Saint Anne Hospital Bargaining Update

On July 18 and July 26, our Union Bargaining Team met with the Employer’s team. We submitted proposals that would increase Union Representatives’ access to employees at the worksite. Increasing access to Union representation allows us to have our issues addressed right at the worksite. We also proposed increasing the timeline to submit a grievance. Increasing the timeline to file grievances gives us adequate time to investigate issues and file solid grievance in a timely manner.

We proposed language to protect Seniority during layoffs and low census for bargaining unit members. We also submitted language to prevent travelers from preempting students and new hires.

Management has yet to respond to our proposals. We expect to see progress on the Management side at our next bargaining session on August 6, 2023.

Contract Action Team Meeting!

Join our next Membership meeting and learn about becoming more involved in bargaining as a Contract Action Team Member. Our next Membership Meeting will be August 9, 2023 at 6:00pm at the UFCW Des Moines office, 23040 Pacific Hwy S. Suite 101, Des Moines, WA

If you have questions or need assistance contact Union Representative Jack Crow at 206-436-6614

PRMCE RN - Bargaining Update

On July 27, we held a banner and leaflet action at the Everett Marina Concert Series. We spoke with community members and asked them to send an email to the Providence General Foundation-Everett. The email calls out the staffing crisis at the Hospital and demanding that the Foundation hold Hospital Administration accountable for their lack of collaboration around staffing issues at the bargaining table. Please encourage your friends and family to send an email to the Foundation:

>> Share this link! Stand with Providence Everett RNs

Also members of the Everett City Councilmembers and Snohomish County Board of Health will be writing a letter to Hospital Administration and the Foundation supporting our contract negotiations! The community and elected officials support our efforts for safe staffing! 

Response to the CNO’s email: On August 1st we will have a second day of contract negotiations with a federal mediator. Our first mediation session resulted in a rejection on our staffing language and a wage proposal which still puts us dollars behind Swedish, Overlake, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Evergreen. A 19.4% increase (divided in multiple increases from 2023 to 2026) will not be enough to remain competitive with other hospitals in the area! 

It has also come to our attention that Hospital Management has published their contract proposals and indicated if the proposals are tentative agreements (meaning Management and the nurse bargaining team have mutually agreed). We believe this is a tactic to frustrate the bargaining process and cause confusion. We will be sending out a version of our full proposal next week so nurses can read through all of our proposals and we can discuss them together. 

WA State Sick Leave accruals: Under WA’s Paid Sick Leave law, employers are supposed to record WA State sick time. Although PRMCE nurses accrue PTO and EIB, you should have a line item on your paystub or on the employee portal showing how much PTO is considered “WA State Sick Leave.” We have asked Providence to comply with the law so nurses know how much protect sick leave time they have available, but Providence has denied our request. We filed a grievance in May to resolve this issue and will also address this issue in negotiations.  

Incentive Pay: In the past the Hospital and UFCW 3000 agreed that nurses would receive time and a half or double time pay if they worked an extra shift beyond their FTE. An issue that arose is that nurses who called out sick and used “protected sick leave”, per the WA Paid Sick Leave law, were denied incentive pay. In February 2023, we told Providence that this was discriminatory, and these nurses should receive the incentive pay. Providence originally rejected our request but has changed their position. They are now providing incentive pay to nurses who call out sick for an extra shift, but use “protect sick time.” 

We are unsure how long Providence will continue providing incentive pay but we are requesting at the bargaining table that incentive pay be part of the union contract. Currently Providence Centralia and Providence St. Peter’s (Olympia) have incentive pay in their contract. 

We need to show PRMCE that we are serious about our proposals and are willing to strike! If you have not already signed the strike pledge, please click on the link below!

>> Sign the Strike Pledge! PRMCE RN - I Promise to Take Action

Also encourage your coworkers to update their information:

>> Update Your Information!

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Below are the current articles that are open and our last session prior to mediation proposals: 

Article 2 Union Matters—union security, Providence must provide personal emails for each nurse (if available) 

Article 4 Union Representation—union representatives will have access to all unit conference rooms, Providence will ensure that two bargaining committee members per unit will have their shifts covered in order to attend negotiations 

Article 6 Employment Practices—a nurse may request for a written warning to be removed from their file if the discipline is 18 months old, documented coachings/counselings shall be removed from a nurse’s file, upon request, after 9 months

Staffing—additional $5/ hour per shift to nurses if their unit falls below the staffing plan for their unit plus major improvements to the staffing committee agenda like reviewing nurse exit interviews and addressing acute staffing issues immediately

Article 7 Seniority—a new list for skill departments to reflect current department breakdown, Providence will notify nurses of recall via email and mail

