Skagit Regional Health - We Need Real Solutions to the Issues We Face

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“There is many topics we are still far from agreeing on and we need your input. We invite you to our CAT team meeting on April 19. Please don’t miss the chance to give your input.”

— Alina Delano, Ultrasound Tech

Your Bargaining Team: 

Aaron St. John – Central Supply Tech

Alina Delano – Ultrasound Tech

Ashley Price – Medical Assistant

Jill Douglass – Data Entry Clerk 

Maria Muñoz – Environmental Aid

Megan Osborn – Med Tech

Mike Koenig – Engineer

Rindi Atkins – Radiology Tech 

Thomas Kean – Exercise Physiologist

Katie Davis – Social Worker

On Wednesday, March 23, our bargaining team meet with management for our third joint negotiations session. Management provided responses to us on many of the non-economic proposals we made in our previous session, and we provided some additional proposals regarding premiums, float pay, and overtime. While our team was pleased to see that we are close to agreement on solutions to a couple of issues, we were disappointed to find that we are still far apart on many others. 

One of these other issues is regarding job postings, where management denied parts of our proposals that would ensure we would have priority over external applicants and that we have a definite timeline for moving into new positions. 

You’re Invited! 

RSVP to Our CAT Meetings

Management’s response shows us that we need to be ready to stand united and fight for solutions to all of the big issues we face. Please join us at one of our upcoming Virtual Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings on April 19 at 1PM and 6PM. RSVP below.

Tuesday, April 19

1:00PM

https://bit.ly/SRH-04191

6:00PM

https://bit.ly/SRH-04196

At our CAT meetings we will go into detail about the proposals we plan to make, have an opportunity for everyone to express the changes they want to see in our next contract, and talk about what we can do in the field to make sure our team is successful at the table. 

Our next negotiations session will be on April 13, stay tuned for future updates. 

If you have any questions about the bargaining process, please call our Union Rep Celia at (360) 419-4678. 

Grocery Store Worker Contract Negotiation Update

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UFCW Locals in Southern California are taking Unfair Labor Practice Strike Authorization Votes this week. Our union has sent staff down to support the votes in Southern California and get on-the-ground training and experience for a potential strike.

The next round of Contract Action Team meetings will be held next week. RSVP to a CAT meeting today!

We continue to sign strike pledge cards and remain committed to taking action to win a good contract. If you would like to organize an action at your store, contact your union Rep! Our Negotiating Committee will meet with the employers April 4-8.

How you can help in the fight for a good contract:

Join our next Contract Action Team meeting! Call your Union Rep or a workplace leader. or RSVP: bit.ly/CAT-March2022

Make sure your personal contact information is up-to-date: ufcw21.org/update-your-information

Take a Shop Steward Training class open to all members who want to help build a strong union and know their rights. ufcw21.org/steward-training

Join the UFCW 3000 Grocery Store Workers Facebook group facebook.com/groups/286275170024264/

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Continues

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“We proposed competitive increases to wages and differentials that take into account both today’s competitive labor market as well as everything we’ve been through over the last few years. Management said they were disappointed with our aggressive proposal, but we made clear that we refuse to settle for a mediocre contract.” 

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on March 9 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract.  

At this session we finally presented our initial economic proposal to management, which was written to ensure that our wage scale will become (and stay) competitive with neighboring hospitals. We believe that “neighboring hospitals” is not just limited to Tacoma but should also include Seattle competitors that easily recruit nurses to commute across the water.  

We also recognize that St. Joseph Medical Center recently reached an agreement with their employer for an 11% raise, with another 4% in November, plus the removal of multiple ghost steps (years with 0% wage increases). Your Bargaining Team’s proposal was significantly higher than the SJMC agreement and also included the removal of our ghost steps. 

In addition to wage increases, your Bargaining Team proposed a new retention bonus program, increases to various differentials, and new language that would ensure equitable and timely incentive pay.

Our proposal shocked management, who said they were extremely disappointed and “taken aback.” They complained that our proposed increases would make St. Michael Medical Center nurses the highest paid in the entire state. While management is likely right, we believe that serious action is needed to attract and retain nurses.  

We expect to see a counter economic proposal from management during our next bargaining date on April 5. 

