Zenith American Solutions - Bargaining Continues

We met with Zenith management on April 27, 2021 and discussed our Healthcare proposals. A few agreements were reached but nothing substantial was agreed too. Management rejected our proposal that would have eliminated any additional healthcare costs and proposed to only contribute the minimum amount required to our pension plan. We know that these issues are important to you and we will continue to represent our collective interests at the table. .

“We are standing together to secure a fair contract that addresses your priorities. We still have a ways to go as we get into economics in the coming sessions.” 

— Carlotta Bogdon

Your Bargaining Team: Carlotta Bogdon, Sr. Fund Accounting Specialist; Debbie DeVore, Sr. Pension Processor; Sue Wehmeyer, Sr. Claims Processor. 

Questions or concerns? Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep, David Trujillo @ dtrujillo@ufcw21.org or 360-419-4665

Not getting communications from us? Be sure to update your contact information!

Next Bargaining Date: 
May 10 and 24

Harbors Home Health and Hospice tentative agreement reached

Harbors Home Health and Hospice

Tentative Agreement Reached

Bargaining Team Recommends a YES Vote

Our bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with management that includes some of these highlights:

• Wage Increases Each Year

• Increases to Wage Premiums

• Ratification Bonus

• Retirement Improvements

Please join us on Zoom May 6 from 6:00pm-7:30pm to learn more about the exciting changes to our contract.

Harbors Home Health and Hospice Vote Meeting

May 6, 2021 at 6:00PM Pacific Time

“We hope everyone will be able to attend and look forward to talking about the important wins we achieved during these negotiations.” - Harbors Home Health and Hospice Bargaining Team: Sarah Schimelpfenig, RN; Megan Rolfing, RN; Stacy Mathis, Medical Records

Vote Online on May 7th from 9:00am – 9:00pm

Bellingham grocery workers win their fight for a $4/hour hazard pay mandate

The Bellingham City Council voted 5 to 2 last night (May 10) to mandate $4 per hour hazard pay for frontline workers at large grocery chain stores in the city. Last night’s vote was a final procedural step, following initial approval of the ordinance two weeks earlier. The ordinance will go into effect at 12:01AM on May 25th. It will cover unionized employers, including Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Haggen, as well as some non-union stores such as Whole Foods.

Chris Vincent, a veteran produce worker at Bakerview Fred Meyer, helped organize co-workers to send emails and give public comment at multiple City Council meetings. Upon hearing of the victory, Vincent offered words of celebration:

“We fought an honorable fight for an honorable cause to give the hard-working people on the front lines what they deserve in these hazardous times. I want to personally thank the Bellingham City Council for recognizing the hazardous conditions we work in and for their support in compensating us for it. When we stand together, we win together!”

The Northwest Central Labor Council, led by Secretary-Treasurer Michele Stelovich, and Whatcom County Jobs With Justice, led by Betsy Pernotto, provided crucial support to UFCW21, engaging Council Members and mobilizing supporters to send messages of support and provide comments at several meetings.

Speaking before Council on March 8, the Labor Council’s Stelovich lauded frontline grocery workers:

“They stepped up, they went to work, and they made sure that we had food on our tables. So I just wanted to thank all the grocery workers that have done that. You know that some of the grocery stores have made huge profits… So these are things that they can afford to be able to give their workers… and reward them for being good employees that came to work under very difficult conditions.”

The Whatcom County DSA also mobilized supporters to speak up for grocery workers at multiple Council meetings.

The Northwest Grocery Association and Fred Meyer sent representatives to Council to speak against the ordinance, but there was little opposition, otherwise.

The City Council’s action last night was the culmination of a nearly year-long campaign by Bellingham grocery workers to demand continuation of hazard pay, after Albertsons and Kroger discontinued it last Spring. Members and community supporters held multiple protest actions to educate the public and sent hundreds of messages to City Council once the issue moved into the legislative arena in February.

Throughout the campaign, UFCW 21 members have also emphasized the need for improved COVID safety in their workplaces.

City Council Member Lisa Anderson shepherded the hazard pay ordinance to victory over several months, never backing down in the face of the grocery industry’s legal threats and misinformation.