Article 8 Hours of Work and Overtime—double time pay for nurses on standby on holidays, travelers will be low censused first and then agency nurses, 12 break relief nurses, per diem nurses minimum shift scheduling

Article 9 Compensation—Nurses will need to work 1,664 hours instead of 1,872 hours to advance to their next step increase. $3.00 Evening shift differential and $6.50 Night shift differential. After 24 months of working on third shift, nurses shall receive an additional $3/ hour in addition to their shift differential. Standby on-call pay of $7/ hour. Float Pool/Resource Team pay of $5. Increased premium for preceptors to $2.00 to train the nurses we desperately need. Expanded holiday pay for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for night shift nurses. $800 Standby Bonus for nurses who work more than 500 standby hours each calendar year, $1100 standby bonus for nurses who work more than 800 standby hours in a half year, $1250 for nurses who work more than 1100 standby hours in a half year

Wages—Step increments between steps would be an average of 2.5%. Currently the step increments vary between step. Increase base to Swedish’s base rate of $42.22 on June 1, 2023. The new wage table would range from $42.22 (Base)  80.55 (Step 35). November 1, 2023 8.25% increase, 2024 5% increase, 2025 6.5% increase

Article 15 Committees—Staffing Committee would reflect the new staffing law, which means if the Hospital violates this article we can file a grievance and take the grievance to arbitration if necessary. Additionally if the staffing plan is not adhered to by a margin of 85% and a nurse works on their day off, .9 to 1.0 FTE nurses shall receive double time pay and .5 to .89 FTE nurses shall receive 1.5 time pay for all time worked up to 40 hours (these nurses will receive double time for work beyond 40 hours)

Article 16 Nursing Education/License—Increasing education leave hours to 40 (prorated by FTE), increasing education dollars, and tuition reimbursement of $5,250 for all nurses with a .75 FTE or above

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PRMCE RN Bargaining Team—Trevor Gjendem, Juan Stout, Carrie Rimel, Kelli Johnson, Stephanie Sausman, Julie Byum, Kristen Crowder (not pictured) (Top left to bottom right) 

Upcoming Actions

August 1—Negotiations with Providence Everett Management 

August 3—5:30pm to 6:30pm Leaflet Action at Everett Marina Concert Series (park on Grand Ave or Everett Marina paid parking)

August 6—Everett Farmer’s Market Leaflet Action 10:30am to 12pm (meet on Pacific and Wetmore) 

August 16—Community Townhall with Nurses 5pm to 6pm Everett Labor Temple 

August 17—AquaSox Game Leaflet Action 6pm to 7pm- Nurses are encouraged to bring friends/family (free tickets will be available to the game after the leaflet, please RSVP with Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566) 

August 27—Everett Farmer’s Market 10:30am to 12pm (meet on Pacific and Wetmore)

WhidbeyHealth Pro-Tech & LPN - Positive Progress on Non-Economics

On Wednesday, July 26, our bargaining team got tentative agreements on almost all non-economics—including strong language on non-discrimination, as well as language stating that we only have to give 14 days-notice for resignation instead of 21 days.

We proposed our economic proposals today and expect to hear back with counters from WhidbeyHealth at our next bargaining session on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. We asked for significant across the board increases, language on experience for experience, stronger over-time language, higher differentials and more. We are hopeful that WhidbeyHealth will continue to bargain in good faith and understand that patient safety means we need higher-wages to retain and recruit more staff!

Our Bargaining Team: Rosalie Nguyen, Pharmacy; Jennifer MaCNeill, Lab

Kraken (Retail) - Your voice is important

Our union Bargaining Team got out of negotiations on Tuesday, July 25, holding on items until we hear from workers like you. Our Bargaining Team is made up of members like you and your coworkers who want to make sure everyone is getting the best deal possible - but we can't do that without you. 
 
We're holding strong on things like a wage increase that meets the cost of living, reimbursement for parking, unlimited ORCA passes, meal vouchers, and more! Your coworkers on the bargaining team feel confident we can win a great contract, but we need to hear from you what your priorities are to get a great deal done. 
 
Take 2 minutes right now to submit this quick priorities list to let us know what's important to you: Kraken Priorities Survey. If you are interested in hearing more about bargaining or being more engaged, reach out to Union Rep Dominick Ojeda @ (206) 436-6586. 

Deep Roots Tattoo and Body Piercing Bargaining Update

Deep Roots members throughout all three locations had a powerful and fun sticker action leading up to a very successful day of bargaining. We were able to reach tentative agreements on Union Recognition, Security and Representation, enabling the union to be recognized in the case of future owners, as well as access to union representation when we need it. There was also movement on fair, progressive discipline procedures that gives multiple opportunities for us to make changes and remain in our jobs. Finally, we offered a counter proposal on bereavement leave and are awaiting a response.

