Evergreen Health Monroe Bargaining Begins Soon!
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Evergreen Health Monroe Bargaining Begins Soon!
Bargaining for a new contract begins October 19. The Bargaining Team is meeting to review priorities and create proposals.
We hear you: Compensation, Staffing and Scheduling are top priorities.
We will keep you updated! If you or someone you know is not receiving emails form UFCW 3000 use this link to update information >>
For more information about how you can get involved contact your Union Representative Sharra Oakley
at 206-436-6614
Richland Fred Meyer Workers Ratify First Contract!
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Richland Fred Meyer Workers Ratify First Contract!
After voting all day today (Friday 10/7), workers at Richland Fred Meyer have overwhelmingly voted to ratify our first union contract!
This legally binding contract includes big wins like:
A new wage scale with wage increases each year
Workplace safety language and avenues to escalate concerns that aren’t addressed at the store level
“Just Cause” protections (meaning we cannot be terminated or disciplined without a reason)
A grievance procedure giving us the ability to challenge unjust discipline or any violations of our new contract
Access to affordable high-quality health care for ourselves and our families
Union recognition and union security to ensure we have a strong union store for years to come
NEXT STEPS – A FIRST CONTRACT IS JUST THE BEGINNING
First, we celebrate. This win took more than three years! Next, we get to work. The next steps will be getting familiar with our new contract, so we can exercise our rights on the job, stepping up to get union training (on contract enforcement, safety, and more), recruiting workplace leaders to become our trained Shop Stewards, and getting to know our UFCW 3000 Union Representative.
Two important things everyone should remember:
If you or a coworker needs any help regarding an investigatory meeting with management, are facing any discipline or corrective action, or believe our contract is being violated, contact the UFCW 3000 Member Resource Center at 1-866-210-3000.
In addition, always remember your rights around meetings with management, called “Weingarten rights” after a 1975 Supreme Court Case:
You have the right to union representation if you are called to a meeting with management that could lead to discipline. Follow these guidelines: The employee must make a clear request for union representation either before or during the interview. (Managers do not have to inform employees of their rights.) Management cannot retaliate for requesting representation. Management must delay questioning until the union steward arrives. It is an unfair labor practice for management to deny an employee’s request for a steward and continue with interrogation. In this case, an employee can refuse to answer management’s questions.
READY TO GET TRAINED UP?
To sign up for further training with our union on things like contract enforcement, Weingarten rights and meetings, grievance procedures, and safety, contact Marc Auerbach, Education Director at 206-436-6519
Providence Everett - Management finally responds to Union proposed incentives and retention bonus!
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Providence Everett Medical Center
Management finally responds to Union proposed incentives and retention bonus!
For several months, we have been asking Providence to focus on improving staffing through incentives. In July, we proposed to Providence Everett Management three incentives to help with retention and recruitment. We proposed: 1) a flip shift incentive which would give day/evening shift employees time-and-a-half for every hour worked during a temporary night shift assignment; 2) an extra shift incentive for any employee who works beyond their assigned FTE; 3) an $8,000 retention bonus, split in two payments, for all employees who have been employed since July 1, 2022.
Providence finally responded to our proposal on October 3. They responded with an extra shift incentive only for RNs, Discharge Planners, Transition Planners, Respiratory Therapists, CT Techs, MRI Techs, Medical Lab Techs, Medical Techs ASCP, Senior Medical Techs, Surgical Techs, and Sterile Processing Techs. These employees who are assigned a 0.9 FTE or below would receive time-and-one-half pay for shifts beyond their FTE and employees who are assigned above a 0.9 FTE would receive double time pay for shifts beyond their FTE.
While we recognize Providence’s effort to alleviate staffing problems with this incentive, we do not believe this is sufficient. The incentive is only for a portion of employees. It is important that all nurses, professionals, and techs be included!
We will be discussing the incentives with your Bargaining Committee and responding to Providence. Please reach out to your Union Rep or Bargaining Committee for questions or comments.
Providence St. Mary’s Hospital New three-year contract Ratified months before expiration!
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“The process was overwhelming, but the juice was worth the squeeze!”
