St. Michael Medical Center RN Bargaining Update

On Monday, July 28, our Bargaining Team met with Management for our fourteenth joint bargaining session. We were given an economic proposal that would put our wages below those of St. Joseph Medical Center, an idea we were underwhelmed by. Other pieces they responded to were:

• Retirement: they continue to offer a continuation of the existing 401K match and the potential addition of their cash balance option pension proposal as an alternative to the 401K, but have rejected our proposal to add Saint Michael to the Sound Variable Annuity Pension Trust.

• Holidays: Management continues to reject adding Juneteenth to our existing holidays.

• Contract Ratification Bonus: While they put a ratification bonus on the table this week, it was $500 for .9 FTEs and above, with this amount pro-rated for lower FTEs (per diems would be classified as .2 under their proposal).

Other items we traded continued proposals on were:

• Mandatory call.

• A workplace violence memorandum to address safety in the workplace. 

Contract Action Team Meeting

Our next Contract Action Team Meeting will be on July 31 at 6pm. Please join us to discuss how we can keep the pressure on Management to get a fair contract soon!

Join the CAT meeting July 31 at 6pm >>

Meeting ID: 893 9273 5171 Passcode: 798196

Community letter of support  >>

If you haven’t already, please sign our community support letter and share with friends and family.

St. Joseph Hospital - Contract Ratified!

"We at St. Joseph Hospital ratified our contract unanimously. We are delighted with our new contract!"

— Maegan George, Bargaining Committee Member

Congratulations to Saint Joseph's RNs who ratified their new three-year contract. RNs at St. Joseph Hospital will see an 11.5% wage increase over the next three years, as well as increased premiums and other benefits. We worked hard with Management to improve many aspects of our working lives and feel that this contract is moving in the right direction. We deserve a contract that reflects the hard work we all do every day, and we can only do that by staying involved and informed.

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Focusing on Key Issues!

On Tuesday, July 16, your bargaining team met once again with the hospital for another joint negotiation session. As we move deeper into bargaining, we've begun identifying our top priorities—but we can't win the contract we deserve without nurses stepping up. We'll be discussing these priorities at our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting (date will be announced next week), and we need more nurses to get involved and show the hospital that we're united, organized, and ready to fight.

• Incremental increases to charge/resource nurse premium pay over the life of the contract

• New language confirming the intent that charge nurses should not carry patient loads—with a commitment from leadership to exhaust all other RN options first. This is a direct result of nurses demanding safe, manageable assignments.

• Preserving our current PTO and EIB accrual rates—a win in the face of the hospital's push to move RNs onto a PTO/Sick bank with less accruals.

We also pushed the hospital hard on issues they continue to sidestep:

• Establishing a break relief system that complies with the law and guarantees nurses real, uninterrupted breaks.

• Basic safety measures to protect RNs on the job. Nurses deserve a workplace where their safety isn't up for debate.

• Real incentives for mandatory call shifts that establish a more equitable system for call and incentives to cover vacant call shifts.

Our next bargaining session is Wednesday, July 24. Show your support by wearing your UFCW 3000 gear that day to send a clear message: nurses are united and demand a contract that reflects our value!

We're also preparing to launch a community action campaign—and we need your help spreading the word. Share our message with your friends, family, and neighbors. The more voices we have behind us, the louder we'll be.