Your Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations.

Facebook

You’re Invited! 

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, April 6 @ 6:00PM

Wednesday, April 6

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

Grocery Store Worker Contract Negotiations Update

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Contract Action Team meetings will be held the last week of March. RSVP to a CAT meeting today by contacting your Rep or workplace leader.

The next telephone town hall call is scheduled for Monday, March 21 at 5PM. We will discuss our plan to win better pay, safety and respect on the job. If you do not receive a call Monday at 5pm you can join the town hall call by calling 888-652-0386 and entering the meeting ID 6691.

We continue to sign strike pledge cards and remain committed to taking action to win a good contract by leafleting customers outside stores and asking them to support workers in the upcoming bargain. If you would like to organize an action at your store, contact your union Rep!

Southern California Locals are scheduled to take Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike Authorization Votes next week. Our worker-led Bargaining Committee will meet with the Employers April 4-8.

How you can help in the fight for a good contract:

Skagit Regional Health - Bargaining Begins

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“I am thrilled to be a part of our bargaining team for the second time. Today, we have finished up our second session, where we worked on strengthening our current contract language and incorporating new additions for our future contract.”

— Ashley Price, Medical Assistant

Your Bargaining Team: 
Aaron St. John – Central Supply Tech
Alina Delano – Ultrasound Tech
Ashley Price – Medical Assistant
Jill Douglass – Data Entry Clerk 
Maria Muñoz – Environmental Aid
Megan Osborn – Med Tech
Mike Koenig – Engineer
Rindi Atkins – Rad Tech 
Thomas Kean – Exercise Physiologist
Cindy Tjaden – Surgical Tech

On Wednesday, March 9, our bargaining team meet with management for our second joint negotiations session. We provided management with a full set of initial proposals on a myriad of topics including job posting, equity, pandemic safety, PTO requests, training recognition, bereavement leave, and much more. We are eager to hear management’s responses to our initial proposals at our next meeting on March 23, where we also plan to propose more improvements to our union contract. 

Our team will continue to work hard at the table to get us a strong new contract, but we can’t do it alone. We need the support of all of our coworkers behind us if we are going to get real solutions to the big issues we face!

Please join us for one of our upcoming Virtual Contract Action Team meetings, which will be held on Tuesday, March 15 at 1PM and 7PM.  At these meetings, we will discuss what we can do in the field to help support our team at the table. 

If you have any questions about the bargaining process, please call our Union Rep Celia at (360) 419-4678. 

You’re Invited! 

RSVP to Our CAT Meetings

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. 

Tuesday, March 15

1:00PM • 7:00PM

RSVP 1PM Meeting
RSVP 7PM Meeting

Grocery Store Worker Contract Negotiations Update

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UFCW 3000 grocery negotiations update

Our worker-led union Bargaining Committee met on March 8 to discuss and finalize our initial proposal. They then spent the remainder of the day in stores asking members to sign the Strike Pledge Card. We have secured bargaining dates with the employers for April 4-8. The next round of Contract Action Team meetings will be held in the last week of March.  

Join our next Telephone Phone Town Hall call on scheduled for March 21, where we will discuss our plan to win better pay, safety and respect on the job. 

Members continue to sign Strike Pledge Cards, committing to do whatever it takes to win a good contract.  

How you can help in the fight for a good contract:  

CHI St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Continues

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“We are focusing on improvements to our safety and staffing language while preparing to present our first economic proposal. Be sure to attend our next Contract Action Team meeting to learn more!”

- Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones

Our Bargaining Team met with Management again on March 3, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center.

We are pleased to report that some progress was made as we successfully convinced the Employer to withdraw their proposals to increase both the required resignation notice as well as the minimum work requirements of per diems. The Employer also showed a willingness to still agree with our demand that the per diem differential revert back to 15%, even without the increased work requirements.

However, we are still far apart on our safety and staffing proposals. Management has continued to reject our minimum staffing ratios, language regarding the refusal of hazardous assignments, and our new public health emergency language that would help better prepare the medical center for the next pandemic.

