Auburn Medical Center RNs Bargaining Update

We’ve been negotiating with MultiCare for a few months and, while significant progress has been made, we remain apart on many items. 

The major problem we’re facing is that MultiCare is trying to copy and paste the agreements we’ve recently won at their Pierce County facilities, unwilling to agree to anything different. Auburn Medical Center is a unique facility with different issues, and most importantly, in a different labor market. 

Please sign our petition demanding that Management recognizes that Auburn Medical Center nurses deserve more than a copy and paste agreement! Demanding that Management offer an economic package that will attract and retain nurses in King County not only today, but for the entire duration of our contract. 

Survey Link: bit.ly/MC-Staffing21
  
You’re Invited! Please join us for our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting to hear the latest from your bargaining team.

MHS Auburn Medical Center CAT Meeting
Wednesday, October 6 @ 6:30 PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for Zoom details

Bargaining Team: Cory Larsen, Kathleen Vukelich, Caroline Bellinger

CHI Virtual Health Services CONTRACT RATIFIED!

We excited to announce that members at CHI Virtual Health Services voted to ratify their new contract on Friday October 1! This historic contract includes a new wage scale that is competitive with neighboring employers, including MultiCare, which will help attract and retain staff.

We’ve informed the Employer of this news and they’ve said the new wages should go into effect no later than two pay periods after ratification. If you have any questions about your contract, please contact Union Representative Kent Tse at (206) 436-6512.

Macy's refuses to increase wage

Macy’s Refuses to Increase Wages

On Thursday, September 30, our Bargaining Team met with Macy’s and ended the day frustrated with:

-No increase to their wage proposal,
-Their refusal to retain MLK Day as a PTO,
-Their continued insistence on taking away our attendance credits and pay scales,
-No progress on dealing with the problems that the pandemic store closures created for our vacation and holiday pay.

Macy’s was clear that they expected us to accept their take-aways and low wages, and that you all would vote yes on it.  It is clear to us is that Macy’s corporate “People Leaders” are out of touch with what their people are going through in the stores!  

While they are offer bonuses for working on the weekends, sticking around through the Holidays, and referring friends and family to apply at Macy’s, they refuse to pay us a basic living wage. They talk about “reliability” when it comes to our attendance but refuse to see how unreliable they are if we can’t make the rent. Instead of investing in their business through our work, they expect us to bear the burden on our lives that their low-ball proposals create.

Who makes Macy’s business work? We do!

“With all the nothing that Macy’s gave us on Thursday, we need to get them with a lot of something! Come to the CAT Meeting as we prepare for our info picket day!”

—Candice Hemphill

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Join us for our second Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting! We will be preparing for informational picketing and other actions as we take our fight to the public and our customers.

Friday, October 8 @ 5 PM
https://zoom.us/join 
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be emailed out.

Jefferson Healthcare RN - Contract Negotiations Begin!

Our team of RNs from Jefferson have met with Management and started trading proposals.

Nurses have worked hard this last several months, short staffed and constantly being redeployed. The recent Covid surge has been challenging as well as the recent restructure of ACU/ICU and FBC/ED. 

The first proposals exchanged have been mostly non-economic changes to language including Non-Discrimination, distribution of Contracts and Job Descriptions, Use of Per Diems, release for Jury/Witness Duty, Discipline and Discharge. We are working on other language changes to improve our contract. In the coming weeks we are scheduled to meet each week to negotiate over these and other, more pressing issues, including total compensation, scheduling and benefits.

Future Bargaining Dates:

• October 5

• October 12

• October 19

• October 26

Our Jefferson Healthcare RN Bargaining Team: Ben Schadler, RN ICU; Melanee Knudson, RN FBC; Jeannette Hundley, RN Surgical Services; Robin Bridge, RN ED; Ryan DeGouveia, UFCW 21; Cathy Macphail, UFCW 21

Jefferson Healthcare Pro Tech & Clinic - Bargaining Begins at Jefferson!

After a difficult year and a half of fighting Covid on the front lines, our Bargaining Team is now fighting for a fair contract. Everyone has been hard at work crafting proposals that will improve wages and working conditions.

The first few sessions, the team has been addressing non-economic contract language. Proposals have addressed Non-Discrimination, Employee Handbooks/Policies, Union Application and Contract distribution, Jury/Witness Duty, Discipline and Grievance Procedures. In the coming weeks we are meeting to address the issues that are most important to you. We have scheduled the following dates and will add to as needed.

