On Tuesday, October 27, our union Bargaining Team representing the newly-organized clinic workers in the MultiCare Mary Bridge Therapies group met with management for our first official session of negotiations towards our first union contract!
On Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22, our union Bargaining Team met with Management for our seventh and eighth contract negotiation sessions this cycle.
As with our back-to-back sessions in July and September, we left these two days disappointed by Management’s overall pace at the bargaining table;
With ULPs on the horizon and a strike authorization in hand, we bargained late into the night two days this week. While some progress was made, the hospital is still short of meeting our priorities and continues to push their takeaways. We will not let that happen! Stay prepared and join us for all the upcoming Strike preparation meetings via ZOOM to learn more about the next steps in your fight for a best contract.
Our collective actions over the last two weeks have paid off in this bargaining session, and we are encouraged by the results! Management arrived prepared to engage and met with our team early in the day, replying to several outstanding proposals. Throughout the course of the day, we reached sixteen tentative agreements. One of these was a major breakthrough in our economic proposals – agreeing to the definitions of full time and part time employees. Thank you to our Contract Action Team members who pulled a lot of information to support the need for these definitions.
The union met with LabCorp on Wednesday, October 28, and once again received unacceptable, disrespectful proposals. LabCorp offers minimal, below-market wage increases, resists giving reasonable notice of outsourcing, and wants to strip away our rights and gain total power to change your health insurance whenever it chooses. The company blames upcoming Medicare reimbursement cuts for refusing to move closer to our proposals, but we are skeptical: LabCorp is thriving financially, its stock price is rising, and CEO Adam Schechter received $18,399,913 in compensation last year.
Grocery executives are working to grab every penny from their workers and members of our communities. Every contract negotiation is an opportunity to fight for what we deserve and work to steer the grocery industry back on track, to focus on what matters: delivering quality customer service and great products to feed our neighbors.
In our last contract negotiations, our union won the largest wage increases that we’ve seen, secured a transition to the stable our union health plan through the UFCW Spokane healthcare Trust, and ensured funding to keep our pension plan dependable for retirement. Our NE Oregon contracts recently expired, and our union is prioritizing a new contract that builds upon our previous wins.
After four long days of bargaining with the Employer and countless hours of preparation, our Bargaining Team reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) that we are excited to bring back to our members!
While our initial bargaining sessions were largely positive and relatively low stakes, we now have reached the meat and potato economic proposals that our unit cares about most. This is often the most challenging stage of bargaining – especially when bargaining a first contract. An example from today: in response to our extensively researched wage proposal, the company stated "we don't want to change how we do things" without further discussion.
As 2,500 UFCW 3000 members at MultiCare continue preparations for contract bargaining to begin early next year, there are several upcoming opportunities to gather, discuss and contribute. First off, a big thanks to all who completed the bargaining surveys during August and September. That information will be crucial in our assessing priorities before bargaining.
After holding nomination votes for the Labor Management Advisory Committee (LMAC) from September 21–25, 2026, and then holding nominee votes for Ballard, Central District, and Issaquah on October 21, 2026, we are happy to announce your committee members!
This agreement comes after more than six months of bargaining, an informational picket, federal mediation, a strike pledge campaign, and a strike authorization vote that showed CommonSpirit members were ready to fight for a better contract
After more than a month since our last session, our Union Bargaining Team; Alyssa and Oliver were able to reconvene with the employer on October 19 to receive their economic counter proposal.
Join us via Zoom on Tuesday, October 20, at 6:30 PM to learn more about the tentative agreement reached between our Union Bargaining Team and CommonSpirit.
“At a time when workers are struggling to keep up with sky-high prices for groceries, housing, health care, and other basic necessities, we cannot afford to give a tax cut to the wealthiest people in our state,” said Sam Dancy, UFCW 3000 Executive Board Vice President and Grocery Bargaining Team Member
Our member-led Bargaining Team met with representative from Puzzle Break to lay the foundation for the negotiations of our first union contract. We discussed guidelines around how proposals will be passed, Bargaining Team availability and our desire to have consistent and timely bargaining dates moving forward.