Despite the outstanding issues, our Bargaining Team feels that enough progress has been made for us to finally make our initial economic proposal at our next meeting with the Employer. After months of market research, we have crafted an economic proposal that would raise our wages and differentials to rates that would be hyper-competitive with our neighbors in both Tacoma and Seattle.

We are scheduled to meet with the Employer again on Wednesday, March 9 with dates scheduled through April.

Our Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations at: facebook.com/SMMCNURSES

You’re Invited! Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom meeting details!

Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting
Wednesday, March 9 @ 6 PM
Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure Management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved

Emergency Dept. Meeting
Tuesday, March 15 @ 6 PM
Meeting is focused on discussing the serious issues faced by nurses working in the Emergency Department and working on solutions that can be achieved through contract negotiations.

Seattle Children’s Hospital - It’s Time to Show Management We Are Serious

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“We need to stand together United and show SCH what we are worth and that we deserve market wages and standards for recruitment and retention to adequately care for our patients.”

-Tyler Schaffer, Anesthesia Tech

On March 4, our Bargaining Team met with Management for another collective bargaining session. While we were able to work together to reach some tentative agreements on critical non-economic issues, even Management acknowledged that we are still very far apart on economics.

Our team proposed an economic counter which retains our priorities of market leading wages, premiums, and differentials, as well as the other economic issues that affects our total compensation such as parking costs, vacation time caps, sick bank balances, our health insurance costs, and our retirement plans. This is in stark contrast to Management’s recent proposals which amount to little more than just inadequate wage increases.

Our team knows we need strong, market leading wages increases as well as improvements to the rest of our economic issues if we are going to stop losing more of our coworkers every single day.

In order to get Management to understand the urgency of addressing all of these issues, we need to act! We have recently released a petition which clearly outlines what we need in our next contract and why we need it. If each of us along with all of our coworkers, friends, and family members are able to sign, it will send a powerful message to Management which they can’t ignore: We need a fair contract that creates real change and puts an end to the staffing crisis.

Please take a moment to sign our contract electronically. The petition is also available in paper form for members to sign. Contact our Bargaining or Contract Action Team members if you would like to sign it that way instead.

With our coworkers and allies behind us, we hope that in our next session on March 16, Management will provide a real response to our economic proposals. Stay tuned for more updates following that session.

If you have any questions about bargaining or want to learn more about how you can help our team at the table, please call our Union Rep Christie Harris at 206-436-6606.

Bargaining Team: Matt Brabant (RT Educator), Madison Derksema (Pharmacy Tech), Angela Ballard (Surgery Tech), Kellie Koenig (Ultrasound Tech), Tayler Schaffer (Anesthesia Tech), Ashley Strickland (Transport Team), Tesfaldet Kidanemariam (Respiratory Therapist)

Lourdes Medical Center RN - Tentative Agreement Reached

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After a marathon bargain session on March 1 we are pleased to announce that we have a fully recommended tentative agreement that consists of NO TAKEAWAYS.

Although we did not get everything that we were asking for, we did make huge progress is gaining ground to become more competitive in wages within our region. We were also able to improve some other areas within our contract.

Please join us in voting YES on this new three year agreement on Monday, March 21.

You must be present and a member in good standing to vote.

A full version of the contract will be available at the vote for your viewing and your team will be present to answer any questions you may have on the proposal.

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Maureen Hatton at 509-340-7370 with any questions or concerns

Join your coworkers and vote on your new contract!

Monday, March 21
11 AM - 1 PM
5 PM - 8 PM
Carondelet Room (next to cafeteria)

Providence RadiantCare - Tentative agreement reached

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On March 2, we reached an agreement with Providence Radiantcare! While it took other newly organized units within Providence over a year, it took our team only five months to reach a contract agreement. We were able to win annual increases, anniversary date increases, health benefit language, retirement plan language, and differential pay. The biggest win we were able to achieve was placement onto the wage scale dependent on your years of service in your classification. No other first contract within Providence currently has this placement language.

Our next step will be to hold a meeting over Zoom on Wednesday, March 16 to discuss the highlights of the agreement. We currently are working on securing a meeting space in Olympia to hold our in-person vote meeting and will be following up with another announcement with the vote location and date/time.

Welcome to UFCW 3000, Providence Radiantcare!

