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.
Following a series of highly attended vote meetings on Monday, October 5, union technical workers at St. Joseph Medical Center voted nearly unanimously to:
Reject CommonSpirit’s subpar contract offer
Authorize a STRIKE
“We set the stage and gave our comprehensive proposal letting the employer know that our priorities are to win wages that we deserve, improve our transportation benefits, win immigration protection language as well as ensuring the safety of our co-workers. We are eager to see what BDA’s response is on the 21. ” -Kota Owens, Bargaining Team Member
For the first time in history, on Tuesday, Sept 29, grocery store workers from across Washington State and North Idaho met at the same table to plan for our upcoming bargaining session with Kroger and Albertsons.
Our team met with the employer again today to continue bargaining. We have finally started discussing economics, focusing on health care and wages, which we know are our members’ top priorities. We've seen very little movement from the employer and know we need to start escalating.
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.
Please lookout for a vote notice once we can confirm when the ratification vote will take place. Members will all have a chance to review the vote documents and ask questions, we will also hold a meeting to discuss this historic TA very soon. Also, please thank your Bargaining Team! They worked very hard.
On Wednesday, November 5, our union bargaining committee representing the Pharmacists at St. Joseph Medical Center met with Management for our third session of contract negotiations.
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We are still bargaining nationally over wages. Although KP nationally has proposed wage increases that bring some positions closer to other Washington Employers, we are still fighting for wage equity for ALL workers.
Locally, we continue to bargain over market increases, which allows for consideration of jobs that have fallen below the market. KPWA management has made it clear that they are not considering what other health care competitors are paying when making proposals. Instead, they want to wait and see if there is a future problem hiring certain job classifications and may consider paying higher wages. NOT RESPECTFUL!
Kaiser is proposing that all wage adjustments, differentials, and premiums be effective the first full pay period 120 days after ratification. This means that increases would not go into effect until at least April. NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Kaiser just officially announced that Capitol Hill is expanding their hospital services and will be doing more acute care. We anticipate that this means higher acuity patients and more surgeries, in addition to workflow changes for many positions that fall under the Pro Tech/Optical and Pharmacy contracts. We have been asking for information regarding these changes for several months and Kaiser has just officially notified us. NOT PARTNERSHIP!
KAISER—FOLLOW THE VALUE COMPASS. BE THE BEST PLACE TO WORK
For additional information contact a Bargaining Team member or:
Aisha Womack Union Rep 206-436-6584
JJ Benson Contract Specialist 425-306-1357
Lenaya Wilhelm Union Rep Spokane 509-340-7369
If someone you know isn't getting updates: Update Your Information >>
Bargaining Team: Cesar Galloso, Jason Lindquist, Kay Halverson, JJ Benson, Krystal Krotzer, Mark Stewart
On Wednesday, November 5 our member-led Bargaining Team sat across the table from PCC for the first time this contract cycle. After introducing ourselves to the Employer, we discussed the outcomes from our bargaining survey, named our priorities for this bargain, and built solidarity within our team. Talk to the Bargaining Team member in your store for more detailed information!
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We are still bargaining nationally over wages. Although KP nationally has proposed wage increases that bring some positions closer to other Washington Employers, we are still fighting for wage equity for ALL workers.
Locally, we continue to bargain over market increases, which allows for consideration of jobs that have fallen below the market. KPWA management has made it clear that they are not considering what other health care competitors are paying when making proposals. Instead, they want to wait and see if there is a future problem hiring certain job classifications and may consider paying higher wages. NOT RESPECTFUL!
Kaiser is proposing that all wage adjustments, differentials, and premiums be effective the first full pay period 120 days after ratification. This means that increases would not go into effect until at least April. NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Kaiser just officially announced that Capitol Hill is expanding their hospital services and will be doing more acute care. We anticipate that this means higher acuity patients and more surgeries, in addition to workflow changes for many positions that fall under the Pro Tech/Optical and Pharmacy contracts. We have been asking for information regarding these changes for several months, and Kaiser has just officially notified us. NOT PARTNERSHIP!
HAVE YOU FILLED OUT THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD? >>
For additional information, contact a Bargaining Team member or:
Aisha Womack, Union Rep: 206-436-6584
JJ Benson, Contract Specialist: 425-306-1357
If someone you know isn't getting updates: Update Your Information >>
Pro Tech Optical Bargaining Team: Nicole Merriam, Sarah Lau, Ashleigh Aufort, Chandra Allen, Vicki Kobeski, Juli Bell, Bryana Kolppa
Thank you to all the active union members who participated in the nomination and advisory vote at every PCC store location!