Future Bargaining Dates:

• September 29

• October 6

• October 13

• October 27

Our Jefferson Healthcare RN Bargaining Team: Karen Starling, Clinic RN; Nell Allen, Pharmacy Tech Specialist; Natalie Irwin, Physical Therapist; Kim Vasenda, CNA; Monique Samos, Patient Accounts Rep; Miychell Vereeke, Dental Assistant; Robyn Wentz, Surgical Tech; Ryan De Gouveia, UFCW 21; Cathy Macphail, UFCW 21;

Macy's Update- Alderwood Workers Take Action

Your bargaining committee met with Macy’s Management twice last week, making little progress on any of the important issues on

the table.

Which is why on Wednesday, September 22, Union workers at the Alderwood Macy’s took action and marched to the store offices to present the results of our Is Macy’s Reliable? survey. 95% of Macy’s workers surveyed said that Macy’s was unreliable and needed to change their offer, and we wanted to make sure management heard that message loud

and clear.

At first store Management was unresponsive to our request to talk to them, but Union members were loud and clear and refused to leave till we were able to present them with the survey results.

Our community allies from Poverty Action Network, and The Children’s Alliance also joined us to tell Management’s spokesperson that the community (Macy’s customers) stood with the workers in their fight for a fair contract.

More Action Needed!

“Management is only going to listen to us if we take action. In 2018 we all formed info pickets at our stores and showed we were ready to fight. It is that time again!”

—Marvella Joseph

We will be letting people know what the next action is what happened at bargaining the day before when we meet on Zoom this Friday. The holidays are upon us, this is a critical time for Macy’s business, and workers are the ones that makes their business run. They literally can’t do it without us!

Join our Zoom Contract Action Meeting!

Friday, October 1
5 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will also be sent to your email.

Trios Health - Onward to Economics

Last week, our Bargaining Team presented all of our non-economic proposals. We are eager to begin Economic discussions next Wednesday, September 29 and Friday, October 1. The unity shown by wearing stickers sent a strong message to Trios Health that we are united for Staffing, Safety, Recruitment, and Retention. Please continue wearing them with pride all month—we are pushing not only for staffing improvements in our contract, but side by side with other healthcare unions statewide for Stronger Staffing Legislation in Olympia.  

If you have questions, please reach out to your Union Representative Austen Louden, 509-340-7372. 

“Keep your eye out for Union Car Signs to show your support for Trios Nurses and safe staffing. Our Bargaining Team and stewards will be distributing them this week. Share widely with family and friends!”

Our Trios Health Bargaining Team: Casey Nitta, Stephanie Weibel, Milari Olexa, Tami Ottenbreit, and Carol Goplen

Providence Centralia Hospital Support Service overwhelmingly approved their first contract

On September 15, the Providence Centralia Support Service overwhelmingly approved their first contract! About fourteen months after organizing, we were able to obtain a great first contract with competitive wage increases and job protections.

Our next step is for both parties to sign the contract and then we will distribute the contract, and post the contract on www.ufcw21.org. This process usually takes about one to two months. Your wage increases will go into effect the first full pay period following September 15, 2021, which starts on September 26.

If you have any workplace or disciplinary issues please reach out to Erin McCoy (Union rep) or the Membership Resource Center at 206-436-6570.

Find more information HERE about your union rights, shop steward training, free college, union discounts, and how to sign a union membership application!

Welcome to UFCW 21 PCH Support Service and congratulations on winning your first contract!

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital RN - Tentative Agreement Reached

Our Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with Management on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for Registered Nurses at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. We are excited to announce that this tentative agreement includes:

• Historic wage increases

• Elimination of all ghost steps on the wage scale (steps with no wage increases),

• $500 ratification bonus, prorated by FTE,

• Increases to a number of wage premiums including shift differential, standby pay, weekend premium, charge nurse pay, and preceptor pay,

• Improved charge nurse language allowing nurses to object to the assignment,

• No health care premium increases next year with caps in subsequent years,

• And so much more!

We also added the spot bonus incentive program into this agreement; however, we were not able to maintain our current Appendix G incentive plan. In exchange, we were able to add more money in other portions of the agreement. It would also conform our incentive program with other MultiCare RN contracts, including Tacoma General Hospital.

The full details of the offer will be made available during our online vote meeting on Monday, October 4.

It’s extremely important that members attend the zoom meeting to get a full understanding of the employer’s offer and have your questions answered. However, voting will not take place at this meeting.

We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Tuesday, October 5. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.

In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, please update your information HERE

If you do not receive an email to vote on Monday, October 5, then please reach out to Union Representative Kent Tse at (206) 436-6512 to provide an updated email address.