Questions? Join our online Contract Vote Meeting!
Wednesday, March 16
6-7 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom meeting details. Details will also be sent to your email.

Grocery Store Worker Contract Negotiations update

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Last month our worker-led union Bargaining Committee met together for the third time to continue finalizing our initial proposals to the Employer. Our Committee will meet again March 8.

Taking action together On February 28 grocery store workers from Washington to California participated in actions in front of our stores asking for customer and community support during our upcoming contract negotiations.

In our most recent round of Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings with workplace leaders we discussed how to get prepared for a potential strike

and what our employers may do. It is important that all members continue to sign our strike pledge cards in all our workplaces and update our contact information.

How you can help in the fight for a good contract:

  • Make sure your personal contact information is up-to-date: ufcw21.org/update-your-information

  • Join our next Contract Action Team meeting! Call your Union Rep or a workplace leader.

  • Take a Shop Steward Training class open to all members who want to help build a strong union and know their rights. ufcw21.org/steward-training

Draper Valley Farms - Accelerated wage increases and increased shift differentials starting February 28!

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Accelerated wage increases and increased shift differentials starting February 28!

The Company and Union have agreed to accelerating wage increases starting February 28. All union members shall receive a $1/hour increase (accelerating the full $0.75 increase that is to be paid starting April 1, 2022, and $0.25 of the increase that is not due until April 1, 2023).

Additionally, we were able to win a one dollar increase to shift differentials for Distribution and Processing plants! The new shift differentials will be $1.25/ swing shift and $1.35/ night shift.

These increases shall be effective February 28 and will appear on your March 11 paycheck.

¡Aumentos salariales acelerados y mayores diferenciales de turno a partir del 28 de febrero!

La Compañía y el Sindicato han acordado acelerar los incrementos salariales a partir del 28 de febrero. Todos los empleados recibirán un aumento de $1/hora (acelerando el aumento total de $0.75 que se pagó a partir del 1 de abril del 2022, y $0.25 del aumento que no se adeudó hasta el 1 de abril de 2023).

Adicionalmente, ¡pudimos ganar un aumento de un dólar para cambiar diferenciales para plantas de distribución y procesamiento! Los nuevos diferenciales de turno serán $1.25/ turno swing y $1.35/turno nocturno.

Estos incrementos entrarán en vigencia el 28 de febrero y aparecerán en su sueldo del 11 de marzo.

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Cautious Optimism

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“While we still have a long way to go, we are cautiously optimistic with the progress that was made today.”

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on February 17, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center.

While we have yet to receive a comprehensive response to all our proposals, management seemed to have taken note of the Bargaining Team’s frustration at our last session. Noting that safety was clearly a major priority of the Union’s proposals, management made a counter proposal that focused on responses to our safety concerns. 

We were surprised by the amount of thought and consideration that went into crafting their proposal, with actual responses instead of the outright rejection we were expecting. For example, the employer’s response agreed to some of our demands such as:

  • Enhanced training when preforming hazardous duties, 

  • Language that ensures changes to the staffing matrix shall be voted on by the staffing committee,

  • Withdrew their demands for more control over our committees,

  • New language that will reduce the amount of committee meeting cancelations, 

  • Employer paid training on conducting effective committee meetings.

We also reached a tentative agreement on rewriting our preceptor pay language, which has been notoriously hard to understand. Our new language makes it unmistakably clear when nurses shall qualify for preceptor pay, removing the loopholes and inconsistences that plague our current language. 

While we were pleased with the progress, it’s important to remember that we are very far from reaching an agreement on a new contract. Even with the progress we made today, the employer has still failed to address most of our safety and safety concerns. We also haven’t begun talks about wages and differentials, which we expect to be very contentious as we fight for significant increases. 

Your Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations. We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on Thursday March 3 with dates scheduled through April.  

Facebook Page

You’re Invited! 

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, March 9 @ 6:00PM

Wednesday, March 9

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

Emergency Department Meeting: Meeting focused on discussing the serious issues faced by nurses in the Emergency Department and working on solutions that can be achieved through contract negotiations.

Tuesday, March 15

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

Seattle Children’s Hospital Technical - It’s time to set Management straight

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“Management claims they want top of the market wages, however, the numbers do not match up with what they’ve proposed.”