Providence St. Peter Case Managers - Committed to our patients and deserving of better wages

Providence St. Peter Case Managers
Committed to our patients and deserving of better wages

“Nurses do more than bedside care. We touch every aspect of a patient’s life.” —Mary Briles, Case Manager RN, Bargaining Team member

Our Bargaining Team met with Management on July 26. We bargained with the Employer all day. The Employer is proposing an alternate wage scale which devalues the nursing care that Case Managers provide. Without Case Managers, the whole hospital grinds to a halt.

We demand that the Employer acknowledge the essential care that we provide to our patients!

With the first day of negotiations behind us, we await further information from Management to our Bargaining Team before we can confidently counter their most recent proposal.

MFused - Disrespected by Management

MFused
Disrespected by Management

On July 25, our Bargaining Team met with Management to continue negotiations. We presented our economic proposals today and Management laughed in our faces! Our proposals included:

• Guaranteed wage increases each year of the contract based on length of service

• A production tech II and Driver II positions – (opportunity for advancement)

• Profit sharing and bonuses

• Additional Holidays and Holiday pay

• Separate Vacation, Sick leave, and Personal day banks

• Other types of Paid and unpaid leaves

• Funeral and Bereavement leave

• Safety Committee

• Respect for workers (FREE of cost!)

• Guaranteed Weekly samples of all current products.

• Successorship provisions

We plan to give them a health care proposal before our next session and look forward to a full contract proposal response from Management so that we can continue negotiating a fair contract. Though the laughing was very disrespectful and unprofessional, we remain steadfast in putting forward your demands and fighting to win the best contract possible.

At the next session, we plan to have a Federal Mediator present at the table to assist in the process and help us reach a fair deal as soon as possible! Keep an eye out for any upcoming Negotiations all staff update meetings and future field actions.

Next Bargaining date: August 8

Bargaining Team: Ariel Simmons, Production Lead; Robbie Elkins, Production Tech; Jennifer Wade, Production Tech; Kimberly Greenside, Accounting Clerk; Diba Kamayo, Driver/Distribution

Questions? Contact a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Chris Arellano @ 206-436-6526

Bartell Drugs - Know Your Rights / Bargaining Update!

Our union bargaining team is strong and ready to fight for a great contract—are you ready to fight too? Last Friday our bargaining team was prepared to begin negotiations with Rite Aid, but they cancelled. We made use of that day by calling every Bartell worker and informing them about our shop steward training happening on Saturday. We also used that time to inform members about our upcoming bargaining sessions and our priorities moving forward. Member engagement is how we win a fair contract!

Moving forward, we must continue being organized against Bartell or Rite Aid’s anti-union tactics. Management will try to intimidate employees from talking about or to union reps, threaten discipline for union activity, or ignite fear amongst you and your coworkers against taking action for better working conditions.

As a reminder, it is your RIGHT to talk about union things at work.

You also have strong contract language that permits you to talk to your union representatives while working as well. If you are told by a manager, supervisor, or someone in corporate that you cannot talk about the union or that you will be disciplined for that, call your union representative immediately.

Our next bargaining dates are set for August 10 and 17. Continue talking to your coworkers about their priorities, their rights, and getting more people involved in our fight for a fair contract!

Your Union Reps:

Dominick Ojeda: (206) 436-6586

Mohamed Bonah: (206) 436-6514

PRMCE RN We Must Come Together to Fight Providence, Not Each Other

As Registered Nurses, we have spent years fighting for our careers and our lives. We are all at the boiling point over Providence’s lack of leadership. The severity of our staffing concerns and the deterioration of our working conditions continue to go unaddressed. We want to give the best care to our patients and community and Providence management has failed us at every step.  

In recent months, we have led the fight for staffing legislation in Olympia, we have packed the halls of the Everett City Council, and we have prayed at vigils with the community we serve. Since May, as your union RN bargaining team, we have been fighting to win wages that are competitive with Swedish Edmonds and staffing language that can set new standards in Washington state. Now we are organizing to build the power we need to strike Providence and reform the broken healthcare system that is burning out nurses and hurting our patients.  

While we are building the support for a transformative strike, efforts have emerged to decertify our union. While we recognize there are legitimate frustrations, and a need for clearer communication and rigorous transparency, becoming an unprotected nonunion workplace is not the answer. We are working to improve vital functions of our union, and with feedback from RN coworkers, we will see that the needed improvements are made. We are committed to a process that will see our union held accountable to its members and dramatically increase participation for RNs. This will hold through our contract negotiation and beyond. We are committed to this because losing our union will put all our careers at risk. If a decertification effort were to pass, we would be at the mercy of Providence management. We would lose the rights and protections in our contract that we have fought for over the last 30 years, from when we were members of UFCW United Staff Nurses Union Local 141, to today. 

