PRMCE Technical | Welcome to UFCW 3000 - Tentative Agreement Approved

PRMCE Technical | Welcome to UFCW 3000
Tentative Agreement Approved

On September 21, the newly accreted Pharmacy Technicians at Monroe approved the tentative agreement! You will be placed onto the existing Technical wage scale based on your years of relevant experience in your job classification. Placement onto the wage scale will result in more than a 10% increase for employees.

All the current provisions of the Technical collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will apply to the newly accreted Pharmacy Technicians. Your union contract gives you a voice in your workplace and protects your benefits/wages. Additionally as a union member, you have the right to request for union representation if you are called into an investigatory meeting.

If you have any questions about your contract or experience workplace issues, please contact your Union Rep Sharra Oakley 206-436-6614.

Please join us at one of our virtual new member meetings! learn more about your union rights and receive union dues credit. Scan the QR code to Sign up or go to: ufcw21.org/new-members

PRMCE Professionals | Welcome to UFCW 3000 - Tentative Agreement Approved

PRMCE Professionals | Welcome to UFCW 3000!
Tentative Agreement Approved

On September 20, the newly accreted classifications in the Professional unit at PRMCE approved the tentative agreement! You will be placed onto the existing Professional wage scale based on your years of relevant experience in your job classification. Placement onto the wage scale will result in a 6.0% - 25.0% increase for employees!

All the current provisions of the Professional collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will apply to the newly accreted Professionals. Your union contract gives you a voice in your workplace and protects your benefits/wages. Additionally as a union member, you have the right to request for union representation if you are called into an investigatory meeting.

If you have any questions about your contract or experience workplace issues, please contact your Union Rep Sharra Oakley 206-436-6614.

Please join us at one of our virtual new member meetings! learn more about your union rights and receive union dues credit. Scan the QR code to sign up or go to: ufcw21.org/new-members

C.C. Filson contract overwhelmingly ratified!

Duty Free Americas - 5 Cents Won’t Pay Our Rents

Duty Free Americas
5 Cents Won’t Pay Our Rents

Our first day of bargaining with the Employer had its high points:

• We clarified that if people are sick after they have given their 2 weeks’ notice they can use their paid sick leave

• Grieving workers no longer have to attend a funeral to use their paid bereavement leave.

• More time between scheduled shifts

But Duty Free Americas offered us just a $.05 increase to the yearly raises we get in January. That does hardly anything for us keeping up with the increasing costs of living. They also rejected our proposals for access to more vacation time, premium pay for working on the busy Canadian Holidays, overtime for long hours worked in one day, and better matching contributions for our 401(k) retirement.

We bargain next on Monday, September 26.

“Duty Free’s proposed $.05 increase shows what they think of us. We know that we are worth more! We need to show them that we are serious about real wage increases.”

-Kassidy Oddo, Duty Free Shop

Sign the petition today demanding that Duty Free Americas do more for the people that serve their customers and make their business profitable! Scan the QR code or go to: https://bit.ly/Duty-Free22

Capital Medical Center RN - SAFE STAFFING SAVES LIVES

Our Bargaining Team:

Cindy Dixon (PACU), Carol Cairone (OR), Bonnie Verellen (Labor & Delivery), Dennis Verellen (ICU/PCU)

Not Pictured: Elisabeth Hildebrand (Cath Lab)

Although the burden of presenting responses & counter proposals rested on management yesterday, September 14, your UFCW bargaining team knew it was time to finalize and present our official contract language on safe staffing. 

After receiving CMC’s proposals in the morning hours, we put our heads together to layout a very strong article which would aim to protect nurses & patients. This was presented it in the early afternoon, and Management expressed that they understand the need for staffing language, but appeared apathetic in it’s application. 

This did not deter us. 

We reworked our proposal, and when we met with management again, we lead our revisions with testimony from bargaining team members. This, paired with our revised language, made a proposal so compelling it pushed management into a discussion with us about the necessity of protections not only for ourselves, but for our patients. 

