargaining Team proposed significant wage increases to account for missed cost of living and longevity increases that have happened throughout the years, but Management came back with an insulting counter. Please continue to show unity by wearing your stickers on October 15 and 16!
Please join the Lourdes Counseling Center facebook page to keep informed on the ongoing negotiation and attend the Contract Action Team meeting on October 19 via ZOOM; contact your Bargaining Team for information!
Our Bargaining Team: Jordan Cox, Pam Garland, Paul Knighten, Tim Orr
OUR NEXT BARGAINING DATE IS ON OCTOBER 16!
At our first round of Contract Action Team (CAT) Meetings, we discussed the member survey results and our expected timeline for bargaining. Now it’s time for the action to start heating up! In order to successfully run a worker candidate for the PCC Board of Trustees, we need to put a detailed plan in place to gather co-op member signatures.
JOIN US AT OUR NEXT CAT MEETING TO HELP DEVELOP THE PLAN!
Our next CAT meetings will be on 10/19 & 10/21 at 9AM & 7PM. RSVP and Zoom info to follow.
We met with Management on September 29 and we were able to reach tentative agreements on telecommuting and adding an electronic copy of our Contract to NWA’s intranet once new software can be installed. We still are waiting on Management’s counter economic offer and response to COVID-19/Pandemic LOU.
Our Bargaining Team continues to discuss our key issues of strengthening the layoff language and creating a process with the emphasis on seniority to maintain positions during a staff reduction.
Our next bargaining session is October 13, 2020. Please reach out to one of your Bargaining Team members or Adrian Noel, UFCW Local 21 Representative on how you can become more involved to ensure the best outcome to our contract.
Next Bargaining Date: Oct 13
“We were surprised by the remarkable progress made today.”
OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Michelle Grennan, Kimberly Matson, and Miroslava Dashkel.
We would like to thank everyone who attended last week’s Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting! At this meeting we discussed how negotiations have progressed slower than expected because of how unprepared the Employer has been and their unwillingness to move on most issues. As a group we worked on an action plan to pressure Management to take contract negotiations seriously and work with us towards a fair agreement.
Then your Bargaining Team returned to negotiations the next day and were shocked by a sudden change in Management’s attitude. The Employer seemed to have come to the table looking to come to a deal soon, which was a drastic change from what we’ve experienced throughout this bargain.
In fact, we made remarkable progress at this session as we moved much closer, and even won some tentative agreements, on outstanding issues including wage increases and premium pay. We are significantly closer to a deal!
Your Bargaining Team will meet again with the Employer on September 30. We are cautiously optimistic about our next meeting and are prepared to follow through with the action plan discussed at last weeks CAT meeting if Management returns to their old pattern of delay.
On September 21, all three plants voted to approve the collective bargaining agreement between UFCW 21 and Aramark Uniform Services! All employees who have been working since September 2019 shall receive a retroactive pay bonus and will receive a pay increase of $.80 on October 1, 2020. Also all leads will receive a $.75 increase on top of their base rate on September 26, 2020.
If you have any questions, please contact your union rep, Monica Smith (Kent and Tacoma) or Kristina Storm (Everett).
En el 21 de septiembre las tres plantas aprobaron el contrato entre UFCW 21 y Aramark Uniform Services. Todos los empleados que han trabajado desde septiembre del 2019 recibirán un bono y un aumento de $.80 el 1ro de octubre del 2020. Además todo los “leads” recibirán un aumento de $.75 a su salario empezando el 26 de septiembre del 2020.
Si tiene preguntas por favor de contactar Monica Smith 206-436-6542 (Kent y Tacoma) o Kristina Storm 360-419-4667 (Everett).
ALL PROPOSALS ARE ON THE TABLE! This is a milestone in our negotiations and brings us much closer to a final agreement!
THE UNION PROPOSES HUGE WAGE INCREASES to account for the missed cost of living and longevity increases that happened this summer. Now the ball is in Management’s court.
Our Bargaining Team: Angi Swinhart—RN, Clinic; Kristen Frazer—Registration Specialist; Barbara Ford—ED HUC; Jeff Redmond—ED Tech; Alicia Wood—RN, ED
OUR NEXT BARGAINING DATE IS ON OCT 9!
Due to COVID-19, we were not able to hold an in-person contract ratification vote for the Pro-Tech and Support Services units. UFCW 21 has been conducting all contract ratification votes via mail-in ballots.