After months of difficult negotiations and a powerful show of solidarity, we have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract! Thanks to our collective strength, we secured significant improvements, including:
Please join us in person at the UFCW 3000 Des Moines office for Contract Action Team meetings on the following dates. We will be meeting in person at the union office, but for those who cannot join in person there will be an online option. During these meetings, will be sharing updates as well as creating picket signs for an upcoming info picket.
After months of difficult negotiations, a powerful informational picket, and an overwhelming strike authorization vote, our Union Bargaining Team fought late into the night on October 8 and reached a tentative agreement on a new contract!
The Nominations are in, now it’s time to vote for who will represent you and your coworkers from Ballard, Central District, and Issaquah PCCs on the newly formed PCC Labor Management Advisory Committee (LMAC). Secure online voting will take place Wednesday, October 21 from 8am to 8pm. Every PCC store elects one LMAC representative, you may only vote on a nominee from your own store.
We had our first meeting with the Employer on June 12, to share concerns over retention and the current economic situation and how that has affected our membership.
Read MoreAfter two months of bargaining, and significant work to beat back management’s proposed takeaways, our member lead bargaining team is pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract.
Read MoreWe must show LabCorp our readiness to take decisive action if we fail to reach an agreement. We believe the Employer has engaged in unfair labor practices throughout the bargaining process, including, but not limited to making unilateral changes to your working conditions following the expiration of the contract, spying on union activity, and taking measures to prohibit employees from even talking about the union. Therefore, our Bargaining Team has scheduled a vote for the following week on June 25 & 26.
Read MoreResponses to the union bargaining survey have been carefully reviewed by our union Bargaining Team and we have started the process of exchanging proposals with Mason Management.
Read MoreOur team met with management on Tuesday (6/3) and continued to discuss non-economic issues such as layoff protections, seniority, temporary employees, low census and more. While there is still much to be done, we were pleased with the pace of negotiations and are hopeful that management will continue to display the same collaborative attitude we saw today.
Read MoreAfter eight months of constant battle and momentous efforts by our bargaining team and the unification of our entire membership, we have finally settled our contract with Providence Sacred Heart. Our members’ efforts and commitment have yielded the best contract we have seen for our collective bargaining unit. This is a small victory in the greater war for recognition of our efforts and skills, and our value as caregivers to our families and community.
Read MoreOur bargaining committee was excited to share the Tentative Agreement we reached with Harbors Home Health & Hospice at our three vote meetings on Friday, May 31. Judging from the vote results, we feel that our coworkers were excited about the offer as well—which is now in full force and effect after members voted overwhelmingly in support to ratify the new contract.
Read MoreMultiCare management spent this week trying to divide and confuse us, releasing their sub-par wage proposal and trying to convince workers that it’s just good enough to keep us quiet.
We are spending this week and next preparing for action.
Read MoreIn April a survey was sent out to all Conifer St. Michael Medical Center UFCW 3000 members regarding compensation, benefits, and working conditions in preparation for our upcoming Union contract negotiations. The response rate was remarkably strong! Unsurprisingly, of folks’ top three issues in responses, wages were the most commonly recognized area where workers would like to see improvement. The next two top issues in the responses were affordability of health insurance and enhancement of vacation/PTO benefits.
Read MoreOver the weekend, our union Bargaining Team made a significant breakthrough in negotiations with Management. While some differences remain, we are hopeful that Management will continue to make a good faith effort to close the gap on the remaining issues, and we anticipate reaching a tentative agreement in the coming days.
Read MoreWe joined hundreds of REI workers across the country taking joint action, standing up against REI’s anti-worker behavior. Management from all over our state was called in to run our store while workers were out on the strike line (with Scabby the Rat). We’ve shown REI that green vests are willing to strike and fight for respect. Our strength is in our solidarity and will get REI to come to the bargaining table in good faith and reach a fair first contract.