What many of those pushing decertification petitions may not know—or may not be telling their coworkers—is that after any decertification we would have to wait at least one year, by law, to reorganize with another union. During that time we would be ‘at will’ employees subject to termination at any time, for any reason. At that point, we would have to negotiate a new contract, which could take another year or more. If we lose our current protections, we are not going to be able to recover overnight the rights and benefits we have won over three decades. They would be lost to us for good. 

Nearly as important: if a decertification petition is filed, our current bargaining process immediately grinds to a halt. Providence will not bargain with us in good faith while a decertification effort is underway. Even a failed decertification vote would drain energy and momentum away from winning an improved union contract. At precisely the moment in which we must be united and working with one voice as proud Registered Nurses, a decertification effort would play right into Providence’s hands. We must come together, reject the decertification petition, and prepare to strike Providence for a fair contract that protects patients and enhances our careers.

We have reason to believe a better world is possible for RNs and our hospital. During the last five years we have built “Providence United”, a powerful coalition between SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA, the three healthcare unions in our state. Together we have taken on Providence in every hospital and taken action in solidarity with each other, including striking at Swedish and taking strike votes statewide. Working together we’ve pushed for the strongest staffing laws in Washington history. Now we are implementing the law with substantive input from frontline RNs and organizing for enforcement and accountability from hospital management.  

The unions in this coalition are 100% committed to standing in solidarity with one another in our collective fight against greedy healthcare corporations. WSNA and SEIU have pledged full support for us in our fight for a fair contract and our unions have a Unity Agreement to support one another and not support any effort to destroy what has been built over so many years. None of the three Unions will accept new members who have decertified and destroyed a contract that has been built over decades of struggle. 

Read the unity letter here: https://ufcw3000.org/s/Unity-Letter-Healthcare-Unions.pdf

As we escalate with public actions and community, political, and media outreach over the next few months, SEIU and WSNA will be supporting all actions as we prepare for a strike when our contract expires on October 30, 2023. We will have educational meetings on what it means to strike, planning financially, and getting commitments from nurses to be Strike captains for their units. We can learn from nurses in UFCW represented hospitals like Providence St. Peter’s Hospital and CHI St. Michael’s Medical Center- and from Swedish nurses with SEIU and Seattle Children’s nurses with WSNA. The best strategy and solidarity comes when we unite together- when one group of nurses take militant action- it can start a new wave of higher standards in the healthcare industry. We can lead. We can do this together.  

The real questions are- Will you join us in fighting Providence management? Will you join us in building the kind of Hospital that we can be proud of? Will you join us in protecting the lives of our loved ones? Will you join us in transforming our careers and the future of the nursing profession? Will you join us to fight for the new nurse out of Grad school that started during Covid, who only knows ratios of 6/1, and the 30-year nurse who is the heart and soul of your department?  

We have a choice to make together- and call on every nurse to sign the strike pledge, reject the decertification petition, and talk to one another respectfully and in solidarity as we take action together.  

— UFCW 3000 Nurse Bargaining Team: Stephanie Sausman, Kelli Johnson, Juan Stout, Julie Bynum, Carrie Rimel, Trevor Gjendem, Kristen Crowder  

“My Union is important to me because it is necessary for the protection of nurses and holding our employer accountable. I want a contract that fairly compensates our nurses and protects them and our patients. We need to recruit and retain nurses and having a good contract is the only way that we are going to be able to do that. I will continue this fight on my coworkers behalf. You all deserve better.” — Stephanie Sausman, Pre-Op 

“Being a Union Member is important to me because it gives me an opportunity to represent nurses who I admire, it’s a way for me to fight for them, to advocate for my co-workers both publicly and as a representative in the staffing committee.” — Trevor Gjendem, 8 South

“Being a part of a union is important to me because I have worked in organizations that are not union backed. I know how employers treat their employees when they are not represented and protected by a contract. You are not paid what you are worth and you have no employment protections. Being a part of the bargaining process has shown me just how ruthless this employer would be if we didn’t have union backing and has just solidified my belief in union representation.” — Juan Stout, Emergency Department 

“Being part of a union that is committed to working for us, hearing that we need, and then following through is what is important to me. UFCW is committed to all three, I look forward to continuing working with them to get a contract nurses have worked hard to get these past three years.” — Kelli Johnson, Emergency Department  