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Skagit Regional Health
Creating a Better Future for All SRH Workers
Bargaining Team: Marilyn Faber, Union Rep; Cindy Tjaden; Isabel Contreras; Kalisa Dolph; Britney Myers-Fuller; Ashley Price; Briana Hovsepian; Graydon Hingey; Michael Koenig; Annalise Pasillas; Elizabeth Mayor; Alina Delano; Micheal Schwartz
On October 24, we met with the Employer briefly and drafted the plan for the subsequent bargaining sessions. We will have a private meeting on October 30 to put together all the economic proposals. On November 6, we will present all the economic proposals to the Employer. This is the stage where we need to act together and show the Employer that we are committed to fighting for a contract that will carry all the benefits we deserve. If the SRH CEO does not have financial concerns about making ends meet, we shall not have that concern either. They have heard our committee over and over that we are striving for fair adjustments to all the contract language.
The Employer has inquired about an MOU on the tentative agreed-upon new language regarding Meals and Breaks, and has spread false statements that our Union is holding this matter. We have maintained our position that any tentative agreements are not official until the whole membership has had an opportunity to ratify the new contract.
On November 6, for the first time, the Employer is coming to our house to have the bargaining session. This is a healthier step towards building a stronger relationship and ensuring the pillars for a better future. We appreciate that the Employer has taken this initiative, and we hope this is a game-changer on our path to a better future.
Some Tentative Agreements Reached Include:
Beginning bargaining sessions 90 days prior to expiration
Language that will make us a stronger Union, with access to the right information
Modified language to acknowledge Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Improved language that will allow Shop Stewards to carry out their duties around the hospital and clinics
Workers will have access to their CBA through the hospital intranet
Language to bargain over job descriptions changes
Language to protect workers going through immigration
An email from the Employer acknowledges that the discipline has been removed and is no longer considered
Our subsequent bargaining sessions will be on November 6 and 14. There are possibilities of more bargaining days in December (if necessary); we will let you know in the next bargaining update. We encourage all members to keep wearing your Union colors in the workplace and join us for our CAT (Contract Action Team) meetings.
Contract Action Team Meetings
November 10
6pm - 7pm
UFCW 3000 Union Hall
1510 N 18th St
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Moving forward, CAT meetings will be every other Monday until the contract is ratified, same time, same location unless otherwise noted: November 24, December 8, December 22, etc.
“Narrowing our non-economics down so that we can prioritize economics”
— Ashley Price
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
— Abraham Lincoln
If you have questions or would like to get more involved in organizing a fair contract, please reach out to your Union Rep, Marilyn Faber, at 1-866-210-3000, EXT. 4678.
Bargaining Team: Kaye Balk, Registrar; Michael McDonald, ED Tech; Patty Martin, Financial Counselor; Nathan Burfeindt, Warehouse; Jessica Marvin, CNA II; Delia Acosta, Transport; Dawn Finley, Lab Assistant; Trevor Ford, Ambassador; Margaret Lauricella, Monitor Tech; Melissa Pringle, Sterile Processing
On October 28, our Bargaining Team met for the second time with management. We have made agreements on an additional holiday, increase in education, staffing, and updated language. Our team spent time working on economic proposals and we will be presenting these to the Employer at bargaining on November 4.
We want to hear your voices, so we hope you can attend the Contract Action Team Meeting tonight, October 29 at the UFCW 3000 office. If you are not able to attend tonight’s meeting, please attend the General Membership meetings on November 5 at the Spokane office!
Contract Action Team Meeting
October 29
5:30pm - 6:30pm
UFCW 3000 Office
2805 N Market St
Spokane, WA 99207
General Membership Meeting
November 5
8am, 1pm and 5pm
UFCW 3000 Spokane Office
2805 N Market St
Spokane, WA 99207
If you have questions or would like to get more involved in organizing a fair contract, please reach out to your Union Rep, Lenaya Wilhelm, at 360-409-0556.
“Informative.”
— Kaye Balk
“A long beginning, to continue to pray for success.”
— Patty Martin
“Bargaining was interesting, I think it went okay.”
— Delia Acosta
In our second day of bargaining, we received the Employer’s counters to our proposals, including non-economic language, economic language and pure economics (including wages and health insurance). When looking over their proposals, we found a few pleasant surprises, alongside a number of items we expect we will need to discuss at length.
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Bargaining Team: Tia Hafner, Access/Patient Registrar; Carl Ramirez, Security Guard/Security; Calley O’harra, ER Tech; Bruce Le, Union Rep; Cesar R Quiles-Borrero, Bargainer
On Thursday, October 23, we held our first joint bargaining session with the Employer.
We have introduced a set of non-economic proposals aimed at improving the quality of our jobs at Cascade Valley Hospital. The Employer proposed changes that the committee is evaluating, and we will provide an answer at the next bargaining session, which is scheduled for November 7.
Next Bargaining Sessions: November 7 and November 19. Stay alert for further news about how this negotiation is going.
If you have questions or would like to get more involved in organizing a fair contract, please reach out to your Union Rep, Bruce Le, at 1-866-210-3000, ext. 6614.
Join the Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting via Zoom!
Friday, October 31 @ 6pm
Over the course of our two sessions, we continued to make significant progress on our first Collective Bargaining Agreement; in fact, the majority of contract articles outlining general definitions of terms throughout the CBA, union administration, employer administration, work schedules, & many more, are wrapped up- totaling nearly seventy (70) individual Articles we have reached mutual agreement on.