Auburn Medical Center RNs Bargaining Update

We met with the Employer again on September 14, and it was one of the more productive days of negotiations thus far. After expressing our frustration with Management’s constant delays, we’re pleased to report that they were ready to accept the Union’s proposal first thing in the morning.

In our proposal, we continued to push the narrative that our new contract should include a wage scale that is not only competitive today but will remain so for the entire three-year duration of the agreement. Nurses are being worked to the point of burnout because of the staffing crisis and our wage proposal would make it easier for the Employer to hire and retain staff, providing much needed relief.

We’ve also held firm on our demand that members receive some form of compensation as a result of the delays caused by Management. Our contract was originally scheduled to expire last month, which is when we should have received our wage increases. Therefore, each day that passes without an agreement is more money the Employer is pocketing that should have been added to our wages.

Your Bargaining Team will meet with Management again on Wednesday, September 22.

Join the Bargaining Team at our next virtual Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting on Monday, October 6 @ 6:30 PM to hear the latest from negotiations, have your questions answered, and learn how you can help us win a fair contract! Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for Zoom details. The direct link to join will also be emailed. 

New Incentive Shift Pay for Forks RNs!

New Incentive Shift Pay for Forks RNs!

 After pressure from the Nurses, Management agreed to a new shift incentive, effective September 14, for designated shifts an RN picks up beyond their FTE. Per diem Nurses are also eligible for the incentive after picking up 5 shifts in a payroll period.

Incentives for designated shifts are as follows:

8 hour shift: $300
10 hour shift: $375
12 hour shift: $450

We are still pushing management to provide shift incentives for other job classifications. This incentive will run through January 1, 2022.

Macy’s needs to be a reliable employer!

We are Macy’s Union members who have worked through this pandemic serving our customers and communities. In a survey 95% of Union workers said Macy’s needs to be reliable and:

Improve our safety and working conditions. During the pandemic we have faced increased risk on the job, and need better protections on the job.

Pay fair wages for the work we do. We worked during the pandemic without hazard pay and we deserve a raise, and recognition for our years of service.

Ensure fairness at work. Macy’s wants to target part-time workers with an unfair and unreliable attendance system. We want to keep the credit for our good attendance, built over years of loyal service.

Thank you for shopping at a Union store and for your support!

Providence St. Peter Hospital Tech Wins First Contract!

On September 16, the Providence St. Peter’s Techs overwhelmingly approved their first contract! About seventeen months after organizing, we were able to obtain a great contract with competitive wage increases and job protections.

Our next step is for both parties to sign the contract, then we will distribute and post it on our website at: www.ufcw21.org. This process usually takes about one to two months. Your wage increases will go into effect the first full pay period following September 16, 2021. 

If you have any workplace or disciplinary issues please reach out to Union Rep Erin McCoy or the Membership Resource Center 206-436-6570. You can find more information about your Union rights, shop steward training, free college, Union discounts, and how to sign a Union membership application on https://www.ufcw21.org/new-members.

Welcome to UFCW 21, PSPH Techs, and congratulations on winning your first contract!

Bargaining Team: Josh Wood, Rae Lynn Korpi, Shapel Morgan, Colleen Castaneda

Trios Health - Sticker Up for Staffing

Our Bargaining Team proposed a Comprehensive Covid Vaccine Agreement that includes payout of PTO for employees who do not receive an exemption or the vaccine series and protections for all nurses. Through conversations with the Employer—we are pushing them to maintain the October 18 deadline to submit exemptions and proof of starting the vaccine series. We believe we will reach agreement before our next bargaining session on September 22 and will send out a copy to all nurses. 

Staffing, Safety, Recruitment, and Retention continue to be our leading issues—and all tied to the need for Trios to be market competitive with economics. We worked tirelessly to address issues with safety and floating and improve our current language and practices. 

Our first action to show widespread unity is a Staffing Sticker Action on September 21 and 22—the bargaining team stewards will be distributing stickers to each unit. Please wear stickers with pride both days in support of our next bargaining session on the 22. 

If you have questions about negotiations or vaccines, please reach out to your Union Representative Austen Louden, 509-340-7372. 

“The time for UNITY and SOLIDARITY is now—we will be taking action throughout September and October to send a strong message that Trios Nurses stand together for our patients and community. Join us in stepping up and speaking out.”

