Kaiser Permanente Washington - Bargaining Update

We are waiting for Kaiser management to get back to the table. Both parties have a legal obligation to bargain in good faith. The Alliance sent a letter to Greg Adams requesting that management return to bargaining.

Read the Letter to Greg Adams >>

We Still Have Big Unresolved Contract Issues

• Wages and Retro Pay (currently Kaiser has not agreed to retroactive pay)

• Contract Alignment (although we bargain at the same time, many contracts including the KPWA Pharmacy contract have different expiration dates)

• Staffing (staffing in partnership continues to be a challenge)

Our Washington Pharmacy and Pro Tech Optical contracts are still not finished. Management seems to believe that KPWA pharmacists should be paid the same as retail pharmacists.

We have newly accreted job classifications for Pro Tech Optical that should be included in the contract, but management wants to postpone.

Our Bargaining Teams are committed to resolving our differences and finalizing these agreements.

What Can We Do to Move This Along?

We need to send a strong message to management that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Come to our Contract Action Team Meeting where we will discuss next steps.

Contract Action Team Meeting

Wednesday, January 21
6pm

For additional information contact a Bargaining Team member or Aisha Womack Union Rep 206-436-6584 and JJ Benson Contract Specialist 425-306-1357

Pharmacy Bargaining Team: Cesar Galloso, Jason Lindquist, Kay Halverson, JJ Benson, Krystal Krotzer, Mark Stewart

Pro Tech Optical Bargaining Team: Nicole Merriam, Sarah Lau, Ashleigh Aufort, Chandra Allen, Vicki Kobeski, Juli Bell, Bryana Kolppa

ALSCO Linen - Contract Ratified! Hợp Đồng Đã Được Thông Qua!

We're happy to share that workers have overwhelmingly approved the new contract with ALSCO.

This three-year contract runs from September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2028.

Key Highlights Include:

• Across-the-board wage increases each year of the contract, plus new longevity pay with an additional increase for workers with 15 years of service. The first-year wage increase will be paid retroactively to September 1, 2025.

• Improved vacation benefits, including four weeks after 15 years and vacation carryover

• Health care insurance improvements, including increased Employer contributions and eligibility after 90 days

• Stronger pension contributions, moving from a flat rate to a percentage of salary, so contributions grow as wages increase

If you have questions, are interested in upcoming trainings, or would like to get more involved in our Union, please contact your Union Rep, Celia Ponce-Sanchez, at (360) 409-0597.

Chúng tôi vui mừng thông báo rằng các đoàn viên đã áp đảo thông qua hợp đồng mới với ALSCO.

Hợp đồng ba năm này có hiệu lực từ ngày 1 tháng 9 năm 2025 đến ngày 31 tháng 8 năm 2028.

Những Điểm Nổi Bật Chính Bao Gồm:

• Tăng lương đồng loạt mỗi năm trong suốt thời hạn hợp đồng, cùng với phụ cấp thâm niên mới dành cho nhân viên có 15 năm làm việc. Mức tăng lương của năm đầu tiên sẽ được truy lĩnh kể từ ngày 1 tháng 9 năm 2025

• Cải thiện quyền lợi nghỉ phép, bao gồm bốn tuần nghỉ phép sau 15 năm làm việc và cho phép chuyển giờ nghỉ phép sang năm sau

• Cải thiện bảo hiểm y tế, bao gồm tăng mức đóng góp của công ty và đủ điều kiện tham gia sau 90 ngày làm việc

• Tăng cường đóng góp hưu trí, chuyển từ mức đóng cố định sang tỷ lệ phần trăm của tiền lương, giúp khoản đóng góp tăng lên khi tiền lương tăng

Nếu quý vị có câu hỏi, quan tâm đến các khóa huấn luyện sắp tới, hoặc muốn tham gia tích cực hơn vào công đoàn, vui lòng liên hệ với Đại diện Công Đoàn của quý vị, Celia Ponce-Sanchez, theo số (360) 409-0597.

Providence St. Mary Medical Center RN - Ratification Update

Along with all the hope and promises the new year brings, it also offers plenty of exciting opportunities to work together. We wish you all a very happy and prosperous year ahead.

On Friday, January 2, Union members voted to ratify our contract.

Thank you to everyone who came to vote!

Contract Highlights Include:

• Wage increases each year of the contract

• Longevity bonus

• Ratification bonus

• Increases to premiums and differentials

• And more—please see the summary for more details

"This contract reflects meaningful progress achieved through hard work and collaboration. While it represents an important step forward, we recognize that more work remains, and we are committed to continuing to advocate for the improvements our members deserve."

— Bargaining Committee

For additional information, contact a Bargaining Team member.

Skagit Regional Health - Bargaining Update—Wage Fight Continues as We Enter the New Year

"We run the hospital. The workers keep the hospital running—pay us our fair wages!"

— Briana Hovsepian

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; Daniel Booker (Hospice of the Northwest)

Your Union Bargaining Committee met with the Employer on Monday, December 29. At this session, we received the Employer's first counterproposal to all of our proposals.

We appreciate the Employer's initial proposal on wages, but we are still far apart. Wages remain a top priority for our members, and we will continue pushing for increases that reflect the critical work we do and the rising cost of living.

We have reached an understanding with the Employer regarding meal waivers. The Employer will continue using the current waiver, but now it will be available to all workers, including those on eight-hour shifts. The Employer may offer eight-hour shift workers the ability to shift meal period timing to the extent of the law (no earlier than three hours from the start of the shift and no later than two hours from the end of the shift).