The hazard pay ordinance covers workers at companies that employ at least 500 employees worldwide and at least 40 in Bellingham. At these companies, hazard pay will be required at stores that are over 10,000 sq. ft. and primarily sell groceries for offsite consumption or which are over 85,000 sq. ft., with 30% or more of their floor space devoted to groceries.

Thank You to the Bellingham City Council members who voted to support grocery workers: Lisa Anderson, Hannah Stone, Michael Lilliquist, Hollie Huthman, and Daniel Hammill

These Bellingham City Council members voted against grocery workers: Gene Knutson and Pinky Vargas

North Valley Bargaining Update

North Valley Bargaining Update: Management still wants to limit our EIB Usage

While we agree on many issues the limited use of EIB affects all members. As we continue to go through the COVID -19 pandemic management proposing to limit our EIB usage is not acceptable.

Support your Bargaining Team by signing the petition and wearing your sticker to show management we want a fair contract.

“In Solidarity — sticker up! We are working hard to have all our voices heard”

Our Union Bargaining Team: Amy Radcliff, HUC; Michelle Beattie, Radiology; Megan Vickers, RN; Jason Daniels, RN

Lourdes Counseling Center Contract Vote

LOURDES COUNSELING CENTER CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED OUR BARGAINING TEAM IS RECOMMENDING A NO VOTE 

After a year of negotiations, the employer continues to neglect the needs of their employees. The employer has continued to refuse to recognize Charge RNs as part of the Bargaining Unit. We continue to fight for Compensation including a fair placement on the new wage scale for existing employees that recognizes their experience with Lourdes as well as Daily Overtime which is a staple in most Union Contracts.

Our next bargaining date is April 30, 2021 and will determine if there is a need for an additional vote.

Now is the time to make your voices heard. Come to a vote meeting to review the full details of the employers proposed contract, get questions answered, and vote.

CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED
Wednesday, May 5, 2021

» 8:00 am – 10:00 am
» 1:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Hampton Inn Richland
486 Bradley Boulevard
Richland WA 99352

These votes are open to all Represented workers at Lourdes Counseling Center. Employees must be present at whichever time is most convenient in order to cast your vote. If you have any questions, please contact your Union Representative Austen Louden at 509-340-7372.

Planned Parenthood Bargaining Begins

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Getting Closer!

Our Bargaining Team met with Management Wednesday and bargained into the night. We were able to make a lot of headway on our outstanding issues. Just a few issues remain including:

• Daily Overtime

• Unpaid time off in certain circumstances

• Grievance and arbitration process to handle contract violations

We were ready and willing to come to an agreement Wednesday night, but Management has said that they need to review our proposals further. We are eagerly awaiting a response from them so that we can move to voting on a fair contract for workers. 

Your Bargaining Team: Angi Swinhart, Barbara Ford, Jessee Bednarik, Michael Granstrom

Bartell Drugs - Bartell’s (actually Rite Aid) Says Spare Change Only for Wages

We met with Bartell Drugs (actually Rite Aid) again today to bargain over our pension, health care, and most importantly our wages.

Their reaction to our wage proposal was surprising, as it seemed to us that they thought we had just asked for the $8.6 million that the Rite Aid CEO made in 2020. They claimed that our proposal was “pie in the sky” and that even though we made substantial changes to our proposal, it was characterized as just “shaving nickels.

We were then shocked that Bartell’s (actually Rite Aid) only added a nickel to both of their 10-cent wage increases to make it them just $0.15. And these increases again came with no guarantee to be in addition to increases in the minimum wage.

“We did a lot more than just ‘shave nickles’ from our proposals. But somehow they think adding nickels amounts to a living wage” 

— Kia Haggerty

We head back to the bargaining table May 7! 

Upcoming Meetings 

Tuesday, April 27

6:00 PM

Thursday, April 29

7:00 PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Zenith American Solutions - Progress Made, but More Work to Be Done

Your bargaining team met with management on April 19 and 21 to continue negotiations. We reached agreements on many of the remaining language proposals but there are still a few more to discuss. 

