Providence Meal Waiver and Shift Length Changes

In December 2023, Providence issued a meal waiver to all members of the UFCW 3000 bargaining unit. As union members, we have the collective right to negotiate over the terms of this waiver. Earlier this year, we engaged in negotiations with Providence regarding the meal waiver language. Despite our reasonable proposal, Providence rejected our language. Furthermore, we informed Providence that, based on past practices and contractual agreements, they were not permitted to alter shift lengths.

However, in February 2024, Providence began informing members of their intention to implement changes to shift lengths. We believe Providence is sidestepping the bargaining process by unilaterally implementing these changes and acting in bad faith. Consequently, we are initiating unfair labor practice proceedings against Providence. We have issued a cease-and-desist letter to Providence and are demanding to return to the bargaining table to resolve this matter.

Given Providence's decision to proceed with extending shift lengths, we advise 10-hour and 12-hour shift workers to carefully consider their options. You may choose to accept an extended shift with two meal periods or opt to waive the second meal period and retain your current shift length. If you opt to waive the second meal period, you retain the right to revoke this decision at any time through your core leader.

However, we strongly advise against waiving the timing of your meal period, as you are entitled to 30 minutes of pay for late meal periods.

Question 1: I am voluntarily requesting to waive my second unpaid meal period if I am entitled to one.

Recommendation:
ACCEPT means your shift length will remain the same.
OR
DECLINE means your shift will be extended and you will receive two meal periods as a 10 hour and 12-hour shift worker.

Question 2: I am voluntarily requesting to take my unpaid meal periods at a time that may not be within hours two through five-hour block of work.

Recommendation:
DECLINE means if your meal period is not within the two-to-five-hour block then you should receive 30 minutes of pay. You can file a complaint with L&I if you are not paid accordingly.

Track your late meal periods here >>

Olympic Medical Home Health - Vote on Memorandum of Agreement

Olympic Medical Home Health
Vote on Memorandum of Agreement

Our Bargaining Team: Joseph Bridge, Danielle Green, Susan Montana, Sandra Villam

We have reached a tentative agreement with Olympic Home Health on a memorandum of agreement (MOA) which memorializes current law regarding union membership.

This addition constitutes a change to the current contract so will require a vote of Union Members. To vote, you must be an active Union Member in good standing.

Vote Details

Sequim
Monday, March 11 @ 8am-9:30am
777 N. 5th Ave, Suite 102, Sequim WA 93832

Port Angeles
Monday, March 11 @ 11:30am-1pm
Conference Room - 801 Front St, Suite D, Port Angeles WA 98362

Questions? Contact a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.

Update Your Contact Info
ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Olympic Medical Center Pro Tech Vote to Change Eligibility Time to Use Vacation Accruals

Olympic Medical Center Pro Tech

Vote to Change Eligibility Time to Use Vacation Accruals

We have a tentative agreement with OMC to shorten the number of months worked before employees are eligible to use accrued vacation.

This is a change to the current Pro Tech Contract so will require a vote of Union Members. Contract change votes scheduled:

Port Angeles: Monday, March 11, 2024 3:00pm-7:00pm

Olympic Medical Center in the Fairshter Meeting Room, 939 Caroline Street. Port Angeles, WA 98362

Sequim: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 8:00am-9:30am

Medical Services Building (MSB) in the Conference Room, 840 N 5th Avenue. Sequim, WA 98382

You must be a member in good standing to be eligible to vote.

If you have questions please contact Union Representative Aimee Oien at 360-662-1981

Make sure your personal contact information is up to date >>

Downtown Dog Lounge - Another negotiation session and petition delivery!

Downtown Dog Lounge
Another negotiation session and petition delivery!

Our Downtown Dog Lounge worker union Team met with Elise and her legal counsel on February 28 for another session. More back and forth on core issues such as application of seniority, protection from unjust layoffs to name a few.

Our Team also delivered our petition with super majority support, demanding quicker movement at the bargaining table. We look forward to meeting with Management again in March now that they’ve been reminded that we expect a fair contract!