- Kellie Koening, Ultrasound Tech

Our Bargaining Team met with Seattle Children's Management again on February 22 to continue negotiations for our next contract. While some progress wage made, we are still far apart and many issues, especially on wages.

During this session, the Employer presented an economic counteroffer than made negligible movement from their prior proposal. Management stated that they aim to have top of the market wages at Seattle Children’s, however, we do not believe their wage proposal achieves what they claim. This is especially true when considering that Swedish Medical Center, one of our largest competitors for labor, will receive additional wage increases in the coming months and will also be re-negotiating their union contract next year.

We are also disappointed that Management continues to reject our proposal to increase the Per Diem differential from 12% to 15%, which has become a market standard for Per Diems. As for the other differentials, not only has Management made very little movement on their proposal, but they admitted during our last session that they don’t believe that Employees at Seattle Children’s should be earning top of the market differentials and premiums.

Our Bargaining Team has built an economic proposal that would ensure that Seattle Children's remains competitive for the entire duration of our three-year contract. We believe that Management’s proposal fails to account for future wage increases in the market, setting Seattle Children’s up for more difficulties recruiting and retaining staff shortly after we ratify a contract.

In an attempt to distract you, Management sent out a communication last week regarding the contractually required process of the Employer sending Employee rosters to the Union, including social security numbers. This is a common practice that provides a unique identifier that enables easy identification of Employees, which helps avoid mistakes on union dues and other aspects of membership. In fact, the Employer has agreed to send social security numbers to the Union since at least 2004 without issue.

This is particularly helpful with new hires who may have come from another UFCW represented worksite and, therefore, can move their membership profile from their old Employer and avoid initiation fees. Accordingly, the Union has proposed that the Employer only send the full social security numbers of new hires and then only the last four digits going forward. As we await the Employer’s response to our proposal, remember that the Employer is using this tactic to distract you from the important issues such as your benefits, wages, and equity in the workplace.

While we hope to reach an agreement soon, we cannot accept a deal that fails to address our concerns, nor one that fails to ensure that our wages will be market competitive for duration of our contract. Our Bargaining Team is scheduled to with Management again on March 4 and 16.

Join your coworkers and hear from our Bargaining Team about negotiations!
Thursday, March 3
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom details. Details will also be sent to your email.

St. Michael Medical Center (RN) - Management is out of touch with reality

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“Management has failed to seriously address any of our concerns, proving that serious action will be required to win a fair contract.”

-Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Our Bargaining Team met with Management again on February 15, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center.

Management finally provided our Bargaining Team with a counter to most of our proposals, but it was not worth the wait. As you’ll see with some of our proposals below, the general theme of their proposal was “NO.”

  • Union Proposal : Safe Staffing Standards
    Management Response:     REJECT

  • Union Proposal :Staffing Committee Improvements
    Management Response: REJECT, countered with more Management control over committees.

  • Union Proposal :Financial Penalty for Cancelled Committee Meetings
    Management Response: REJECT, countered by offering to have a meeting about canceled meetings.

  • Union Proposal :Instant Use of Extended Illness Bank (EIB)
    Management Response: REJECT

  • Union Proposal: Low Census Standby Improvements
    Management Response: REJECT

  • Union Proposal: Better Union Representative Access to Hospital
    Management Response: REJECT, countered with more restrictions to union access.

  • Union Proposal: Charge Nurse Improvements
    Management Response: REJECT

  • Union Proposal: Increased Per Diem Protection from Discipline
    Management Response: REJECT

  • Union Proposal: 14 Day Resignation Notice
    Management Response: 28 Day Resignation Notice

Management’s response to our safe staffing standards proposal was “[we] reject staffing ratios in its entirety.” They even had the audacity to demand more authority over our staffing committee, which they have been working to undermine for years in an attempt to take our voices out of the conversation about safe staffing.

Your Bargaining Team was infuriated by their behavior, directly confronting management during joint session by declaring they are ignorant and completely out of touch with the reality. During this heated exchange, management followed up with their concerns that the Union seems to have looked at every corner of the contract and just tore it apart, nearly re-writing the contract.