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On October 22, our team met with the Employer and reviewed the Employer's economic proposal. We have responded and sent our proposal for their consideration. We are optimistic about reaching a tentative agreement for your vote soon. Let's show our unity and solidarity by wearing our UFCW 3000 buttons on November 6!
Bargaining Team: Martin Hernandez, Sarah Edwards, Cirri Cornelius
Thursday November 6: Wear your UFCW 3000 button. Please reach out to one of your Bargaining Team members to get your button.
Send your solidarity photos to your Union Rep. We'll share them on the next update and the website!
Monday November 10
Monday November 17
Update your information to ensure our team can send you all of the updates!
If you have questions, please reach out to your Bargaining Team or Union Rep, Becky Latzel, at (509) 340-7370.
After historic votes in Western and Eastern WA grocery contracts. We have been able to define and limit the scope of work permitted by Third-Party Franchise in the produce department.
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Thank you for attending our Contract Action Meeting this week. It was good to hear from you and share more information about what's been happening in both local and national bargaining. We will let you know when we have information on another meeting.
Before we met with you Wednesday night, both the Pro Tech Optical and Pharmacy teams met with Kaiser and bargained over market increases. These increases are specifically meant for positions that are not in line with other local health care providers. Market increases should be competitive, so Kaiser can hire workers. When Kaiser doesn't pay competitive wages, we all work harder to cover for unfilled positions.
We also bargained over how and when increases might be implemented. We do not currently have any agreement on the implementation dates for increases, but will continue discussions and advocating for timely implementation of all contractual economic improvements.
We are working towards a contract that is sustainable and encourages people to want to continue working with Kaiser.
We are scheduled to continue bargaining the National Agreement October 28-29 as well as working on the Pharmacy and Pro Tech Optical contracts.
For additional information contact a Bargaining Team member or:
Aisha Womack 206-436-6584 Union Rep
JJ Benson 425-306-1357 Contract Specialist
If someone you know isn't getting updates: Update Your Information >>
Pro Tech Optical Bargaining Team: Nicole Merriam, Sarah Lau, Ashleigh Aufort, Chandra Allen, Vicki Kobeski, Juli Bell, Bryana Kolppa
Pharmacy Bargaining Team: Cesar Galloso, Jason Lindquist, Kay Halverson, JJ Benson, Krystal Krotzer, Mark Stewart
You are invited to join our Bargaining Team for a virtual meeting via Zoom. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your voices! Our Union Bargaining Team: Krystal Ramirez, David Coomes and Rob Roy.
Read MoreOur union Bargaining Team met with the Employer on October 23. Negotiations are still in progress. The Employer came back and tentatively agreed to some items, but we are still waiting for their counter on several others. We’ll share another update once we have more movement. Our next bargaining sessions are November 7 and 14.
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Providence Sacred Heart Service and Maintenance
Bargaining Begins
Our Union Bargaining Team: Kaye Balk, Registrar; Michael McDonald, ED Tech; Patty Martin, Financial Counselor; Nathan Burfeindt, Distribution; Lenaya Wilhelm, Union Rep; Margaret Lauricella, Monitor Tech; Melissa Pringle, Sterile Processing; Cesar Quiles Borrero, Union Bargainer; Trevor Ford, Ambassador; Dawn Finley, Lab Assistant; Jessica Marvin, CNA; Delia Acosta, Transport
On October 21 the Bargaining Team met for the first time with management. During the first bargaining meeting, we presented a number of non-economic proposals at the bargaining table. Those included staffing, rest and meal breaks, training, and a number of other items. Our subsequent bargaining dates will be on October 28, November 4, and November 12 when we expect to see economic proposals from both sides.
Now is the time to get involved and be a part of the process by joining us at the Contract Action Team Meeting.
Contract Action Team Meeting
October 29
5:30pm - 6:30pm
UFCW 3000 Office
2805 N Market St
Spokane, WA 99207
“First bargaining session down—respectful dialogue, strong start, ready to work towards what we deserve.”
— Jessica Marvin
“It’s been a great experience to start working through bargaining with my fellow co-workers.”
— Margaret Lauricella
“Today was hopeful, I am optimistic for the future here.”
— Trevor Ford
“Improvement is a long arduous journey. We are on our way.”
— Nathan Burfeindt
If you have questions or would like to get more involved in organizing a fair contract, please reach out to your Union Rep, Lenaya Wilhelm, at 360-409-0556.
We met with Recovery Cafe on October 15 to continue our negotiations and introduced our full economic package. Our economic package includes our first pass at meaningful wage increases, a transition to a secure and affordable health care and pension plan, improvements on bereavement leave, a wage classification structure that our bargaining team believes aligns with more equitable wage structure.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, August 27, our Bargaining Team met with the Management for our first official day of negotiations on our first union contract! We passed along most of our proposals to the Employer and are waiting for their response at the next session. Overall, we felt it was a very productive day!
Read MoreUnion Contract Proposal Meeting!
Read MoreWe 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.