But due to the staffing shortages and reduction in machines within the United States Postal Service, ballots and returned ballots were extremely delayed. We have been in talks with OMC to implement the new contract wage increases before the dates the two contracts were ratified and OMC has agreed!
Retroactive bonus pay shall be dispersed on the October 9 paycheck. OMC sent out an email last week listing how the retroactive pay would be calculated.
If you have any questions about your retroactive pay or believe it is incorrect, please contact your Union Rep Aimee Oien (360) 662-1981.
It is clear that our workplace actions are working and Management is interested in a deal. But we must prepare to fight for our EIB and wage increases. Because of this impending fight, we sent out a letter to several community groups informing them about our contract negotiations and asking for their support! We will be having meetings with them to discuss how they can help us obtain a good first contract and keep our EIB!
On September 23 and 24, we met with Hospital Management and worked on five articles which cover Management’s right to change working conditions, disciplinary standard of “just cause,” grievance timelines, health and safety language, no striking during the life of the contract, and notification to the Union in case of a change in ownership.
These are core articles in all Union contracts. It is important that we have an agreement on these articles before we move onto economics, like wages, premium pay, health insurance, etc.
We will be holding a Zoom contract action team meeting/townhall to discuss bargaining in greater detail. In addition, please share the community letter which is posted on our PSPH Tech Facebook group.
In the spirit of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
OUR BARGAINING TEAM:
Josh (CT), Shapel (X-ray), Colleen (Cath Lab), Rae Lynn (RT)
Join our online townhall meeting!
Tuesday, September 29
6:30 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.
Our Bargaining Team met with NWA Management on Tuesday, September 15 and presented our comprehensive proposal that includes strengthening the layoff language and an economic plan that addresses the rising cost of living in WA.
We look forward to Management’s response and discussing the COVID-19/pandemic Letter of Understanding at our next session.
Please check with your coworkers and make sure they are receiving these updates. Also encourage anyone not receiving updates to reach out to update their contact information.
Next Bargaining Date: Sept 29
Our Union presented Management with many proposals but unfortunately Management failed to respond to any of them. Our Bargaining Team has been working to address the COVID MOU with Summit and Summit disputes the facts the Union has presented of their mismanagement.
We have been working to the best of our ability to get a contract in place, but Summit Management continues to not work in a timely matter, delaying their responses and not providing enough dates. Summit has only offered us two dates in October and November. Management is not willing to work with the Bargaining Team to find additional dates for us to work on getting this contract completed.
“Stand with your co-workers, community, and patients for the safety of all of us and sign our petition!”
— Our Bargaining Team: Angi Swinhart—RN (Left), Clinic; Kristen Frazer—Registration Specialist (Right); Barbara Ford—ED HUC (Center); Jeff Redmond—ED Tech; Alicia Wood—RN, ED
Your Bargaining Team met with Management on September 11 to continue progress on a new contract. We received Management’s initial wage proposal and healthcare proposal. Although no agreements were reached today, we had some important discussions on many topics including Pandemic Safety measures.
“LabCorp is sending us to the frontlines of the pandemic with a wooden sword and a broken shield. We deserve the best PPE possible as we directly serve the community!”
Eli Lanzcos, Bargaining Team Member
“Management’s economic package is not only far below our initial proposal; it likely won’t even be enough to cover the increase costs they have proposed to our medical plan. We need more money in our pockets right now, not less.”
Nancy Pyanowski, Bargaining Team Member
Join our CAT meeting via Zoom or Phone!
Wednesday, September 23
7PM - 8PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.
Next Bargaining Date:
Friday, September 18
We’ve been experiencing issues with overtime for work over 40 hours for years now. Even after a successful grievance (1), MGH still doesn’t believe we are owed time and a half for hours over 40 if we’ve incurred any other premium time during the week.
Pyramiding violations have continued, so we will be filing additional grievances. Contact your Bargaining Team members or Union Rep Nicholas to let us know if you’ve been denied OT for over 40 hours in the last year.
Join Your Bargaining Team for a Zoom Meeting to discuss what we all can do to win a good contract with no takeaways.
“We need all members to show Management that taking away sick leave is wrong during this time of crisis”
Grays Harbor Hospital Bargaining Team
Tuesday, September 22
3:30PM – 4:30PM • 6:30PM –7:30PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.
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.