“UFCW is important to me because without a union I would have a mature contract that protects me as a nurse. Without staffing language and fair wages, I could not safely care for my patients.” — Kristen Crowder, Labor and Delivery

“Through a union contract nurses have a voice to fight for competitive wages that focuses on recruitment, retention, and patient safety. Without a contract we don’t have a voice.” — Julie Bynum Float Pool

“The more we know, the stronger our voice will be! I can do better; WE can do better - together!” — Carrie Rimel, Cath Lab 

Isoray - Bargaining Continues

Over the past few weeks, our Union Bargaining Team met with Isoray management on July 6 and 19. During these sessions, we welcomed a new bargaining committee member, Ethan Black, who will be replacing Tamra. We want to acknowledge Tamra’s excellent representation of her co-workers in the earlier sessions and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

In these last two sessions, we were able to make progress and reach tentative agreements on some important non-economic issues, such as access to the facility by the union rep and gender equality language.

Additionally, we have made progress in the discussions surrounding holidays and the grievance procedure. While there are still details to be worked out, we are making headway in these areas.

Furthermore, we presented our Health & Welfare proposal to the company, which we believe offers a great and affordable healthcare plan. This plan has the potential to result in significant savings for all workers.

Join us at the next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting on...

• Tuesday, July 25

• 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM

• Richland UFCW 3000 office

• 2505 Duportail St, Suite D, Richland, WA 99352

...to learn more about how bargaining is going, talk about our proposals, and share your ideas! We will have more information about the healthcare plan we proposed as well!

Upcoming bargaining dates: August 15, September 13.

Our Union Bargaining Committee: Fernando Gonzalez-Perez, Tamra Neish, Cristal Bauer, Ethan Black

Macy’s Update: Time to take it to the streets!

“Macy's has ignored us for too long, but we won't stay silent anymore! It's time to take charge, hit the streets, and make our voices heard loud and clear!” — Azia Domingo, Bargaining Team Member

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management again July 18 and 19, with Macy’s maintaining their persistent disregard for our concerns.

On the first day, Macy's Management lashed out at our team, complaining that our proposal would mean too many raises for workers and taking issue with our idea to rework the wage scale for better career advancement.

The breaking point came when the Employer's supposal (non-committed proposal) offered a lower wage increase than their previous one. Seeing no progress, our Bargaining Team canceled bargaining on July 20 and instead visited worksites to talk to workers directly and present our strike pledge card to management.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We are not going to make any progress unless we take to the streets, therefore, an informational picket has been announced for August 11! Let this be a warning for the employer, our picket will only be a practice for a strike if they fail to offer us a fair contract with a fair wage increase!

In the meantime, we have reached out to a federal mediator to join our table to assist in reaching an agreement. We have scheduled bargaining dates with the mediator on August 1, 14, 24, and 25.

I’LL BE THERE! PICKET ACTION RSVP

bit.ly/macys-info-picket-23 >>

Contact Action Team Meetings:

Southcenter: August 2, 3-4PM - Southcenter Mall Food Court (2800 Southcenter Mall, Seattle, WA 98188)

Alderwood: July 31, 3-4PM - Elemental Pizza (3000 184th St SW #948, Lynnwood, WA 98037)

Bellingham: August 3, 1-2PM – Bellis Fair Mall Food Court (One Bellis Fair Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98226)

PRMCE RN Bargaining Update

On July 16 we held a banner action on Pacific and Broadway and showed the public that we are fighting for better staffing for Snohomish County. We will be holding more actions in Everett (see below) to make the community aware that we are fighting for a competitive contract and safe staffing at PRMCE.
On July 19 nurses and the Bargaining Team met and discussed future actions and how we can improve union transparency/communication. Our union staff and your bargaining team are committed to implementing the solutions nurses proposed and are open to your feedback. We want all nurses to know that we hear their concerns!

On July 21 we will be going to negotiations with Hospital Management. This session will be mediated by a federal mediator. Given PRMCE’s lack of movement on our staffing and wage proposals, we have decided to use a neutral third party to mediate this negotiation session.

It is clear to us that this contract will determine if nurses leave or stay at PRMCE.We are fighting for historic staffing language and will not concede until PRMCE agrees!

We need to show PRMCE that we are serious about our proposals and are willing to strike!