As always the best place for information on the bargaining processes, contract information or anything union in general is our union Bargaining Team.

Harbors Home Health & Hospice - Things are heating up!

Harbors Home Health & Hospice
Things are heating up!

“When it comes to our hardworking staff at Harbors Home Health- it’s quality over quantity. We should be focused on keeping people here. Recruiting new employees is really only a band-aid if you can’t incentivize them to stay!” —Michal Bishop, LPN

We met with the Employer on February 26 and 27 to continue negotiations on our contract. On Monday, while presenting our economic proposal - we presented the petition which a supermajority signed (in just 2 weeks time)!

Harbors responded to this by finally coming to the table proposing an actual increase to our wages, along with an all-new wage scale. The Employer’s new scale, however, offers significantly less growth in wages over time than our current scale does. We’re glad to see the pressure we’ve applied has started to convince Harbors of just how valuable we are - but we won’t let up yet.

Join us at our next bargaining update meeting
Tuesday, March 19 @ 4pm-6pm

Grays Harbor County
Hoqiuam Timberland Library, 420 7th Street, Hoquiam WA, 98550

Pacific County
Harbors Home Health Office, 600 Pacific Avenue S, Suite 1, Long Beach, WA 98631

If you have any questions about bargaining, please contact one of our Bargaining Team members, or reach out to your Union Rep Naomi Oligario @ 360-662-1989.

Mason Health RN Contract Ratified!

Thank you to everyone who came out to vote on a new Union Contract Friday. The contract was approved by an overwhelming majority of Nurses and was ratified by the Hospital’s Board of Commissioners yesterday.

We appreciate our fantastic Bargaining Team who worked tirelessly to educate Management on the real issues and to help them understand that wages need to match Olympia hospitals to retain and recruit nurses.

For further information reach out to a Bargaining Team Member (Left to Right: Nancy Owenby, Megan Corbin, Tori Willis)

Macy's Check your check for the pay increases we won!

After two ULP strikes and months of fighting Macy’s proposed takeaways, we won a historic contract that protected MLK day as a paid day off, set the foundation for wage scales to not be eaten up by minimum wage, won the largest ratification bonus this cycle for Macy's workers, and secured stronger safety language in our contract!

Macy’s should not drag their feet on paying us the money we won! In past contract cycles it has taken Macy’s months to finally pay workers what we won in our contract. Last week Macy’s confirmed that our pay should be reflected on your next check dated March 1, 2024.  Make sure to check your check and confirm that you are getting your back pay, bonus and new pay rate. If you don't see it after Friday’s check, please contact the Member Resource Center at 1-866-210-3000 so they can add your name to the grievance we filed against Macy's last week for not paying us the money we won in a timely manner. 

Macy's contract and resource page >>

EvergreenHealth Monroe - Vote on proposed PTO increase

EvergreenHealth Monroe
Vote on proposed PTO increase

We have reached a tentative agreement with Management on an increase to PTO hours for all Employees. As this change will alter the collective bargaining agreement, we have scheduled a vote to review the changes.

You must be a Union Member in good standing to vote.

Our Bargaining Team recommends a “YES” vote!

Wednesday, March 6
11am—1pm and 4—6pm
EvergreenHealth Monroe - Café Corner Meeting Room, 14701 179th Ave SE, Monroe WA 98272

For additional information, contact Union Rep Jack Crow @ 206-436-6614.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center Techs CONTRACT & ULP STRIKE VOTE SCHEDULED

After more than 14 hours of negotiations on February 22, we find ourselves not making a lot of movement at the table with Providence. We entered these negotiations with the goal of securing a fair and competitive agreement.

Although Providence made small movement on the dental benefits guarantee elimination, they continue to propose the elimination of guaranteed language for dental that is currently protected by the contract and replacing it with a proposal that will slowly deplete the benefits employees currently have. The Bargaining Team feels that the latest proposal is not only disrespectful but will only further chip away at our benefits package. We will continue to push back at the bargaining table with Federal Mediation on March 18, 2024 against employer proposals like eliminating the guarantee the employer pays 100% of Dental Premium for full-time employees and at least 50% for dependents. We will also continue to push for significant movement on wage increases to help recruit and retain staff, which we believe would improve staffing and patient care.