We also passed the employer our Healthcare and Pension proposals, that would eliminate the additional healthcare costs for employees and increase the employer’s contribution to your pension. We look forward to getting a response from them on those proposals and hope to start digging in on wages in the coming sessions.

“We feel encouraged by the movement at the table this week. But we still have a lot of work ahead as we discuss economics.” 

— Sue Wehmeyer

Your Bargaining Team: Carlotta Bogdon, Sr. Fund Accounting Specialist; Debbie DeVore, Sr. Pension Processor; Sue Wehmeyer, Sr. Claims Processor. 

Questions or concerns? Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep, David Trujillo @ dtrujillo@ufcw21.org or 360-419-4665

Kaiser Spokane Pharmacy Techs - Progress on Our Issues

On April 15, our Bargaining Team met with Kaiser to continue negotiating on important language issues. We made gains in conversations regarding seniority dates and highlighted how important this is to members. We worked collaboratively to make improvements to the Vacation PTO request process. Our team discussed weekend on-call shifts and industry standards on standby pay and call-in premiums. Other top issues worked on include daily overtime and scheduling and lunches/breaks. A big thank you to everyone  who shared feedback regarding preferences for breaks- this helped our team to work through ideas and solutions to make sure everyone is getting their breaks. 

The Union proposal to maintain our current retirement plan is currently being reviewed by the Kaiser National Benefits Department and we will share more details soon.
Our next bargaining date is scheduled for April 29 and the entire day will focus on the topics of Floats and Staffing. 

Questions or ideas to share, please reach out to the Bargaining Team or Union Representative Maureen Hatton at 509-340-7370

“We are excited that we are pushing forward! It’s motivating to see movement and we look forward to talking to everyone as we prepare for the next session.” 

– Jackie McFarlen and Tiffany Yeates, Bargaining Team

PCC - Holding the Line on Economics

Hundreds of PCC workers, customers, elected officials, labor allies, and other community supporters joined informational pickets outside PCC stores on Wednesday, calling attention to our fight for a fair contract and the co-op’s need for worker representation on the Board of Trustees. We rallied outside the Columbia City, Central District, Edmonds, and Bellevue stores.  

On Friday April 16, our bargaining committee met with PCC to present our economic response to PCC’s wage offer of $0/.25/.25 for Journey Grocery and $0/.30/.30 for Journey Meat and no increases to the bottom of any scale – even as minimum wage increases. PCC had also proposed a two-tiered system that would pay new hires less for current work done in Groups A and B.

Our economic response Friday included:

• $1.50 Increases for journey each year and increases throughout the scale retroactive to January 

• Improved language for helper clerk promotion

• Longevity increases for long-tenured employees

• Increases to night and evening premiums

• Improving and securing our Retirement and tying contributions to a percent of wages instead of a fixed rate. 

To move closer to agreement we have accepted Management’s proposal to maintain separate scales inside and outside Seattle. We have proposed increases at the bottom of the scales that would bring the two scales closer together. We have also proposed wage escalators to ensure that each scale starts at least $0.25 above minimum wage as minimum wages increase.

Let’s Return the Co-op to its Roots and vote for worker candidates Donna and Laurae in the PCC Board elections! 

“We brought all of your energy from the info pickets to the bargaining table to make sure we could hold the line on our economic demands. Thanks for giving us your support and enthusiasm to keep pushing PCC for a fair contract. We need to keep that energy up!” 

– PCC Bargaining Team

Atsuko Koseki, Edmonds Deli;
Greg Brooks, Fremont Meat;
Keith Allery, Greenlake Village Deli;
Quinn Ráo, Ballard Front End; Scott Shiflett, Redmond Meat; Yasab Pfister, Burien Front End

Our next bargaining dates are 4/26, 4/27, and 4/30. 

MultiCare Update - April 19, 2021

“We’re tired of moving in slow motion, it’s time for the employer to show some interest.””