They’re right! The status quo is not working, and radical change is necessary if we are going get St. Michael Medical Center out the crisis we’re facing today. We’ve combed through our contract and proposed many solutions to our problems. All we ask is that Management work with us to create a safer medical center for both nurses and our patients but apparently that’s too much ask. With that becoming increasingly clear, we’re going to have to explore alternative methods to force them to listen.

We are scheduled to meet with Management again on February 23 with additional dates scheduled through April. We hope Management will have responses to our other proposals ready when we meet again next week.

You’re Invited! Attend our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure Mangement, and learn how to get your co-workers involved.

Wednesday, March 9
10 AM
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom meeting details.

Skagit Regional Health - Bargaining Team Confirmed

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Thank you to everyone that participated in bargaining team nominations. We were able to assemble and confirm a diverse bargaining team that represents a variety of departments at Skagit! Your 2022 bargaining team is:

  • Aaron St. John – Central Supply Tech

  • Alina Delano – Ultrasound Tech

  • Ashley Price – Medical Assistant

  • Jill Douglass – Data Entry Clerk 

  • Maria Muñoz – Environmental Aid

  • Megan Osborn – Med Tech

  • Mike Koenig – Engineer

  • Paulette Chavez – Social Worker 

  • Rindi Atkins – Rad Tech 

  • Thomas Kean – Exercise Physiologist

  • Gabriel Wilder – CNA

  • Cindy Tjaden – Surgical Tech

You’re Invited! 

Join us for a virtual Contract Action Meeting on Wednesday, February 23 at 6:00 PM to discuss our priorities for the bargaining table and learn how the process works.

Skagit Regional Health CAT Meeting

Wednesday, February 23

6:00PM

RSVP Here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Central Co-Op - 7 or 11 cents an hour? Not till 2024?!

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“Our Bargaining Team is continuing to push for what we deserve, but upper Management is giving us unfair proposals as we work tirelessly to make this Co-op a success.”

-Kate White, Deli Cook, Tacoma Store

Today, Central Co-op’s representatives delivered a package proposal on economics that didn’t include any new money until the third year of the contract, and these increases were only a meager $0.07 to $0.11 an hour. While the package did include improvements to jury duty, bereavement leave, the 401(k) plan, and PTO; it didn’t do anything to address wage inequity at the Tacoma store.

We bargain again on Wednesday, February 23 and are hoping to see improvements in the Co-op’s proposals. If they don’t show meaningful movement, then we will have plenty to discuss at our Direct Action meeting on Thursday, February 24 @ 10am.

Please join us and be ready to discuss taking action to escalate our campaign for a FAIR CONTRACT!
Thursday, February 24
10 AM
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom meeting details.

Providence Everett RN Pro Tech update Reduced ESBs means more staffing problems!

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Providence Everett RN, Pro & Tech

Reduced ESBs will result in more staffing problems!

In January, Providence Everett Management proposed to reduce the February extra shift bonus (ESB) stating that the current bonus amounts are extremely costly which has resulted in going over budget. They also mentioned they want to align their ESB amounts to better match the lesser bonus amounts of other Providence hospitals.

We told Providence that we did not agree with their proposal and proposed we wait until mid-February to evaluate March bonus amounts for each unit. We believe reduced ESBs will result in less staff volunteering for extra shifts, which will increase caregivers’ workload and will lead to more burnout/resignations. If there is less staff, then there will be less caregivers to provide care. We are deeply concerned about the well-being of caregivers and the quality of care the community will receive if there is less staff.

We also asked Management on January 28 to provide information regarding vacancies, labor expenses on agency/travel staff, recruitment and retention plans, and monthly labor expenses since 2019. This information is needed to better understand their claims. We still have not received a response to our information request.

We are disappointed that Management has chosen to implement the reduced rates and will be asking them to reconsider their position for the sake of patient care and the well-being of UFCW 21 members.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to your union representative, Anthony Cantu.