Our Trios Health Bargaining Team: Casey Nitta, Stephanie Weibel, Milari Olexa, Tami Ottenbreit, and Carol Goplen

Planned Parenthood Union Members Approve Contract

On September 16, Planned Parenthood members overwhelmingly ratified their successor contract in an online vote. The new two-year contract includes across the board wage increases, an additional paid holiday for Juneteenth, and other improvements with no takeaways!

Many thanks to our Bargaining Team and all who participated!

Bargaining Team: Charlie King, Mona Lisa Baumann, Sage Alixander, Jennifer Morgan, Mollie Overby

Kaiser Spokane Pharmacy Techs Spokane Wages pushed to National Table

Kaiser Spokane Pharmacy Techs

Spokane Wages pushed to National Table

“We are not backing down- it’s unacceptable for Kaiser to expect us to be the only Union employees in Spokane to have inferior wages to Western Washington. Join us in solidarity and wear our Yellow and Blue Ribbons every Tuesday until we reach a fair contract!”
- Bargaining Team: Jackie McFarlen & Tiffany Yeates

After months of bargaining, we were not able to reach final agreement locally on a wage scale and retirement for Spokane Pharmacy Techs. UFCW21 and all Unions within the Alliance of Health Care Unions are UNITED that there should be ONE wage scale for each Region at Kaiser. In Washington- this has always been true- OPEIU 8 and SEIU1199 members in Spokane are on the same wage scale as their coworkers in Western Washington. Spokane Pharmacy Techs deserve the same respect and equity- especially when so many of us have given our careers to Group Health and Kaiser. National Benefits has not yet agreed to let us maintain our current Retirement plan. Both issues have been pushed to the National Table and the Alliance, with 55,000 members, has said there is no National Deal until Spokane issues are settled.

All UFCW 21 contracts are now at the National Table- Pro Tech Optical, Pharmacy, and Spokane Pharmacy Techs- pushing together for benefit improvements to make us comparable to other Regions.

We are united for:

• Improved Medical Costs like the Northwest Region

• Increase Retiree Medical for years of service (WA $350/yr of service, other Regions up to $2500/yr of service)

• Local Market Adjustments

• Education Benefits

• One Wage Scale for Region

Kaiser is pushing everywhere in the country for a Two Tiered Wage Scale and has proposed 1% Across the Board Increases. With little progress- we are moving forward with Action for September and October. We’re ready to fight for our patients and all health care workers.

TAKE ACTION TO WIN A GREAT NATIONAL AND SPOKANE CONTRACT

UNION SOLIDARITY TUESDAYS

Every Tuesday, Union members are wearing union colors until we win a fair contract. In Spokane- our stewards have made Yellow and Blue ribbons for all Techs. They will take them to all Clinics- please wear them every Tuesday in Solidarity! Take a photo wearing them together and post it on social media with the hashtag #BestJobsBestCare. Remember to tag KP @KPThrive and @UFCW21

SIGN THE PETITION

Tell KP to invest in patient care and health care workers. Sign and share the petition. Share it co-workers and friends on social media. tinyurl.com/kaiser-petition

LOCAL ACTIONS

Join the Contract Action Team meeting Wednesday, September 22 at 6:00pm via zoom! Zoom links available in the email update or contact your Rep!

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Bargaining Update

Your Bargaining Team has been negotiating with Management since June 28. We’re happy to report that we’ve made significant progress on most issues, including the historic wage increases that Management reported in their bargaining update to you this week.

After taking about seven months to negotiate the technical and service agreements, Management expressed a desire to come to a quick agreement on your contract. While your Bargaining Team shares the same sentiment, we must ensure that our agreement is in the best interests of our members.

When we met with Management on September 10, MultiCare presented your Bargaining Team with a package proposal that was very close to what we believe will be the final agreement. However, we have significant concerns about the ultimatum presented regarding incentive pay plans. Management’s offer gave the team two options:

A. Keep the current incentive plan under Appendix G, which provides a double-time incentive when very specific metrics have been met. With this plan, Management does not have control when or if the plan is activated.​

B. OR Remove the current Appendix G incentive plan and replace it with the Spot Bonus Incentive Pay plan.

The Union’s proposal is that we improve the current Appendix G incentive plan while also adding the Spot Bonus Plan. We believe the Spot Bonus Plan has served our members and the community well, helping staff our hospital throughout the current crisis, but it should operate in conjunction with our current metrics-based plan.

In Management’s bargaining update this week, they have claimed that “operationally we only have the capacity to manage one incentive plan.” We are confused by this statement because, during negotiations over the technical contract, Management agreed to let Respiratory Therapists keep their metrics-based plan while still allowing them to add the Spot Bonus Incentive into their contract.