Hospital Proposals	UFCW 3000 Proposals
Wages: 5.25% two pay periods after ratification, 3.25% in 2025, 3.50% in 2026	Wages: 13.75% in 2025, 5% in 2026, 5% in 2027
Hospital Base rate: $44.45 (2025), $46.56 (2026), $47.84 (2027) $44.66 2025, $46.11 2026, $47.73 2027	St. Joe's Base Rate: $46.02 (2025), $47.86 (2026), $49.77 (2027)
Rejected longevity and retention bonuses	Proposed longevity and retention bonuses
Rejected pension proposal and did not propose improvements to the 401k plan	Proposed that RNs maintain current CHI's 401k plan and Employer make contributions to a variable annuity pension plan, like the one St. Joe's Pharmacy and Jefferson Healthcare RNs currently have
Rejected understaffing premium	Proposed $5/hour understaffing premium
Rejected float premium for non-float pool nurses	Proposed float premium for non-float nurses floating within the hospital
Rejected staffing ratios	Proposed safe staffing ratios aligned with national nursing standards
Rejected incentive for picking up vacant shifts; offered 1.5x pay only for .9 FTEs+ picking up a shift on their day off	Proposed incentive for all vacant shifts that fall below 80% of the staffing plan
Rejected premiums for covering surgical tech or CV tech roles; proposed only $1 certification pay for RCIS or RCES. NEW Will be paid the higher wage rate if performing work of a higher paid classification.	Proposed $2–$5 premium for RNs covering surgical or CV tech shifts
Proposed security systems installed by May 2026 in new tower units	Proposed security systems by December 2025, aligned with the tower's expected opening
Rejected weapon detection systems in the Emergency Department	Proposed installing weapon detection in the Emergency Department
NEW Proposed mandatory navy blue scrubs $100 stipend	Rejected mandatory navy blue scrubs
Proposed mandatory call shifts and a $15–$20/hour bonus only after the final schedule is posted	Proposed $15/hour for picking up before the schedule posts, $20/hour after, and limits on mandatory call
Proposed 1.5x pay for .9 FTEs+ picking up shifts on days off	Proposed incentive 1.5x or 2x for all vacant shifts that fall below 80% of the staffing plan
NEW Proposed a 1-year pilot break relief assignment (not a position) for inpatient units only, including OR and ED	Proposed four dedicated break relief RN positions for all units within 21 days of ratification
Tentative Agreements: Charge RN premium $3.50/hour, 2026 $3.75, 2027 $4.00 Standby pay $6/hour Preceptor pay for anyone who is assigned preceptor duties Weekend Premium $4/hour Shift differential $3/hour evening and $5.50/hour night Access to New hire orientation Per diems can move into FTE positions after working 16 hours on average over three months Equal Opportunity language that is inclusive Payroll errors must be resolved in 45 days Travel to mandatory classes will qualify for IRS mileage rate Parking shall be free Will not be subject to discipline if they need more than 8 minutes to don and doff Other language clean-up

Mount Carmel RNs Contract Ratified!

"After a unanimous YES vote, your union team at Mount Carmel is happy to announce our contract for 2025-2028 is a go and will be ratified! It wasn't the easiest process, but as a group, we are happy with the outcome."

— Rebecca Landers, Bargaining Committee Member

Congratulations to Mt. Carmel RNs who ratified their new three-year contract. RNs at Mt. Carmel will see an 11.5% wage increase over the next three years, new recognition for being SANE trained, increased premiums, new sleep accommodations for staff who must stay on duty at the hospital, and more. We worked hard with management to improve many aspects of our working lives and feel that this contract is moving in the right direction. We deserve a contract that reflects the hard work we all do every day, and we can only do that by staying involved and informed.

PRMCE Professionals - CONTRACT RATIFIED!

On Tuesday, July 15, healthcare professional workers at PRMCE overwhelmingly ratified our 2025 union contract following a morning of highly attended vote meetings. Our bargaining team is proud of the work we accomplished at the table—and proud to share this win with all of our coworkers.

What's Next?

• Finalizing the Contract: Our union and Providence will now work to finalize and sign the new agreement. Once completed, printed copies will be distributed throughout the medical center.

• Access in the Meantime: Redlined versions of the fully ratified Agreement (including updated language articles and wage scales) will be uploaded to our union's website so we can review and enforce our new contract in the meantime.

• Wage Increases: Our new wages will go into effect two full pay periods following ratification (July 15).

If you have any questions about our new union contract, please reach out to our Union Rep Bruce Le at (206) 436-6614, or contact a member of our bargaining team!

Bargaining Team: Taylor Widener, Sr. Dietician; Holly Gramse, Physical Therapist; Sara Dillon, Sr. Discharge Planner (Case Manager)

Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join a union? Send them here.
 

Zenith Spokane - Bargaining Update: Our Unity is Working!

The company has changed their Last and Final offer that we voted down by 97%! Our bargaining team has reviewed the company's latest offer which has moved significantly toward our last proposal. We are close, but not close enough to fully recommend a contract for approval.

The company MUST understand we will not move backwards during the term of this contract. Please continue to support the union bargaining team, as we continue the fight!

Bargaining Team: Tiffanie Ibach, Jessica Flatt, Jeannie Payton