Nurses are the most trusted profession in the United States, and when we stand together to demand basic protections, we expect management to listen. 

Please reach out to your Union Rep or if you have any questions or concerns. 

Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or BZielinski@ufcw3000.org 

Forks community hospital Technical & Service - Wage Increases Ratified

Forks Community Hospital Technical & Service

WAGE INCREASES RATIFIED

Thank you to all union members who came out on September 12 and voted to ratify wage increases! The vote overwhelmingly passed. You should see the increase on your paycheck this Friday, September 16.

If you did not this notice through email, please update your contact information at: ufcw21.org/update-your-information

For further information on your new wage increase or if you have any contract questions, contact Union Rep Brandan Zielinski at bzielinski@ufcw3000.org

Mason General Hospital - Wage increases ratified!

Mason General Hospital
WAGE INCREASES RATIFIED!

Thank you to all Union Members who came out on September 9 and voted to ratify wage increases! The vote overwhelmingly passed. Wage increases go into effect on Sunday, September 18, and you should see the increase on the October 7 paycheck.

If you did not this notice through email, please update your contact information at: ufcw21.org/update-your-information

For further information on your new wage increase or if you have any contract questions, contact Union Rep Brandan Zielinski at bzielinski@ufcw3000.org.

St. Joseph Medical Center Pharmacy - Bargaining Continues

St. Joseph Medical Center Pharmacy
Bargaining Continues

Our Bargaining Team met with Management on September 12. We achieved a tentative agreement on increases in funding for professional membership, continuing education and conferences in Article 6.5. We also tentatively agreed to an improved process for PTO access. Your feedback on the surveys was instrumental in crafting these improvements.

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 28 at which we intended to discuss economic proposals. We also agreed to additional bargaining dates in October.

“Today’s session was very productive and we look forward to moving closer to a final agreement.”

– Becky Mountjoy, Pharmacy/Bargaining Team

Skagit Regional Health - Bargaining Continues

On September 8, our bargaining team met with management for our 14th negotiation session. We discussed staffing, wages and economics at the table. Our next session on September 14 is a marathon bargaining session, members from your bargaining team will potentially be bargaining through the night into the early morning hours at the table to try and get as much done as possible. 

We are hopeful that Skagit Regional Health will continue to take into account that YOU deserve living wages that help SRH attract and retain workers. Our team will continue to bargain in good faith with SRH and work to ensure you are being compensated market standard rates for your next contract. 

Together, we provide exceptional care to our patients, who are our neighbors and our friends. Now is the time to stand together. Sign our petition affirming you deserve living wages.

Your Bargaining Team: 

Aaron St. John – Central Supply Tech

Alina Delano – Ultrasound Tech

Ashley Price – Medical Assistant Certified

Jill Douglass – Data Entry Clerk 

Maria Muñoz – Environmental

Megan Osborn – Med Tech

Mike Koenig – Engineer

Rindi Atkins – Radiology Tech 

Thomas Kean – Exercise Physiologist

Katie Davis – Social Worker 

Cindy Tjaden – Surgical Tech

ALSCO Linen - Bargaining Begins!

On September 6 and 8, we met with ALSCO Linen management. We were able to reach an agreement on reinstating the original seniority date for members who were laid off for more than three months due to the pandemic. These employees will start accruing their vacation time using their original date of seniority. We also were able to win annual sick time cash-out if you have over forty hours of sick time in your bank. 

We presented to management our wage, pension, and health insurance proposal on September 8. We proposed competitive wage increases which will help ALSCO recruit and retain workers. We also proposed to change our pension to a better pension plan which will result in a higher monthly pension benefit when members retire. Management asked us for more time to review the pension proposal, so we will be meeting on September 22 and 26 to continue bargaining.

On September 22 and 26, please wear your UFCW yellow shirt and support your bargaining team! It is important that we stand united in order to win competitive wage increases and a fair contract!  