On Monday, October 3, UFCW 3000 RN’s represented at Providence St. Mary’s hospital ratified a new 3 year contract. With a very high percentage turnout and by super majority vote our new contract contains the highest wage increases that we have seen at St. Mary’s, increases to premiums, Tuition reimbursement and will set a foundation to build power within the workplace that will help improve working conditions.
Thank you to all members who joined one of our vote meetings and participated in the ratification of this contract.
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Representative Juanita Quezada (509)340-7407 for any questions or concerns as they were the ones participating in the process at the bargaining table.
ACME Farms - 1st Day of Negotiations
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Today we met with Management from ACME Farms via Zoom for the first day of negotiations. We delivered out initial proposals for most of the contract, including substantial wage increases for all employees, paid holidays, vacation, sick and safe leave, premiums (training duties, commuting in inclement weather, overtime after 8 hours, etc.), and a fair discipline process. We are still exploring health insurance and retirement benefit options to propose before our next bargaining session which is on October 21.
“Our first day of negotiations went well, we are all hopeful that we will soon have a union contract. I am grateful to have you all as my coworkers and friends and am thankful of how hard everyone has worked throughout this process to make it a success.”
— Evan Bailey, Delivery Driver
Our next bargaining date is on October 21 so stay tuned for more information, and keep those union buttons on to support your bargaining committee!
Harbor Regional Health - Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Informational Picket!
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Harbor Regional Health
Members of the local community came out along with many hospital workers to send a strong message to management: We need a contract NOW! At the end of the Informational Picket community members stepped up and spoke to HRH workers offering overwhelming support! It was a beautiful fall day, a perfect day to make some noise in front of Harbor Regional Health.
St. Joseph Medical Center - Pharmacy - Bargaining Continues
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St. Joseph Medical Center - Pharmacy
Bargaining Continues
We met with Management on September 28 for continued contract negotiations. We were able to dive into wage increase discussions as well as retirement benefit improvements. While no tentative agreements were met today, we were able to communicate our intentions on what the Bargaining Team is aiming to achieve.
Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for October 3 and October 6, and we anticipate a deeper dive into benefits and wages at that time. As we progress towards future discussions, we ask that you and your unit be ready for any potential actions needed to secure a fair contract!
Join us at the next bargaining update meeting via Zoom!
Tuesday, October 4
7pm
Direct link will be emailed to you. Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for meeting details.
Capital Medical Center RN - Tentative Agreement Reached
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Our Bargaining Team: Bonnie Velleren, Carol Cairone, Cindy Dixon, Dennis Velleren, Elisabeth Hilderbrand
After a successful action of a petition in support of a strong contract and after a long day of bargaining we are excited to announce that we have settled a historic agreement that we believe is strong and equitable for all!
What We Won:
Strong wages that can help recruit and retain qualified Nurses!
New wage scale that eliminates 5 ghost steps and put us equal or above Providence St. Peters Hospital
A committee to discuss Call language and policies
Health and Safety Language
Increase premiums including Float pay, excessive call pay, night shift and others.
Safe staffing language
And other great wins!
Keep an eye out for ratification vote meetings!
“We are proud of the work we did, not only is it a landmark agreement but we were able to settle before the contract expiration date.”
— Bonnie Verellen
“Management tried to take some things away but with the support of our coworkers we were able to fight back and win a strong contract.”
— Cindy Dixon
“Not only did we get wages that will help us recruit and retain good nurses, but we got a wage scale that matches Providence St. Peters and eliminates 5 ghost steps.”
— Dennis Velleren
“We fought for the majority and the minorities. We wanted to make sure that not only the big departments get their issues brought to the table but so were some of the smaller departments!”
— Elisabeth Hilderbrand
Please reach out to a bargaining team member or your Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or bzielinski@ufcw3000.org
Skagit Regional Health - New Contract Ratified!
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“We are happy to announce that the contract ratified with a 94% YES vote. We appreciate everyone who came out to vote.”
-Mike Koening, Engineer/SRH Bargaining Team Member
Skagit Regional Health union members have overwhelmingly ratified their new 3.5 year contract with a 94% YES vote! We won historical wage increases, a minimum of 14.75% wage increase with many classifications receiving wage increases of up to 30.25%. There is also an additional 8 hours of PTO, an additional convenience day, an increase in premium pay, and per diem differentials increase of 4.0%.