It is an unfair labor practice for Management to coerce members or to interfere in Union activities. Please advise the bargaining team or Union Representative if you believe your manager has engaged in any type of this behavior.

“Providence Sacred Heart is known for treating high acuity patients and rarely transfer patients, patients usually come to us. We take care of our patients and Providence should do the same and take good care of their staff.” —Joe Sikkila, Respiratory Therapy

Contract Review Meeting: Tuesday, February 27 from 6pm-8pm:

We encourage members to join their bargaining team and co-workers at the UFCW 3000 office for a bargaining update meeting on February 27 from 6p-8p to get updates and learn about next steps.

Contract and ULP Strike Authorization vote: Friday, March 1

We will be holding a Strike Authorization Vote and a Contract Vote on Friday, March 1, 2024 from 8am-11am, 1pm-4pm, and 5pm-8pm at the UFCW 3000 office: 2805 N. Market Street, Spokane WA. Our Bargaining Team recommends a “NO” vote on Providence’s last proposal and a “YES” vote to authorize a strike. You must be a member in good standing to vote. The Bargaining Team will be on-hand to answer any question you may have. All changes to the contract, including the last employer package proposal will be available at the vote.

“We had a long intense bargaining on 2/22. We did our job and kept pushing thinking we would be able to meet in the middle to get a deal.” -Holly Granly Surgical Tech

“The lack of ability to retain/recruit skilled staff continues to degrade patient safety, patient health, and staff safety.” -Derek Roybal CV Tech

WhidbeyHealth (Service and Support) - Onward to Economics

WhidbeyHealth (Service and Support)
Onward to Economics

Our Bargaining Team: Liz Latiff, Health Unit Coordinator; Marilyn Faber, Patient Financial Services

On February 22, our Bargaining Team met with Management for our second bargaining session. Both sides of the table presented proposals on multiple non-economic issues and came to tentative agreements on many of these. Throughout the process our Team felt that genuine progress was made.

Some items we are still in discussion about include:

• Lead assignments and how they are determined

• Remote and hybrid work

• Assignment of mandatory overtime

In our next session on Thursday, April 4, we will be delving into economics, including wages.

As Bargaining Team members, we feel it is important to get involved, and are learning about the process throughout these sessions! We take pride in the fact that we are at the table to represent all of our service and support co-workers.

We encourage our Union siblings to reach out to us to ask if there are questions about the bargaining process, or call Union Rep Celia Ponce-Sanchez @ 360-419 4678.

“We made movement today and feel that Management is listening to our proposals on these issues…” -Marilyn Faber, Patient Financial Services, Bargaining Team member

“As a first-time Bargaining Team member I regret not getting involved sooner in past contract bargains and am realizing now that knowledge is power!” -Liz Latiff, Health Unit Coordinator, Bargaining Team member

MultiCare Health Systems We proposed improvements to our contract and benefits

“MultiCare doesn’t do enough to honor employees who demonstrate excellence, a core MultiCare value, by working extra hours above their FTE. Our Negotiating Committee is determined to address this through improvements to our union contract.” — Julianna Van Enk – Pharmacist Tacoma General Hospital

We met with the Employer again on February 12 and 15. Our union Negotiations Committee proposed additional improvements on staffing language, PTO/EIT, bereavement leave, and proposed to add three new holidays to our Union contract (MLK, Juneteenth, Veterans Day). We also proposed significant improvements to the MHS healthcare plan, which has only gotten more expensive with worse coverage.

Proposed improvements include:

• Lower premium rates

• Bring back Healthy@Work discount

• Improve pharmaceutical coverage to non-MHS Rx

• Expand the First Choice Health Network (FCHN)

• Guardian Nurses

• Improved vison coverage

We also made a proposal around free parking, like the SJMC Tech have in their contract, but MultiCare refused the proposal. When asked why it was an issue since parking is currently free, MultiCare responded that they have considered charging workers for parking in the past and want to retain the option in the future. This is alarming and makes it even more important to win the language. We have secured an extension of the contract until March 31, 2024. Our next bargaining date is on March 1, 2024.