Our next contract action team meeting will be on:

Friday, September 23 

Kent Commons 

525 4th Ave N

Kent, WA 98030

Olympic Room

3:00PM - 5:00PM

If you have any questions, please contact your union representative Jose Veliz 509-228-7103. 

Sequim School District Maintenance - The District Makes Positive Moves, Except for Wages

Our first day of bargaining with the District had its positive points, a modest increase to the clothing allowance, movement towards being able to cash out some vacation time, adding Juneteenth as a holiday, and an exchange of ideas about improving safety. But that was soured by disappointment on wages. We don’t think that the employer heard us when we talked about needing better wages to pay our bills and getting serious about providing real money to workers taking positions of increased responsibilities and training.

We will be back bargaining again on September 14, so stay tuned because we might need to take action to make sure the District hears us.

Your Bargaining Team: Tharon Iverson, Aaron Colwill, Joe Gordon, Erik Cisneros

“Why take on new responsibilities for just a little extra money?”

— Joe Gordon, Bargaining Committee Member

Harbor Regional Heath - Fired Up & Ready for Action

Your Bargaining Team: Janet Byrd, Ricki Franklin, Dan James, Bambi Shope, Debbie Sturm.

Our Bargaining Team met with management on Friday August 26. Management made a proposal almost identical to the last one they gave us but in a different format. This time they gave a wage scale. All of the previous proposals have been percentages. They tried to make it seem like the proposal was new and wonderful, but our bargaining team spent a large part of Friday crunching the numbers and not much has changed.

Our Contract Action Team Meeting was Tuesday, August 30, and we discussed how we are going to move Management off of their ridiculous proposals. 

Everyone is fired up!!

We talked about spreading the word and getting the community involved, reaching out to other labor groups and informational pickets. 

Sign the strike pledge card to let management know you are willing to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract:

“I’m tired of seeing the same proposals, every time!” 

— Janet Byrd, Bargaining Team

Capital Medical Center RN - Bargaining for better pay, PTO, and patient safety

Capital Medical Center RN
BARGAINING FOR BETTER PAY, PTO, AND PATIENT SAFETY

On August 30, we met across the bargaining table from Capital Medical Center and proposed our economics. The market for Nurses in Washington state is evolving rapidly, and we’re holding it to Management to work with us to keep Capital Medical Center at the forefront of our needs.

Beyond the wage scale, we’ve continued to flesh out our counter proposals on PTO. Management initially brought us language to provide consistency between contracts, and we must ensure whichever plan we agree upon is equitable, and amends the ongoing concerns around benefits and accruals.

Lastly, our Bargaining Committee has been creative in our approaches to staffing and education. Although these conversations are still in their beginning stages, we know that our day-to-day lives as Nurses are about more than just pay and benefits: we must honor our safety as well as our patients!

Stay tuned for more information on joining the Contract Action Team (CAT)!

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns to Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or BZielinski@ufcw3000.org

Our Capital Medical Center Bargaining Team (L - R): Steven Toff (Chair 1 Bargainer for UFCW), Bonnie Verellen (Labor & Delivery), Dennis Verellen (ICU/PCU), Cindy Dixon (PACU). Not pictured: Carol Cairone (OR) & Elisabeth Hildebrand (Cath Lab)

St. Joseph Medical Center - Bargaining Continues

"After much input from our bargaining unit survey, we had meaningful conversations with Management that made headway on our collective concerns."

-Beau Chiba, SJMC Pharmacy

We met with St. Joseph Medical Center Management for our second bargaining session on August 24. While still early in this process, we were able to discuss improvements to language in your contract around discipline, grievances, workloads, and more. We look forward to future bargaining sessions, transitioning towards our economic discussions, and will meet next on Wednesday, August 31.

Join us via ZOOM for the Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings!

Thursday, September 1
7pm

Friday, September 2
1pm

Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for meeting details. Details will also be emailed to you.