Proposed wage increases should be effective the second full pay period after ratification. Our Bargaining Team thanks you for your solidarity as we fought hard for strong new language, per diem differentials, and so much more!
Skagit Regional Health Bargaining Team:
(Front Row L - R)
Katie Davis, Social Worker
Jill Douglass, Data entry Clerk
Cindy Tjaden, Surg Tech
(Back Row L - R)
Aaron St. John, CS Tech
Mike Koenig, Engineer
WhidbeyHealth - Management is Listening!
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There was movement in bargaining on September 23. While we did not reach a tentative agreement, Management increased their across-the-board wage proposal and was open to removing the ghost steps / zero steps. WhidbeyHealth confirmed that their wage proposal would be in addition to the wage increases members received on July 31, 2022.
We counter proposed with a competitive across-the-board increase for all employees, removal of all ghost steps, and increasing certificate premiums to $1.
In the Support Service and Pro-Tech-LPN contracts, there are about ten steps where an employee does not receive an increase when they move from one step to another. By removing ghost steps, employees are no longer penalized for their loyalty to the Hospital. For example, Step 10 and 11 earn the same wage rate. Under our proposal there would be a step increase between Step 10 and 11 in addition to any other ghost steps.
We began bargaining for both Service & Support Unit and the Pro-Tech/LPN Unit together to show solidarity as a bargaining unit at the end of July. On September 23, WhidbeyHealth has countered and tabled bargaining for Service & Support until October 1. We will continue to fight for UNITY and an increased wage for ALL.
Our next bargaining session will be on October 4 and 19. We will be holding a contract action team meeting to discuss bargaining on September 28.
Contract Action Team Meeting
Wednesday, October 5 • 11:00 AM
In-Person Casual Get-Together
Thursday, October 6 • 6:00 PM
Organized by WhidbeyHealth stewards
Applebee’s Grill
31810 State Route 20
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
If you have any questions, please reach out to your bargaining team members or union representative, Celia Ponce-Sanchez.
Our Bargaining Committee:
Jennifer MacNeill, Rosalie Nguyen, Qiana Johnson, Marilyn Faber, Gwendolyn Cole, Lisa Olds, Marty Riley, Elke Rogers
Cascade Valley - SEIU Members Join us for Bargaining Kick-Off
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We are about to start union negotiations. Our ability to win a strong contract depends on having active, informed, and united union members in the workplace.
Join us for our Bargaining Kick-Off meeting on Tuesday, October 4 from 11:00am to 2:00pm, or from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
We will be meeting to discuss what our priorities provide in the bargaining survey sent on August 9, 2022.
We will be meeting at Rainier A Conference Room on the second floor of Cascade Valley Hospital.
Fresenius Renal Care - Workers Ratify New Contract!
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Fresenius Workers Ratify New Contract!
On Thursday, September 22, members of UFCW 3000 at Fresenius overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract!
The contract included significant wage and premium increases and improvements to contract language. Thank you to bargaining team members Tiffani Davis and Michele Hardy.
To review the details of your contract or if you have a contract question, contact your rep Ryan Degouveia at 360-662-1989 or rdegouveia@ufcw3000.org.
If you know someone who is not getting these bargaining updates by email, or you need to update your contact information, please go here:
Capital Medical Center RN Bargaining Update
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Capital Medical Center
There is Still work to be done
We had another bargaining session with management on September 22. Overall we have made great progress and feel like Management has come a long way. However, while a lot of things are promising there is still some work to be done before we can settle a contract that is equitable for everyone. Between the last two bargaining sessions we have discussed economics, staffing, safety, and made a lot headway on some of those issues but Management still needs some more nudging.
Join us in signing this petition and let Management know that we are united for a strong contract.
Sign our Petition: United for Strong Contract!>>
“We as nurses are compassionate about safety, our concerns were heard after a hard fight leading to an agreement around safe staffing.”
–Bonnie Verellen and Carol Cairone
“Management is trying to take away pay from those who work on-call. Individuals on-call already have a family work life balance burden and now management is trying to reduce pay. We Deserve Better!” –Cindy Dixon and Elisabeth Hildebrand.
PRMCE Technical | Welcome to UFCW 3000 - Tentative Agreement Approved
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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
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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
Duty Free Americas - 5 Cents Won’t Pay Our Rents
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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
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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
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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