1. Sign up for a Contract Action Team meeting on March 5

2. Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare

3. Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract

Stay up to date on all-things MultiCare bargaining and take action >>

PRMCE RN Contract Ratified!

Contract Ratified!

We've reached a significant milestone: on February 21, we successfully ratified our contract!An overwhelming majority of nurses approved the contract. We will be communicating participation numbers via text message and will be hosting a Zoom meeting where we will debrief the contract agreement. This victory includes groundbreaking contract language aimed at helping staffing challenges, marking a historic achievement for nurses. From the outset of negotiations, our primary focus has been to tackle the pressing issues of staffing shortages and patient safety concerns head-on. Throughout the bargaining process, we actively engaged with our patients and community to underscore the urgency of our staffing crisis.

Following months of intense negotiations, we collectively decided to take bold action by organizing a strike. Notably, this marks the first time RNs at PRMCE have taken such action. Through our unified stance, we sent a powerful message to PRMCE. Our new contract has not only set a precedent but also shown PRMCE that we are willing to fight for better staffing. 
Our new contract includes:

• Pay increases and ratification bonuses will be paid out on the second pay period following February 21 (April 12 paycheck)

• 12 month step progression on nurse’s anniversary dates

• Step correction for nurses who are at the incorrect step compared to their years of service at PRMCE

• One step for every year of nursing experience obtained prior to being hired at PRMCE

• Step correction for nurses who did not receive their correct step upon hire  

• $500 Monthly Staffing Bonus for Understaffing

• Longevity Bonus for Senior RNs

• Night Shift Longevity Bonus

• March 31, 2026 contract reopener

• Extra shift incentive for vacant shifts

• $1000 Ratification Bonus for all RNs

• Increases to premiums

• 12 months needed to progress to next wage step

• Year for year for past nursing experience

• Chronic staffing issue can be resolved through binding mediation

• Charge Nurses shall NOT take a patient assignment

• Christmas Eve or December 26th holiday pay for night shift RNs

• 1.5x pay when not scheduled off on a day of significance

• Break relief position will be posted 21 days post ratification

• Discuss implementation plan for break relief nurses in a closed unit

• Weekend pay for Sunday night shift

• EIB may be used on the first day of absence or illness

• Boarder premium pay

• 24 hours of admin pay for Hospital Staffing Committee chairs

We will need to stay active over the next few years to enforce our contract and continue advocating for our patients and community. If you would like to get active in a workplace committee or receive training as a union steward please contact Anthony Cantu 360-409-0544.

Know your Rights! Providence Meal Waiver>>

Macys Grievance filed to get raises ratification bonus and backpay

After months of fighting, Macy’s worker won a significant ratification bonus and wage increases, which will be applied retroactively. Workers should receive these benefits in a timely manner. Unfortunately, Macy’s has fallen short of providing a timeline for when these contractual increases will be implemented. 

Because of this, our union filed a grievance today against Macy’s to get workers their raises, ratification bonus, and backpay. We will keep Macy's workers updated on the progress of the grievance and aim to resolve this as soon as possible. Make sure you communicate with a union rep immediately if other contractual wins are not met by Macy’s so our union can investigate and seek a timely remedy.

Be sure that your contact information is kept up to date. If you’ve moved or changed your phone number or email address recently, take a minute to update your information here: >>

If you have any questions, please call:  Rep. Dominick Ojeda 206-436-6586 

Grocery East Progress on Wages but Still a Long Way to Go— Take Action to Fight for More!

Last week, our member bargaining team told stories of trying to survive on our wages. Fred Meyer and Safeway/Albertsons force us to decide between paying for groceries over utility bills, paying for our kids’ medical needs before our own, and filling our gas tank to get to work over making a needed repair.  