Your Bargaining Team: Alexis Dotts, Glen Steele, Gregg Barney, Heidi Strub, Jamie Fenton, Julianna Van Enk, Kelly Gusman, Kurtis Chaffin, Patricia Brown, Ryan Boyd, Sammy Bainivalu, Teri Kruse, Wanda Rodriguez-Ramos, Yvette Broeckel

Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on April 6 and 13 only to hear more of the same… “not interested.”

We have been negotiating with MultiCare since January and the employer has refused to make any significant movement during the last few months. We have brought to Management’s attention the many issues that our members said need to be addressed, however, they have shown no interested in making any changes. They have REJECTED our proposals to:

• Freeze healthcare costs for the life of our contract,

• Reduce healthcare eligibility from 0.75 FTE to 0.60 FTE,

• Create a flexible incentive plan when accepting extra shifts above our FTEs, 

• Have more control over our PTO banks (eliminate PTO-WS program), 

• Force the employer to hire FTEs when overusing per-diem staff,

• Competitive wage increases to help with recruitment and retention.

They also continue to push for the removal of Presidents Day as a holiday, demand more control over your work schedule and want to make significant changes to our seniority / layoff language. Their latest 1% / 1% / 1% wage proposal was insulting but not surprising after months of this behavior from Management, they just do not seem to care.

We cannot continue to tolerate the delay and must force the employer to move on these issues. Please take a moment to fill-out the online MultiCare Staffing Survey and tell Management that we deserve better. Additionally, beginning April 21, you should reach out to your Bargaining Team member or Union Representative for a “We are the Care in MultiCare” button to wear in the workplace.

Your Bargaining Team will meet with Management again on 4/20, 27; 5/11, 18, 25; 6/1.

UPCOMING DATES TO HOLD 

• April 21: “We are the Care in MultiCare” button launch 

• May 12: Virtual Campaign Update Meeting 9AM & 6:30PM

• May 13: Community Car Caravan Action 3PM- 5PM

Sign the Staffing Petition!

Click-List - Safety First! UFCW 21 Bargains Over New Internet Shopping Carts

On Thursday, April 15, the Union met with Fred Meyer representatives about the expanded internet shopping carts that were introduced to many stores. Since internet shoppers have started to use the new carts, many workers have reported not only that they are hard to start, stop, and safely handle; but have also reported that aches, pains, and even injuries have been on the rise.

We started off by asking a lot of questions like:

• Did they do tests on these new carts to determine what the maximum safe weight is?

• Did they train anyone on how to safely operate them to prevent injuries and industrial illnesses?

• What efficiency have they gained from the new carts?

We expect Fred Meyer to provide answers to these questions and more at our next meeting on May 5. 

“We are just beginning the process and to hold Fred Meyer to account for decisons that adversely impact workers. I look forward to hearing their response at our next meeting.” 

– Maggie Breshears 

Join us for our next online meeting!
Thursday, April 22
6:00 PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

April Telephone Town Hall Calls

As COVID restrictions make it more difficult to meet in person and members face increased risks and concerns around COVID safety and other issues, we are continuing regular Telephone Town Hall calls for members to get important updates, ask questions of union leadership and special expert guests, and come together to plan how we can keep each other safe and fight for fairness at work even during this ongoing crisis.

UFCW 21 Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, April 19 at 6:30 PM
☎️ 888-652-2664 Meeting ID: 5853

 All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

UFCW 21 Health Care Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, April 19 at 7:30 PM
☎️ 888-544-2310 Meeting ID: 5854

All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

Town & Country - COVID-19 LOU Extended

We have reached an agreement with Town & Country to extend our COVID-19 letter of understanding with some new improvements. This agreement provides members with special rights such as: 

• Appreciation pay at the rate of $2.00/hr until at least April 30 with the possibility of further extensions.

• If the Allied Employers (Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, and QFC) agree to pay its employees more, Town & Country agrees to pay the higher amount. 

• Town & Country agrees to notify the Union whenever managament identifies a COVID-19 positive test in a UFCW 21 represented worksite. 

• Employees who report to work and are subsequently sent home after failing a COVID-19 health screening shall be paid replacement pay for all hours lost during their scheduled shift.

• Employees who are diagnosed with COVID -19 or are required to quarantine because of an exposure shall be paid up to ten (10) days of replacement pay while they are unable to work.