Why does Management think that Respiratory Therapists deserve both plans, but Registered Nurses do not? This question is the roadblock to a deal.

We’d also like to fact-check their claim that the Union rejected their offer. While we did express that a rejection was likely, we never officially rejected their offer. It was the Union’s intention to work through the incentive pay issue so we could reach an agreement.

Despite our frustration with Management’s misrepresentation of the facts, your Bargaining Team is still committed to working on reaching an agreement when we meet again on September 21 provided, however, that it’s a fair contract.

Bargaining Team: Holly Gindhart, Jill Piacitelli, Valina McGilvray

United Way of King County - Contract Negotiation Set to Begin September 24

Our Union and the Employer have agreed to an initial round of contract negotiations to begin on Friday, September 24. We will be holding a Bargaining Unit meeting via Zoom to discuss contract priorities.

Bargaining Unit members are encouraged to attend with any questions and suggestions. You can meet your Bargaining Unit and discuss how we can win the best possible contract.

Please hold Monday, September 20 @ 6 PM for this important meeting.

Join our online contract meeting!
Monday, September 20
6 PM

Contact your Bargaining Unit or Union Rep for call-in detail. Details will be emailed out.

Kaiser Alliance of Health Care Unions Bargaining Update

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 BARGAINING UPDATE

Final national bargaining session ended with no progress

We’re ready to fight for our patients and all health care workers.

After months of stalling by KP negotiators, scheduled national bargaining sessions ended today. “Because of management’s approach, these negotiations are in serious trouble – unlike anything our Alliance unions have experienced with Kaiser Permanente since the 1990’s,” said Alliance chief negotiator Hal Ruddick. “Unless management dramatically changes course, this conflict will continue to escalate. The Alliance is united, strong, and ready to stand up for our members and our patients.”

We are united, determined, and ready to win a good contract, and defend our patients and the organization we have built. We will take a stand for our patients, co-workers, and all healthcare workers.

TAKE ACTION TO WIN A GREAT NATIONAL CONTRACT

UNION SOLIDARITY TUESDAYS

Every Tuesday, wear your union gear to work until we win a fair contract. (Mondays if you’re in Colorado). Take a photo wearing your union gear and post it on social media with the hashtag #BestJobsBestCare. Remember to tag KP @KPThrive and your local union.

SIGN THE PETITION

Tell KP to invest in patient care and health care workers. Scan the QR code to sign the petition. After you sign it, share it co-workers and friends on social media. tinyurl.com/kaiser-petition

LOCAL ACTIONS

In the coming days, connect with your local union to participate in local actions and learn about the next steps in our national contract campaign. Remember to follow your local union and the Alliance on social media. Our handle is @AHCUnions. Check our web site for up coming updates and breaking news on national bargaining.

TOGETHER, WE WILL WIN

Public opinion, elected leaders, our labor allies, and our strength and unity are all in our favor. We are 52,000 strong, and KP has no path to winning this fight. KP’s proposal is out of sync with what is happening in healthcare today, as other employers provide wage increases, benefits improvements, sign on bonuses and more to recruit and retain employees. We will never let two-tier wages lead us into a broken healthcare system with worsening patient outcomes.

KP execs have abandoned a high-road, market-leading strategy that has brought them 24 years of tremendous success. An inexperienced new crop of KP executives are now

embracing a chaotic, anti-union, low-road strategy that failed in the 90s and will fail again. This is our organization, we built it, we’re powering it through a pandemic, and we’re going to defend it. Instead of proposing to decrease wages or offering an insulting 1% wage increase, we should be focused on addressing our urgent staffing needs and regional wage disparities.

JOIN US TO PROTECT OUR PATIENTS AND EACH OTHER.

Providence Centralia Tech - Tentative Agreement Reached

Late night on September 8, after seventeen hours of bargaining, we reached a tentative agreement with Providence Centralia! After eleven months at the bargaining table and thirteen months after unionizing, we were able to obtain a great first contract for the Tech unit.

Our contract has a wage scale, longevity step increases, annual across-the-board wage increase, health insurance benefits, retirement benefits, and other job protections.

The next step is for our unit is to ratify the contract agreement. The full details of the agreement will be available in-person during our contract vote.

We will be holding a vote meeting in the next few weeks to go over the highlights of the agreement and to answer any questions. A follow-up update will be sent out next week with the vote date/location and vote meeting dates.

If you have any questions, please contact your union rep Erin McCoy or the Bargaining Team.