The Employers didn’t respond to our stories with words, but they did respond through their proposal: They came back to the table, proposing the first dollar raise for Journey that we have seen in this round of bargaining. The Employers current proposal on Journey wages stands at $1/$0.50/$0.50. We deserve more! 

We are standing united and fighting to win:   

• Journey wage increases of multiple dollars over the life of the contract that gain ground on the West side.  

• Raises of multiple dollars for Journey Meat Cutters over the life of the contract, a proposed dollar premium for Head Meat Cutter, and new designation of Head Butcher Block. 

• Increase the amount between steps from $0.10 above minimum wage and $0.05 between steps to $0.25 above the minimum wage and between steps so that every step sees an increase as the minimum wage increases with cost of living. 

• Reduce the length of our wage scales and align our scales so our coworkers can reach the Journey rate sooner and at the same time no matter what county we work in.  

We also continued to fight to maintain our healthcare benefits and strengthen our pension: 

• We won a Tentative Agreement to improve the rate to qualify for our healthcare: Now, all Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, and Northern Idaho members will accumulate the 80 hours per month to qualify for healthcare which includes all compensable hours, not just hours worked. This means that vacation and sick leave hours will count towards the 80 hours. When we’re ill or injured and need our healthcare the most, we now will not have to fear losing it.  

We continued to push to maintain our healthcare with improvements to vision, podiatry, and hearing care.  
We also won Tentative Agreements over: 

• Additional premium for workers when we are in charge of the store: An extra 50 cents per hour for a worker in charge of the store when the manager/assistant manager is absent for more than three hours per day.  

• Rest periods for Idaho Meat Members: Idaho doesn’t have rest period laws, so we won a Tentative Agreement to ensure Idaho Meat Members have 10 minutes rest for every 4 hours worked, just like the rest of our Idaho Grocery Members. 

Our next bargaining dates are April 15, 16 and 17.  
Wear your union buttons at work!  

It is clear that the only way we will get what we deserve is to show our unity through action! 

Informational Pickets & leaflets I’ll be there! You can rsvp online! >>

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WILL I LOSE MY JOB IF I GO ON STRIKE? 

You cannot be permanently replaced for participating in a valid ULP strike. You can be permanently replaced only if the strike is caused solely by economic issues and only after the actual hiring of a permanent replacement for your position. If the strike is called in part to protest unfair labor practices by the employer, the employer cannot legally hire a permanent replacement for you. In the unlikely event our unfair labor practice charge is not upheld, we will provide an update about the return-to-work situation.

WHAT IF THE EMPLOYER LOCKS US OUT?

If the employer chooses to lockout employees they have to lockout all employees. Workers locked out by their employers are generally eligible for unemployment benefits. The Employment Security Department will determine eligibility for unemployment benefits on a case by case basis.

DO I ACCRUE SICK LEAVE OR VACATION TIME WHEN ON STRIKE? 

You will not accrue sick leave or vacation while you are on strike. The employment security department determines eligibility for unemployment benefits on a case by case basis for workers in a labor dispute.

CAN I USE ACCRUED VACATION OR PAID TIME OFF BENEFITS?

Although an employer may not discriminate against strikers with respect to the use of vacation time or paid time off during a strike, an employer is not required to allow strikers to use their accrued vacation time or other benefits during a strike unless they are otherwise entitled to do so. Thus, if a worker had submitted a vacation request before a strike and it was approved in accordance with the employer’s established policies, the employer must pay the vacation benefits even though the approved vacation occurs while the member is on strike. 

WILL I STILL HAVE HEALTHCARE DURING THE STRIKE?

It is possible that members on strike may experience a temporary disruption to their healthcare. You should work with your healthcare provider on details for eligibility. 

WHAT IS MY STRIKE BENEFIT ? 