This agreement shall remain in place for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please contact your Union Representative at 1-800-732-1188 if you have any questions. 

Providence - Info Picket on May 5!

We have been at the bargaining table with Providence Everett, Centralia, and St. Peter’s Hospital for several months now and all we have seen from Providence is TAKEAWAYS and subpar contract language. It is time that we take our contract fight to the street and show the community and our patients how Providence treats its FRONTLINE WORKERS. 

At Providence Centralia, the Hospital proposed a 2% merit increase outside of contract negotiations for the Techs and Support Services units. We did not ask for a merit increase at the bargaining table, but as a team we agreed to the increase and view it as a recognition of our work during the pandemic. We still plan to fight for longevity step wage increases, annual wage increases, and competitive hourly wage rates! On top of that, Providence continues to propose language which would allow them to change policies during the life of the contract and has rejected some core standards we have in all union contracts like “just cause.” 

At Providence St. Peter’s, we asked the Hospital why they offered Centralia a 2% increase. The Hospital’s response was that Centralia has received a merit increase every year and St. Peter’s has not, therefore Centralia’s “status quo” is to receive a merit increase. This is statement is misleading! We have received merit increases every year except in 2020. While we are in contract negotiations, the Hospital cannot change policies or procedures and must continue all current practices, this is the “status quo,” but they can offer merit increases if they ask the Union. Their claim that their hands are tied is false! If they wanted to give us a merit increase like Centralia they could do so! On top of that, we have made a lot of movement at the table, but they continue proposing contract language which allows them to change policies during the life of the contract. We cannot agree to this weak contract language! 

At Providence Everett, we will have our next mediation sessions on April 12 and 16. We expect Providence to continue pushing back on our improvements to contract language and competitive wage increases. In addition, the Hospital continues to propose the elimination of EIB, reductions to PTO, mandatory paid parking, below market wage increases, and no increases to premium pay.

It is clear to all the bargaining teams that to win a good contract we need to pressure them with workplace actions! They need to see that we are willing to fight and will not agree to their bad deal! We will be holding an informational picket on May 5th at all three hospitals, including both campuses in Everett. You are allowed under the National Labor Relations Act to take collective action and not be retaliated against! We are asking that you stand on the picket line during your free time, meaning before/after your shift, during your lunch break, or on your day off. If you cannot attend because you are working, please have your family/friends attend the picket on your behalf! Family, friends, and the community are welcome to our picket! 

Please RSVP and share the RSVP link with your coworkers, including the nurses at PSPH and PCH! If you would like to distribute picket RSVP cards, please reach out to your Union Rep Erin McCoy 206-436-6598 (PCH/PSPH) or Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566 (PRMCE). 

In Solidarity, PCH Support Services and Tech Bargaining Team, PSPH Tech Bargaining Team, and PRMCE RN Bargaining Team

• Providence St. Peter’s (Olympia)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 2-5pm
  413 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506

• Providence Everett (Colby Campus)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 3-5pm
  1700 13th St, Everett, WA 98201

• Providence Everett (Pacific Campus)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 3-5pm
  916 Pacific Ave, Everett, WA 98201

• Providence Centralia Hospital (Centralia)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 2-5pm 
  914 S Scheuber Rd, Centralia, WA 98531

MultiCare Bargaining Update - Sign the petition!

Sign the Petition!

It’s no secret that MultiCare has continuously failed to properly staff our departments, which reduces the quality of patient care and contributes to staff burnout. We have been sounding the alarm for years, but administration has refused to fix the problem.

Management’s recent wage proposal will only make matters worse. Their 1% /1% /1% wage proposal would make our wages so uncompetitive that the recruitment and retention of staff would be nearly impossible.

Join your co-workers by signing the MultiCare Staffing Petition and tell Management that we deserve better: bit.ly/mc-staffing

Bargaining Team: Alexis Dotts, Glen Steele, Gregg Barney, Heidi Strub, Jamie Fenton, Julianna Van Enk, Kelly Gusman, Kurtis Chaffin, Patricia Brown, Ryan Boyd, Sammy Bainivalu, Teri Kruse, Wanda Rodriguez-Ramos, Yvette Broeckel

Join the UFCW 21 MultiCare Facebook page for the latest updates: facebook.com/ufcw21multicare

Service Linen Supply Bargaining Begins

Service Linen Supply

Bargaining Commences!