Skagit Regional Health Bargaining Continues

On August 17th and 25th our Bargaining Team met with Management for our 12th & 13th negotiation sessions. We discussed staffing, wages and other economic issues we believe are important to all of us working for Skagit. Our team was disheartened to see Management’s economic proposal. After our bargaining session on the 17th, Management claimed “More than 80% of the bargaining unit would receive between a 4.5% and 16% increase in 2022 under our proposal.” Please read that carefully! This apparently includes market adjustments or longevity steps you have ALREADY received or are due in 2022. Increases that had to be done because SRH cannot attract and retain new workers in many departments.

The truth is they offered a fixed base wage increase of 3% in year 1 and a total increase of 7.5% to cover a proposed nearly three-and-a-half-year term. While we continue to push for additional market adjustments and believe those are important, the Employer’s base wage proposal averages less than 2.5% per year. Our Union Bargaining Team does not believe such a proposal is a serious attempt by Management to remedy staffing shortages or creates a compensation package competitive enough to attract new workers. We also believe it is unfair to existing employees who are experiencing increased housing, food, gas and living costs.

In addition to the economic proposals, our Bargaining Team continues to push for agreements regarding safe staffing practices, including rest between shifts, limitations on the amount of standby employees must work or time they may be held over the end of their shift, and compensation for per diems in order to make SRH more competitive in attracting additional help. We also made proposals we believe are important reflections of the organization’s claim to be more inclusive like requirements to have Spanish and Russian speaking interpreters available at the Hospital to assist us with patient care. We proposed adding Juneteenth as a holiday, an already federally recognized holiday, but it was rejected by Management. Skagit Regional Health tells us they value diversity-but they are yet to show it. Upcoming bargaining sessions will be September 2, 8, and 14.

Our team will continue to fight for wage increases for all classifications as well as ways to address staffing and safety issues. We will continue to bargain in good faith but we need to hear from you.

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED WITH OUR UNION!

Join us in Solidarity at our next Contract Action Team meeting on August 31 at 1pm via Zoom, Or at 6pm in person at UFCW 3000 Union Office, 1510 N 18th Street, Mt Vernon.

RSVP to the online meeting ▸

We demand Skagit Regional Health pay us higher wages and create a great work life balance environment!

Add your name to our petition! bit.ly/skagit-petition-sign

WhidbeyHealth - Management Rejects Union Proposal

On August 25, we met with WhidbeyHealth management for our second bargaining session regarding the wage reopener for the Pros/Techs/LPNs and Support Services. Management rejected our across-the-board 25% wage increase proposal. They told our team that they believe their targeted market adjustments on July 31 is the first step to helping resolve retention and recruitment issues.

Management used Jefferson Healthcare and Island Hospital wage rates to create their wage scale. We are encouraged that some have received a substantial increase, but others received between a 0% to 2% increase. We need equitable pay for all workers!

We have been below market for several years, in some classifications by more than 20%. Union members organizing pushed Management to announce the July 31 increases. We have been asking Management for several months for competitive pay to resolve our recruitment and retention issues.

We have asked Management to revisit our proposal and expect them to respond with a proposal that addresses our concerns. Our next bargaining session is on September 23 and have requested to meet sooner. We have also asked Management to send their proposal prior to the meeting to expedite the bargaining process.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your bargaining team members or union representative, Celia Ponce-Sanchez.

Your bargaining committee,

Jennifer MacNeill, Rosalie Nguyen, Qiana Johnson, Marilyn Faber, Gwendolyn Cole, Lisa Olds, Marty Riley, Elke Rogers

Capital Medical Center RN Bargaining Update

We had two more bargaining sessions with Management where we got a few more tentative agreements. We spent a lot of time talking about PTO. Management wants to keep us in alignment with all of the other MultiCare facilities, which we are okay with but they also need to recognize we are our own bargaining unit with our own needs.

We, as a Bargaining Team, want to be sure that none of us are left behind. If Management wants to make changes and put us in alignment, we want to make sure that all our coworkers are coming out on top.