Read MoreOn May 28 our Union Bargaining Team met with SCH Management for our initial bargaining session. We discussed times of future bargaining dates and exchanged some initial non-economic proposals that included potential changes to:
Read MoreJust two days after an email from MultiCare’s CEO announced a new affiliation with Overlake Medical Center, & further confirmed MultiCare’s aspirations to become “the Pacific Northwest’s highest value system of health”- we cannot say we are surprised to learn that the line of a “commitment to invest” stops somewhere between “a network of primary, urgent and specialty care clinics” and us- their dedicated, hard-working, & committed staff.
Read MoreOn May 23, our union Bargaining Team met with Management and received their second set of economic proposals.
Read More
After three long days of negotiations, our bargaining team has made significant progress toward a new contract, but there remains much work to do. Management has continued to propose increases that we believe would result in more expensive healthcare costs while still not keeping up with inflation in their wage offer.
However, we believe that Zenith is beginning to understand that we will not accept a contract that includes such proposals and have made clear to them that we need better proposals to ensure livable wages and affordable benefits for us and our families. We hope that additional progress will be made over the weekend but are prepared to increase the pressure on them if we have to.
Keep an eye out for additional updates next week, and please reach out to a member of the bargaining team or your rep if you have any questions.
“We’ve made progress, but management needs to realize that when the economy changes, the contract needs to also.”
— Our Bargaining Team: Mitch Longoria, Terra Powell, and Laura Bomengen
We are happy to announce that the recommended tentative agreement, reached by our union bargaining committee, has been approved by an overwhelming majority of members!
The new contract, effective immediately and lasting for three years, brings several key benefits:
A wage scale with across-the-board wage increases for all members throughout the life of the contract.
A guaranteed .50 cent above the minimum wage when the minimum wage goes up (after six months of employment).
Reduced the amount of years it takes to get the 3rd and 4th week of vacation.
Increased break times.
Introduction of new language allowing the union steward and union representative to meet with new employees on paid time to provide information about the union.
Union leave for up to 3 months for union-related activities.
Thank you to all our members who participated in the voting process.
For any questions or concerns, please reach out to your Union Representative Jose Veliz at 360-409-0615.
¡Nos complace anunciar que el acuerdo tentativo recomendado, alcanzado por nuestro comité de negociación de la Union, ha sido aprobado por una mayoría de miembros!
El nuevo contrato, efectivo de inmediato y con una duración de tres años, trae varios beneficios clave:
Una escala salarial con aumentos salariales generales para todos los miembros durante la vigencia del contrato.
Un aumento garantizado de .50 centavos por encima del salario mínimo cuando este se incremente (después de seis meses de empleo).
Reducción del tiempo necesario para obtener la 3ra y 4ta semana de vacaciones.
Aumento del tiempo de descanso.
Los nuevos empleados podran reunirse con el delegado de la Union y representante de la Union en tiempo pagado para recibir información sobre la Union.
Permiso de ausencia de hasta 3 meses para asuntos relacionadas con la Union.
Gracias a todos nuestros miembros que participaron en el proceso de votación.
Para cualquier pregunta o inquietud, comuníquese con su Representante de la Union, José Veliz al 360-409-0615.
This is our first union negotiations since we became UFCW 3000 and our combined strength has helped us win a contract with record wages and major contract improvements. In the midst of a proposed grocery mega-merger, we’ve sent a clear message —We have power in our communities, we have a voice in our workplace, and we have a strong new contract that will be the backbone for our future.
Read More
Bartell Drugs members unanimously voted to ratify their new contract yesterday! We’ll carry our momentum into our next negotiations with our fellow Rite Aid members in the fall and enforcing our contract every day at work. Physical and electronic copies of the signed agreement will be available soon. If you have any questions about the new contract, please reach out to union Rep Tae Abraham at 360-409-0603.