On April 7, 2021 we met with Service Linen Supply and gave them our first proposal. The Company responded with takeaways to holidays, limiting union representative’s access to the plant, and no guaranteed “across-the-board” wage increases. The Company said they lost business due to the pandemic, but we believe that they can afford to give us competitive wage increases! We heard from you all that wages were a priority for this contract. The hourly minimum wage in Washington State is currently $13.69 and the least paid workers at the plant make $13.79. That is only ten cents above minimum wage! We need better wage increases to retain workers! Also we have worked through an entire pandemic without receiving hazard pay. The Company needs to recognize the hard work that we do and provide fair and competitive wage increases!

Our next bargaining session will be on May 12 and 14. In the meantime, we need to show the Company that we are willing to fight for competitive wage increases and will not accept any takeaways! We will be holding a sticker action later on in April. Please contact the Union Rep, Monica Smith (206)436-6524, if you have any questions.

In solidarity, Union Bargaining Team

Service Linen Supply

¡Empezamos negociaciones!

El 7 de abril de 2021 nos reunimos con Service Linen Supply y les dimos nuestra primera propuesta. The Company respondió con eliminaciones de días festivos, limitando el acceso del representante sindical a la planta, y sin aumentos salariales “a lo general” garantizados. ¡La Compañía dijo que perdieron negocio debido a la pandemia, pero creemos que pueden dar incrementos salariales competitivos! Escuchamos de todos ustedes que los salarios eran una prioridad para este contrato. El salario mínimo por hora en el estado de Washington es actualmente de 13.69 dólares y los trabajadores menos remunerados de la planta hacen 13.79 dólares. ¡Eso es sólo diez centavos por encima del salario mínimo! ¡Necesitamos mejores incrementos salariales para retener a los trabajadores! También hemos trabajado a través de toda una pandemia sin recibir pago adicional. ¡La Compañía necesita reconocer el arduo trabajo que hacemos y brindar incrementos salariales justos y competitivos!

Nuestra próxima sesión de negociación será el 12 y 14 de mayo. Mientras tanto, necesitamos demostrarle a la Compañía que estamos dispuestos a luchar por aumentos salariales competitivos y ¡no aceptaremos ningún tipo de eliminación del contrato! Estaremos realizando una acción de pegatina más adelante en abril. Póngase en contacto con el representante de la Unión, Monica Smith (206) 436-6524, si tiene alguna duda.

En solidaridad,

Equipo de Negociación de la Unión

Planned Parenthood - Contract Action Team Meeting - April 12 @ 7PM

Join us on Monday, April 12 @ 7PM for a virtual Contract Action Meeting! Bargaining begins later this month. At this meeting we will review the results of our bargaining survey and get input on our bargaining priorities.

Bartell Drugs - A Bad April Fools Joke?!?

While there was potential progress on securing our pension and health care for the future, Bartell Drugs/Rite Aid did not propose raises that recognize our work during this pandemic (still no hazard pay!), and during a time where safety and security is still uncertain.

The employer proposed:

• One $.10 raise in May at the top of the scale.

• One $.10 raise in January next year, 

  • But they are not even willing to guarantee that this raise would be on top of any increase of minimum wage.  

  • If minimum wage is greater than the $.10 raise to your wage rate on 1-1-22, then you would only get the minimum wage, NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU HAVE WORKED AT BARTELL’S!!!

“Just ten cents won’t pay the rent!” 

— Christina Common and Kia Haggerty

We will be bargaining again on April 21. Stay tuned for more details.  

Sign the hazard pay petition!

Our drugstore hazard pay petition, both on-line and on-paper, is adding more signatures everyday.  Now is the time to press the employer for the wages we deserve for working through this pandemic, and a living wage going forward.

Make sure your contact information is up to date!