If you have not already signed the strike pledge, please click on the link PRMCE RN - I Promise to Take Action! 
Also encourage your coworkers to update their information:https://ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Below are the current articles that are open and our last proposals:

• Article 2 Union Matters- union security, Providence must provide personal emails for each nurse (if available)

• Article 4 Union Representation- union representatives will have access to all unit conference rooms, Providence will ensure that two bargaining committee members per unit will have their shifts covered in order to attend negotiations

• Article 6 Employment Practices- a nurse may request for a written warning to be removed from their file if the discipline is 18 months old, documented coachings/counselings shall be removed from a nurse’s file, upon request, after 9 months

• Staffing- additional $5/ hour per shift to nurses if their unit falls below the staffing plan for their unit plus major improvements to the staffing committee agenda like reviewing nurse exit interviews and addressing acute staffing issues immediately

• Article 7 Seniority- a new list for skill departments to reflect current department breakdown, Providence will notify nurses of recall via email and mail

• Article 8 Hours of Work and Overtime- double time pay for nurses on standby on holidays, travelers will be low censused first and then agency nurses, 12 break relief nurses, per diem nurses minimum shift scheduling

• Article 9 Compensation- Nurses will need to work 1,664 hours instead of 1,872 hours to advance to their next step increase. $3.00 Evening shift differential and $6.50 Night shift differential. After 24 months of working on third shift, nurses shall receive an additional $3/ hour in addition to their shift differential. Standby on-call pay of $7/ hour. Float Pool/Resource Team pay of $5. Increased premium for preceptors to $2.00 to train the nurses we desperately need. Expanded holiday pay for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for night shift nurses. $800 Standby Bonus for nurses who work more than 500 standby hours each calendar year, $1100 standby bonus for nurses who work more than 800 standby hours in a half year, $1250 for nurses who work more than 1100 standby hours in a half year

• Wages- Step increments between steps would be an average of 2.5%. Currently the step increments vary between step. Increase base to Swedish’s base rate of $42.22 on June 1, 2023. The new wage table would range from $42.22 (Base)  80.55 (Step 35). November 1, 2023 8.25% increase, 2024 5% increase, 2025 6.5% increase

• Article 15 Committees- Staffing Committee would reflect the new staffing law, which means if the Hospital violates this article we can file a grievance and take the grievance to arbitration if necessary. Additionally if the staffing plan is not adhered to by a margin of 85% and a nurse works on their day off, .9 to 1.0 FTE nurses shall receive double time pay and .5 to .89 FTE nurses shall receive 1.5 time pay for all time worked up to 40 hours (these nurses will receive double time for work beyond 40 hours)

• Article 16 Nursing Education/License-Increasing education leave hours to 40 (prorated by FTE), increasing education dollars, and tuition reimbursement of $5,250 for all nurses with a .75 FTE or above

Our PRMCE RN Union Bargaining Team: Trevor Gjendem, Juan Stout, Carrie Rimel, Kelli Johnson, Stephanie Sausman, Julie Bynum, Kristen Crowder
 

Upcoming Actions

July 25 Bargaining Update Meeting 8pm-9pm via Zoom: 

July 27 5:30pm to 6:30pm Leaflet Action at Everett Marina Concert Series
(park on Grand Ave or Everett Marina paid parking)

August 3 5:30pm to 6:30pm Leaflet Action at Everett Marina Concert Series
(park on Grand Ave or Everett Marina paid parking)

August 6 Everett Farmer’s Market Leaflet Action 10:30am to 12pm
(meet on Pacific and Wetmore)

August 17 AquaSox Game Leaflet Action 6pm to 7pm
Nurses are encouraged to bring friends/family(free tickets will be available to the game after the leaflet, please RSVP with Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566)

August 27 Everett Farmer’s Market 10:30am to 12pm
(meet on Pacific and Wetmore)

LabCorp Pushing Forward!

LabCorp
PUSHING FORWARD!

Our Union Bargaining Team: Nancy Pyanowski, Kyle Chrisman, Sam McVay, Lisa Magee, Matt Noll, Shelby Tyner, Deborah Gibby

Our LabCorp Union Bargaining Team met with Management on July 19 to continue negotiations. We were presented with their 2023 Healthcare, Vision and Dental insurance plans and dove deep into plan changes, benefit expansions, and cost projections. We presented new proposals on work-from-home stipends, automatic enrollment for Free Lab Testing, vehicle take home options for Service Reps, and limiting premium repayments after returning from leave.

Management did not come with counterproposals or answers to our questions from last session. Despite this, we pushed forward with our discussions on staffing metrics and hiring plans for departments like Accessioning and Cytogenetics that have been understaffed and overworked for more than a year, despite our co-workers urging Management to take action.

“We had a long and unproductive day in negotiations. Management is still delaying and failing to respond to any of our proposals or questions. Nevertheless, we continue to come to each session prepared, fired up, and ready to negotiate a fair contract. We insist Management do the same on August 1.” – Sam McVay, Customer Service

Calling all 3rd shift members at James Tower! Come get FREE coffee, doughnuts, and snacks outside of the James tower, and talk to our Bargaining Team about what you want to win in your contract.