“Negotiations were often frustrating, but we’re doing everything we can to ensure a better future for our members. I’m proud of how we’ve supported each other through the bankruptcy and I’m hopeful for what’s to come.” – Dani Fisher, Service Associate & Bargaining Team Member
Soon after we started renegotiating our union contract, Rite Aid declared bankruptcy. While we navigated store closures and reduced hours, our bargaining team worked to reach a 1-year agreement for Bartell Drugs members that maintains our benefits, improves our grievance procedures, and includes raises for those that didn’t qualify for 2024 minimum wage increases. The short-term contract aligns our expiration date with our fellow UFCW 3000 Rite Aid members and lets us go back to the table together after the bankruptcy is settled to continue fighting for the better wages, benefits, and in-store safety we need.
Becoming a union steward is a great way to support your coworkers and enforce your rights on the job. Interested in going through the shop steward training? Reach out to your union Rep!
On Thursday, May 16, our Union Negotiating Committee met with MultiCare to continue contract negotiations, however, we’re not sure MultiCare showed up for the same reason. We do not believe that Management are bargaining in good faith. They are not taking this process seriously, nor do we feel that concerns about our staffing, our wages, and the well-being of ourselves and our families are being considered in Management’s proposals.
“Three percent is BS. That’s not even enough to cover inflation for this year.” —Rafael Diaz
We feel that MultiCare is trying to drag this out, perhaps to exhaust us, and defeat us, but we are not giving in. We will show MultiCare that we will stand together to win a fair contract.
WE ARE: 2000 WORKERS, 9 CONTRACTS & ONE FIGHT!
Nuestro equipo de Negociación: Christina Britton & Arcelia Benavidez
El 13 de mayo, nuestro Comité de Negociación de la union llegó a un acuerdo tentativo con la Gerencia de Tomlinson Linen y recomienda que voten SÍ!
Cuando comenzamos las negociaciones, la prioridad era asegurar una compensación justa por el arduo trabajo que hacemos cada día, el pilar del éxito de Tomlinson.
Estamos contentos de compartir los detalles del acuerdo con ustedes durante nuestra votación en persona:
Aquí hay algunos aspectos del acuerdo:
Aumentos salariales competitivos
Reducción de la elegibilidad para 3 y 4 semanas de vacaciones
Mejorar el tiempo de descanso
Orientación de la union pagada de 30 minutos para nuevos empleados
Garantía de salario mínimo más 50 centavos
Puede asistir a cualquier hora de votación para votar sobre el acuerdo tentativo. El acuerdo tentativo completo estará disponible para su revision. Todos los miembros en regla son elegibles y se les anima a votar sobre el acuerdo tentativo.
Our Union Bargaining Committee: Christina Britton & Arcelia Benavidez
On May 13 our union Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with Tomlinson Linen Management and recommends a YES vote!
When we first started negotiations, the priority was to secure fair compensation for the hard work we put in every day — the backbone of Tomlinson’s success.
We’re excited to share the details of the agreement with you during our upcoming vote:
Here are some highlights of the agreement:
Competitive wage increases
Reduced eligibility for 3rd and 4th week vacation
Improved break times
30 minute paid union orientation for new employees
$0.50 above minimum wage guarantee
You may attend any vote time during the polling times to vote on the tentative agreement. The full tentative agreement will be available to review at the vote. All members in good standing are eligible and encouraged to vote on the tentative agreement.
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
Correcting the Record: Decades after Organizing Her Own Unit, Leslie Ball Is Still Fighting for Her Coworkers
Leslie Ball, a certified surgical technologist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and a longtime UFCW 3000 Union Steward, has spent decades standing up for herself and her coworkers.
Her fight for better working conditions began in the late 1990s, when she received a 30-cent wage increase, which ended up only being a five-cent raise after her employer reduced her shift differential by a quarter. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the value surgical techs bring to the table, she knew a nickel wasn’t going to cut it. So she and a coworker, Gail Miller, started organizing their colleagues at St. Joe's despite warnings that previous organizing efforts had failed.
Within a year, they helped Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and other departments form the hospital’s first Technical Unit, which ratified its first contract in 1999.
Jenny C., a transporter at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, knows what it looks like when management hopes a problem will just go away.
Jenny has watched the facility's transport elevators malfunction for more than a year, filing report after report after each incident she witnessed. Supervisors did not appear to take these complaints seriously.