St. Michael Medical Center RN Bargaining Continues

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St. Michael Medical Center RN Bargaining Continues

“Management showed they are out of touch by trying to increase our work instead of finding solutions on recruitment and retention.” -Anne Burns, RN

Our Bargaining Team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson

Our Bargaining Team met with management again on February 8, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center. Our meeting was not very productive, with management failing to have a comprehensive response to our recent proposals, citing the need for additional research. The only proposal they had was a package, which offered an increase to the per diem premium so long as we agreed to larger work commitments for per diems in exchange.

Our bargaining team had already proposed an increase to the per diem premium in the hopes to recruit and retain employees, but adding more work commitments in exchange will only push more nurses to leave. We are not interested in their package proposal and intend to reject the change at our next session.

We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on February 15, which we hope will be more productive than our last meeting.

You’re Invited! March 9 @ 6:00PM

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, March 9 @ 6:00PM

Seattle Children’s Hospital - Management Needs a Reality Check

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Yesterday, on February 8, 2022, our team meet with management for our seventh joint bargaining session. We provided management with comprehensive counters on almost every open issue at the table, including our remaining economic proposals. Since management took most of the day to form a response to our economics, we were initially hopefully that they would come back to us with a reasonable counter. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case at all. 

Management provided an economic counter that was very similar to their initial proposal and was nowhere close to what we had put across the table. The wages they are proposing (which they have claimed “meet the market”) are still way too low. On top of this they rejected virtually every one of the other proposals we made on economics, which included:

  • Increases to our Preceptor Pay, Call Back Pay, Certification Pay, Lead Pay, Standby Pay, Weekend Differentials, and Evening differentials 

  • Increases retirement plan matching funds

  • The removal of all “ghost steps” on our wage matrix

  • A sizable retention bonus that would be offered to everyone

  • An erasure of all “debt” related to negative sick bank balances acquired over the course of the pandemic 

  • A guarantee that the employer would provide pay for anyone forced to stay home after a work-related exposure to communicable diseases

  • Our proposals that ensured promotions to a higher job classification level (i.e. ST I to ST 2, RT I to RT2, ect) would be accessible to everyone and that their years of experience would be fully credited when moving up

  • An increase to our Per Diem premium

  • Our reduced cost parking plan

  • Guarantees that every union member would see a step increase every year

  • Guarantees that our benefits cannot change without our consent

  • Increased Bereavement Leave time

  • Improvements to our Sick Time and Vacation plans

  • And many others

If management believes their proposed pitiful wage increases alone are enough to fix the staffing crisis, they are delusional. Our next contract needs to include significantly higher wage increases as well as real, tangible improvements to the other economic factors that affect our take home pay. An industry leading, holistic approach is the only way for us to truly end the staffing crisis. 

Yesterday’s session showed us that our team’s fears were justified: management is completely out of touch with what we as union workers need. It’s clear that our words at the bargaining table alone aren’t enough to get through to them. 

It’s time we give management a reality check. We, as the workers that keep Seattle Children’s Hospital running, need to start taking bold actions to show management we are willing to stand united and fight for the contract we deserve! 

Please come to our next Contract Action Team meeting on February 14 at 4:30PM.

RSVP Here

At this meeting we will be discussing the big actions we have on the horizon and can go into detail about what we are proposing at the bargaining table. 

Our bargaining team wants to be as accessible as possible throughout this process and will begin hold “office hours” sessions periodically on evening, weekends, and other times when our coworkers may be available. To learn more about these sessions or our contract negotiations in general please call our Union Rep Christie Harris at 206-436-6606 and request to join our Slack channel. 

*Note: this is an office line and cannot receive text messages

In our bargaining session on February 17 we plan to push back hard against management and again propose the strong wages and other economic increases we need. Stay tuned for more updates, especially about upcoming actions.

“The hospital says they are expecting a contract settlement as soon as possible, but refuse to back that with any meaningful concessions. If they really think their current proposals will convince any people to stay, they are even more out of touch than we thought.”

— Madison Derksema, Pharmacy Tech

Our SCH Tech bargaining team: Matt Brabant - Respiratory Educator, Madison Derksema - Pharmacy Tech, Angela Ballard – Surgical Tech, Kellie Koenig – Ultrasound Tech, Ashley Strickland – Respiratory Transport, Tyler Schaffer – Anesthesia Tech, Tesfaldet Kidanemariam – Respiratory Therapist