Friday, July 21 @ 9PM-11PM
Saturday, July 22 @ 3:30AM-7AM

Go to linktr.ee/LabForce3000 for updates, links to our Slack and Facebook, and more.

Have questions? Want to get involved? Contact your Union Representative Christie Harris (206) 436-6606

Evergreen Health Kirkland Evergreen workers honored by board of commissioners

Many of us packed the board of commissioners meeting on July 18 and shared stories of the struggles we face every day. We spoke of the difficulty of recruiting staff at below market wages, the skyrocketing cost of living, and the frustration we all feel with Management’s refusal to propose adequate cost of living increases at the bargaining table.

The board seemed receptive to our concerns and shared their own desire for a fair contract that puts real money in our paychecks.

As a result of our statements and show of solidarity, the board made a last-minute decision to honor the sacrifices we and other care providers have made by awarding the frontline staff of Evergreen the annual “EvergreenHealth Community Service Award”.

July 19 we bargained with Evergreen and let Management know why it is important to pay competitive wages. We talked about being constantly short staffed and working with many highly paid travelers who don’t have the same skills and commitment to Evergreen that we have. Management maintains that they don’t want to pay top wages but feel they are being competitive. We bargain again July 25 and 26.

“The minimal response from Management on our wage proposals has left workers feeling more undervalued than ever” —Jennifer Bradshaw, Mammography Tech

“Me and my coworkers are constantly struggling to keep up as we perform more work with less staff, why would a new tech decide to work here when they can be paid more and work less elsewhere?” —Justy Hedrick, CT Tech

Kraken Retail priority now shifts towards economics

Our Union Bargaining Team has been working hard for the past two sessions to reach agreements on much of the collective bargaining agreement. With most of the non-economic issues tentatively agreed upon,our priority now shifts towards economics. 

Over the next few bargaining sessions, our Union Bargaining Team will be fighting for wages, transportation, and other economic improvements that address many of the needs laid out from the Union bargaining survey. Because Kraken workers have a direct seat at the table, they are able to fight for the issues that are unique to working at for the Kraken organization. Importantly,Kraken workers are able to ensure that our current benefits are enshrined in the contract alongside net improvements to working conditions. 

Our next bargaining session will be on July 25. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Union Representative Dominick Ojeda 206-436-6586.

MFused - Management: “Frankly, I Don’t Care!”

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management for the third time on July 14. We made progress on uniforms and our right to have cell phones on us for emergencies. We plan for a deep dive on workflow and scheduling at our next session and hope to make headway.

We shared concerns about the new shift times proposal. Although we came prepared with full proposals and explanations, Management chose not to respond to our contract language proposals and deferred addressing previous issues until they receive all our economic proposals. This delay tactic is unacceptable!

Despite this, we remain prepared and ready for action as we head into our next two negotiations sessions in July. Keep an eye out for our next action!

Our next bargaining dates: July 25 and August 8

Our MFused Bargaining Team: Robbie Elkins, Production Tech; Ariel Simmons, Lead Production Tech; Jennifer Wade, Production Tech; Kimberly Greenside, Accounting Clerk; Diba Kamayo, Delivery Driver

Macy's - Bargaining Continues

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AT THE NEXT CONTRACT ACTION TEAM MEETING!

Monday, July 31 @ 3-4PM
Elemental Pizza, 3000 184th St SW #948, Lynnwood, WA 98037

Wednesday, August 2 @ 3-4PM
Southcenter Mall Food Court, 2800 Southcenter Mall, Seattle, WA 98188

Thursday, August 3 @ 1-2PM
Bellis Fair Mall Food Court, One Bellis Fair Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98226

“The hands of time are supposed to move forward, but Macy’s negotiations seem to defy that law as they appear to be spinning in place.” -Nicole Hardin, Bargaining Team Member, Alderwood Mall

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management again June 27, 28 and July 13, 14.

Over the course of negotiations, Macy's Management has come forward with several concerning proposals. They attempted to replace our attendance language with their "reliability" program, remove our holiday pay language, increase the seasonal hire period, and remove our wage progressions. Additionally, their initial wage proposal was far below our expectations, offering only $0.40 at ratification, $0.35 in the second year, and $0.35 in the final year of the contract.

Alternatively, our Bargaining Team passed proposals to increase the number of paid holidays, implement a higher quality and more affordable Union healthcare plan, raise commission rates, improve deficit wipe-off language, and significant wage increases that recognize the skyrocketing cost of living.