“Things are moving in bargaining, but it seems like we have more questions for Management than what they are giving us. We need more answers from Management so we can get more done.” – Elisabeth Hildebrand, Cath Lab

“Management has made proposals around PTO that leaves some of our coworkers behind. We want to make sure none of our coworker are left behind!” – Cindy Dixon, PACU

LabCorp - What is our union doing to make our workplace better?

What is our union doing to make our workplace better?

We have several grievances currently ongoing including the payroll crisis, the missing 401k contributions, and mandatory overtime. We’ve demanded to bargain the installation of GPS trackers on the courier vehicles. We’re also working to resolve ongoing issues, such as:

• Inappropriate and false messaging - Yes, the contract says they can give you a raise!

• New employee orientation - LabCorp says it’s too difficult to email the agreed-upon union welcome letter to the new hires.

• Unknowingly reassigned job descriptions/classifications other than what you were hired for

• Difficulties in taking breaks/lunches

• And much more!

Earn dues credit if you’ve been with LabCorp for less than 6 months! Attend a virtual New Member Meeting and receive a $50.00 credit towards your initiation fee. It’s only half an hour and you’ll learn a lot of your valuable rights, protections, and benefits that will help and protect you. Sign up at: ufcw21.org/new-members

If the online New Member Meeting schedule does not work for you, call Union Rep Christie Harris @ 206-436-6606 to do a one-on-one anytime via online, phone, or in person!

We’re continuing to build our power for more fair and just workplaces. At our next monthly virtual meeting, Sunday, August 28, we will strategize a plan to win a strong contract next year, including substantial wage increases to recruit and retain staff. Improvements will be on the table, such as:

• An option to take home your courier vehicle

• Stronger protections against mandatory overtime

• More affordable health care

• Better call-in pay/language

• And much more!

Join your coworkers for the next virtual meeting! All questions are welcomed and encouraged. Go to the URL next to the meeting time that you will attend.

Sunday, August 28
10am and 6:30pm
Contact Christie Harris for meeting details. Check your email for the direct links!

Stay up to date with the information that impacts your workplace. Scan the QR code to join our private Facebook group page!

Your Weingarten Rights: If you’re called into a meeting that you think could lead to discipline, STOP! Ask for union representation. “I request a union representative during this meeting. If you accuse me or ask me questions I believe may lead to my discipline, I have a right not to answer those questions and will continue to ask for a union representative until you comply with my request.”

Fresenius Renal Care - Bargaining Update

Workers at Fresenius are standing up against low wages!

Many Fresenius workers have signed the petition asking management for fair wages and to respect the work we do!

Let management know that we need to be treated with respect!

If you have not signed the petition, here is the link:

Representatives from UFCW and WSNA are working together! Both the Techs and the Nurses are in bargaining and at both bargains it is clear that management isn’t worried about our low wages and serious staffing issues.

So we have started a second petition that is for community, family and friends to let them know what we need from Fresenius!

Sign the community petition below:

If you have need additional information, reach out to Union Representative Ryan Degouveia 360-662-1989 or rdegouveia@ufcw3000.org

If you or a coworker are not getting emails from us, use this link to update your contact information:

www.ufcw21.org/update-your-information

Harbor Regional Health - Management is Unprepared

Your Bargaining Team: Janet Byrd, Ricki Franklin, Dan James, Bambi Shope, Debbie Sturm.

Our bargaining team was scheduled to meet with management on Friday. The bargaining team met at 9:00am and waited for management’s proposal. Management contacted us around 11:00am and said they were working on a complex counter proposal and wouldn’t be able to get it to us that day.

They had three weeks to get ready! Yet again they came to bargaining unprepared!

Hundreds of workers are relying on management to do what’s right and pay them what they deserve.

We do our jobs—management needs to do theirs!

We need management to see we are prepared to do what it takes to get this contract. Talk to your coworkers about signing the strike pledge card.

Join us for our next Contract Action Team Meeting

Tuesday, August 30 • 6:00 PM

Duffy’s

1605 Simpson Avenue

Aberdeen, WA 98520

See you there!