The Executive Board of UFCW 3000 has approved strike benefits for grocery store workers who take part in strike duty. Strike benefits will not fully replace our wages but will help. They have approved strike benefits of $500 for workers, union members, and non-members who picket a minimum of 20 hours a week, $800 for 32 hours a week and $200 a week respect the line benefit for striking members who cannot join their coworkers on the strike line but respect the strike line and do not cross (for a maximum of 4 weeks). Our Union also has a hardship fund to assist members whose families face particularly difficult financial situations. Additionally, food assistance and other financial aid may be available through community organizations and other unions. Notify your creditors prior to falling behind. Communicate your situation and explore options for reduced payments or refinancing. Prioritize your expenses, placing essentials like mortgage/rent, utilities, insurance, car payments, gas, child support, and alimony at the top.

Is there paperwork I need to fill out for my strike benefit?  

To receive Union Strike Benefits, grocery store workers will need to complete a W9 for provided by the union. 
Become a Strike Picket Captain by telling your union rep that you are ready to help lead a strike by becoming a Strike Picket Captain.

Download and read the Grocery East Strike Manual >>

More information: 
To get updates and join the fight to Stop the Mega-Merger, go to nogrocerymerger.com  
For information about your health care plan with Rehn go to www.ufcwhealth.com or call 800-872-8979  
If you have questions about the Pension contact Zenith at soundretirmenttrust.com or call 800-225-7629  

Previous Grocery East updates:

Conifer St. Joseph & Conifer St. Elizabeth Union Meeting!

Wednesday, February 28
6:30 – 7:30pm
Online via Zoom 
All members welcome! 

We’re holding a bargaining kick-off meeting for all Conifer St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth members on Wednesday February 28th from 6:30 to 7:30pm. Join us online via Zoom to meet your team, get an introduction to collective bargaining, and share your goals for upcoming contract negotiations. Questions and discussion are welcome. 

Didn’t receive an email invitation? Update your contact information here. 

If you have any concerns about accessibility or using Zoom, please contact your Union Representative, Ian Jacobson, at 360-409-0587. 

Franz Bakeries Bargaining Update

Our Union Contract was initially set to expire in November of 2023, but the Employer requested that we postpone Negotiations to January 2024. We granted their requested delay since they promised retro pay during the delay for whatever wage increase is eventually agreed upon.

We had our first bargaining date on January 16, 2024, and among many other improvements, we proposed wage increases that would align more closely with what bakery employees are paid at Safeway and Fred Meyer stores. Our work is very similar to the work of grocery store bakery employees, and we deserve equal pay for equal work.

Unfortunately, Franz doesn’t agree that we deserve to be paid the same as grocery store workers and tried to argue to our Bargaining Team that we should only compare our wages to other Franz Bakery Outlets. It’s generally not a good practice to compare wages with yourself, a fair market analysis looks at wages at competitors who are in competition for workers.

Making matters worse, the employer wage proposal of $19.79/hour for clerks is actually LOWER THAN MINIMUM WAGE in both Seattle and Tukwila, not to mention lower than the $22.15/hr UFCW 3000 grocery stores bakery employees earn. When we remind the employer that their proposal is lower than minimum wage, they proudly state, "no it's not, Franz agreed to language that our wages will not be less than .15 cents above minimum wage." How insulting is it for our employer to think we find it acceptable for the wage in our contract to be less than minimum wage, but we should be grateful that they agree not to pay less than .15 cents more!

We are now bringing in a federal mediator to help the parties reach an agreement, but we will need to take action to show Franz, the employer, that we find their proposal to be unacceptable! Our Bargaining Team will reach out to the Teamsters, who drive Franz trucks, to seek their support in our fight for a fair contract. Their support could be instrumental in building leverage towards a fair contract since Franz cannot operate without their truck drivers.

What are you willing to do to win a fair contract?

Contact Union Representative Tae Abraham at 206-436-6631 to discuss how we can win a fair contract.

Willapa Harbor Hospital - Contract Vote Scheduled

WILLAPA HARBOR HOSPITAL
CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED

We are happy to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract! Our Union Bargaining Team fully recommends this tentative agreement.

Highlights include:

• Significant wage increases for all Nurses

• Increases to premiums and differentials » Increased tuition reimbursement

• Increased Employer retirement Contribution

• Vacation scheduling language improvements

To vote you must be a union member in good standing.