Unfortunately, progress has been slow, and we haven't made substantial headway on most issues. Although we managed to get Macy's to drop their demand for the "reliability" program, they have remained firm on their other proposals, and continuing to offer a wage increase that is far less than we find acceptable. They consistently cite their financial struggles as the reason for their reluctance to meet our demands.

To break the deadlock, we have introduced "supposals" into the negotiation process. These are non-binding documents that allow both parties to share ideas without committing to them. Through this approach, we have explored potential avenues for compromise, such as considering a higher wage increase for long-term Macy's employees and reevaluating the structure of wage progressions.

While the supposal progress has shown some promise, we are still far from reaching an agreement. We believe that now is the time to take a stand and advocate for what is fair and just. Over 300 members (75% of the bargaining unit) have already signed the strike pledge card, showing their willingness to take action for a fair contract.

Negotiations will continue this week, and we hope for a breakthrough. However, if we cannot reach a agreement, we will be left with no choice but to proceed with an informational picket. We firmly believe that our collective strength will lead us to a better outcome.

Stay tuned for our next bargaining update!

Bargaining Team: Azia Domingo, Curtisy Bryant, Emily Hunter, Liisa Luick, Nicole Hardin

Olympic Medical Center (Pro Tech and Support Services) - Waiting for Management’s response to our proposals

Bargaining Team: (Standing L—R): Nancy Dahl, Ultrasound Tech; Kim Goss, Financial Advisor; Hector Pozernic, Physical Therapist; Cameron Van Winkle, Laundry Worker; (Seated L—R): Cathy Macphail, Negotiator, Patricia Wood, Technical Specialist Lab; Amanda Beck, Surgery Tech; Jake Purvis, Pharmacist; Joshua Johnston, CT Tech; Deviny Blore, Imaging Services Rep II; Terry Wray, Patient Access Rep; Not Pictured: Robert Elofson-Gilbertson, Radiology Tech; Aimee Oien, Union Representative

Olympic Medical Center (Pro Tech and Support Services)
Waiting for Management’s response to our proposals

We had a full Bargaining session with Management at Olympic Medical Center on July 13.

Our Union Bargaining Team has proposed to significantly increase wages and other compensation as well as addressing huge challenges around staffing. We have made many other proposals to improving processes and work—life balance.

Although Management has been friendly, we still haven’t received many proposals from them. We hope to have a better understanding of their priorities when they respond. We meet again on Friday, July 28.

For additional information or to get more involved, reach out to a Bargaining Team Member or to Union Representative Aimee Oien at 360-662-1981.

Update your information!

Members of UFCW 3000 can have their bargaining updates and other helpful information emailed to them. It is very important that your personal contact information is correct with your Union to be sure you receive updates on bargaining with your employer, union benefits, bargaining surveys, as well as contract vote information: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Mariner's Retail - No retail discount during the All-Star game?

It was reported to your Union that Management sent you an email informing you that the 30% discount required by your union contract would not be available during the All-Star game on July 11. Our position is that this is a contract violation and made that clear to Management in a communication sent prior to the All-Star game.

If you purchased merchandise on the day of the All-Star game and did not receive the discount, please call your Union Representative Dominick Ojeda at 206-436-6586 no later than Friday, July 28.

Planned Parenthood Bargaining Update

The bargaining team knows you all want to hear about your raises. In order to keep leverage, we must first address issues like holding Management accountable for staff safety, adhering to a strong non-discrimination clause, treating all workers fairly, responding to staff concerns in a reasonable time, and the amount of time low level discipline remains in a personnel file.

Management offered many packaged proposals, a “we will agree to this, if you agree to that” but we could not accept most packages because what they would have us agree to was out of the question. As a result, we unpackaged things in our counters. For example, Management is holding to their proposed language allowing them to negate the contract in the case of a natural disaster (power outages, snowstorms, epidemics), only now it comes as a package deal with totally unrelated articles. We disagreed. Again.

We are standing strong on our proposed non-discrimination language, language that strengthens our Labor Management Committee, and language addressing safe staffing concerns. Management seems to have little interest in countering as all their proposals just remove our own reasonable proposals, adding no counter to any of our language proposal except their language, that would not ensure we all have safety and security at work. United in our efforts, we look forward to the next bargaining session on Monday, July 31.

“My frontline coworkers deserve agency in deciding safe staffing levels and security issues that impact them.” - Alison DeBoise

“After witnessing and participating in 6 years of DEI policy attempts, work groups and staff turnover I’m deeply disappointed by GNHAIK’s disinterest in including DEI language in the contract throughout this process. We’re giving them simple ways to demonstrate action toward being the inclusive organization we apparently strive to be and they keep slashing DEI language without offering anything in return.” - Mollie Overby