If you or a coworker did not receive this notice, update your contact information at: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

VOTE DETAILS
Wednesday February 28 @ 3pm — 7pm
Willapa Harbor Hospital — Cedar Conference Room, 800 Alder St, South Bend, WA, 98586

For additional information reach out to a Bargaining Team Member or Union Rep Madison Derksema @ 206-436-6603.

Discovery Behavioral Health - Contract Ratified

Our Bargaining Team, (L—R): Patrick Hart, Case Manager; Lenora Johnson, Case Manager; Heather Hammett, Administrative Assistant

“This new agreement is a positive step forward for our agency!” ­­—Lenora Johnson, Case Manager and Bargaining Team member

On February 14, our new Union contract was ratified! Our Union Bargaining Team thanks all of our coworkers for turning up to vote in favor of the tentative agreement!

If there are any questions about the new contract please ask any of our Union Bargaining Team members or call Union Rep Naomi Oligario (360) 662 1989.

Providence St. Peter Case Manager RNs - Tentative Agreement Reached - Our RN Bargaining Team fully recommends a YES vote

Providence St. Peter Case Manager RNs
Tentative Agreement Reached
Our RN Bargaining Team fully recommends a YES vote

Our Bargaining Team (L–R): Alison Studeman, Case Manager; Melissa Macchiarella, Case Manager; Mary Briles, Case Manager

“This tentative agreement will set a precedent for recognition of all types of previous nursing experience in the upcoming 2025 contract bargain in addition to placing Case Managers on the union wage scale now.”—Mary Briles, Case Manager RN

On February 15, our Union Bargaining Team met with Management, and after nearly a year of bargaining reached a tentative agreement!

We were able to win all provisions of the current nursing contract for all RN Case Managers. We fought tirelessly to be placed onto the existing RN wage scale for UFCW 3000 members. We were able to get Management to agree to recognize all years of nursing experience, including all subacute areas of nursing practice.

We will be holding the ratification vote on Friday, February 23. In order to vote you will need to fill out a union membership application at the vote.

Contract vote details
Friday, February 23 @ 11am—2pm
Providence St. Peter Hospital, Nisqually Conference Room

Directions to the Nisqually Conference Room:

• Upon entering the main entrance of the hospital, head right and travel past the information desk until you see the “Main Elevators” wall. You will have passed Starbucks on your left hand side.

• Take the “Main” elevator to Floor 2 (Café Level).

• Exit left off the elevator on the 2nd Floor. Turn right at the entrance to Cabrini’s (Café). Continue on this main corridor, through the cafeteria, off to the left, then right and go down the hall until you can turn right, then take the first left, then go right past the Lab and the Nisqually Room is at the end of the hallway.

Deep Roots Rooted in Solidarity

Today was a half day of negotiations- and we moved forward important discussions on our priorities: a competitive wage scale, improved commission structure, PTO, and a safe work environment.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have spoken with other workers at studios in our area and have been diligently comparing wages, commission, and employee discounts. Our team made new proposals on wages that included recognition of our experience at Deep Roots and within the Retail Piercing Industry at large.

Regarding Paid and unpaid time off work, our proposals lead with compassion and the recognition that life happens and there are times we need to step away from work for our own mental health. We are re-focusing our energy on increasing overall PTO that may be utilized for bereavement, holidays the studios are closed, and for personal days off.

Our Bargaining Team returns to the bargaining table on February 23. Please keep wearing the Threaded Together stickers in solidarity and reach out to the bargaining team or Union Rep Dominic Ojeda, 206-436-6586, if you have questions or would like to get more involved.

“Unionizing through UFCW 3000 has given us hope for a better future. The impact of our unionization will not stop within Deep Roots studios. We hope that through unionizing, we can create a ripple of change within the industry as a whole and make workers at other studios consider how they are being treated. If there are others who feel as we do–that they are overlooked, disrespected, considered replaceable, and underpaid–we encourage them to contact a local Union. We are all stronger when threaded together.” – Our Union Bargaining Team, Jude Manning and Lexi Otway