Continue to wear your Union stickers at work to show your solidarity and support for our Bargaining Team!

Know Your Rights! Wearing union buttons and stickers is a protected right.

New Year, Same Fight

As we step into a new year, we carry forward the strength, unity, and determination that define us. This past year, we've stood shoulder to shoulder—facing challenges, defending our rights, and making our voices heard.

In 2025, we renew our commitment to:

• Protecting fair wages and safe workplaces

• Standing in solidarity with every worker

• Building a future rooted in dignity, equality, and respect

Together, we are more than a union—we are a family. Here's to a year of progress, justice, and victories for all.

Happy New Year, in solidarity!

Upcoming Dates

Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting
January 5

Bargaining Session
January 16

Bargaining Session
January 23

Don't forget: CAT meetings (union hall meetings) will be every other Monday until the contract is ratified, at the same time, at the same location unless otherwise noted.

We encourage all members to stay informed, attend CAT meetings, and keep showing your unity in the workplace!

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.

MultiCare Covington Medical Center - Bargaining Update: Session #5

We came into our fifth session on December 29 having passed everything across to the Employer and were hoping to get responses in the morning. The Employer took until 1pm to pass across a proposal, which did not include economics. Despite the delay, we had productive conversations around the proposals that were passed. After we received the responses from the Employer, we worked diligently to get them back counters to their proposals. We moved on many topics and had valuable discussions about issues to help contextualize why we are making some of our proposals.

While we were waiting, our team met our new Union Rep Penny Cramer! Penny will be the Union Rep for the RNs immediately and will take over the Service and Tech units early next year. We also conducted Steward and leadership training to help our Bargaining Team understand the power of having strong Stewards in our workplaces and how we can all become one.

Because we have continued to make progress, we agreed to a one-month extension of our contract with the Employer and we are hoping to continue to make progress in our next session on January 7.

Metropolitan Market Grocery and Meat New Contracts Ratified!

On December 30, our new Metropolitan Market Grocery contract and Meat contract were ratified!

We're nearly a year away from being back at the bargaining table with Metropolitan Market to negotiate another contract—this time, our contracts are more aligned statewide, and we're organizing right now to fight and win even more in 2027!

Our New Key Contract Wins Include:

• Guaranteed hours for all grocery workers

• Highest-ever average annual wage increase for journeypersons: $2.70

• Health care protected: Most funding ever secured ($0.55 per hour) to keep our strong, low-cost plan

• Highest average annual increases in our history for FPC and apprentice step increases for both contracts

• Real investment in training with a path for Metropolitan Market specific training programs

If you have any questions about your contract, please call your Union Rep or our member resource center at (866) 210-3000.

Lourdes Tech and LPNs - Bargaining Update

Our team met with the Employer on December 19 and proposed our non-economics and economics. The Employer responded to our non-economics, and our team plans to give tentative agreements on several items. Our team will meet with the Employer in January.

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success."

— Henry Ford

Please call your Union Rep if you would like to attend any of the following:

• Are you interested in Leadership Training?

• Are you interested in being on the Contract Action Team?

Please reach out to our Bargaining Team or your Union Rep, Juanita Quezada, (509) 340-7407 if you have any questions or concerns.

Bargaining Team: Monica Cacioppo, Pharm Tech; David Coomes, Surgical Tech; Rob Roy, RT; Krystal Ramirez, Radiology Tech

Seattle Children's Respiratory Therapists - Bargaining Update: Career Ladder

Following our meetings this weekend, we are providing a concise update on the status of our career ladder and our next steps to ensure the hospital honors our ratified agreement. Despite our contract ratification in March, the hospital has not come to us with a proposal surrounding a career ladder for Respiratory Therapists. On December 4, leadership attempted to scrap the ladder entirely, in favor of a promotional process. This would have violated our original agreement, and we obtained approval to file a grievance for breach of agreement. At our next meeting on December 17, VP John Cadwalader said that management was still committed to creating a career ladder, but needed more time for "financial approval" without offering a firm commitment or timeline. While this shows a change of heart from the December 4 meeting, we have rejected this vague proposal—we expect a clear, actionable path for advancement from RT I to RT III.

Our Escalation Plan

We are holding the line and increasing pressure through the following actions:

• Grievance: We are seeking approval to file a grievance for not sticking to the proposed plan and timeline.

• Staff Petition: We are preparing a petition to demonstrate our collective call to action.

• EEOC Research: If you have been affected and feel like you should file a complaint and need support, please email our Union Rep immediately.

Note on Compliance: We are currently seeking formal approval for all media, social media, and internal campaigns. This ensures we operate strictly within our collective bargaining agreement and hospital policy to protect our members while we escalate.

How You Can Help Today

We need every voice to hold the hospital accountable. Please sign the petition!

Sign the petition here >

Thank you to everyone who assisted with job descriptions and contributed ideas. We remain united in this fight!

Northwest Administrators - Health Care Cost Bargaining Update

Management and our Union Bargaining Team met on Monday, December 22, to negotiate how increased health care costs for 2026 would be paid for. Following multiple proposals from both sides and significant movement by management, we were able to reach a tentative agreement that will minimize the impact of these premium increases on UFCW 3000 members. Details of the tentative agreement and ratification vote times will be shared following the holidays in early January.

For questions, please reach out to Union Rep Bruce Le at 206-436-6614, Negotiator Jack Crow at 206-436-6648, or Bargaining Team member Lulu Morgan.

Bargaining Team: Jack Crow, Negotiator; Lulu Morgan

Children's Therapy Center Bargaining Update - Session 4 - December 12

We left our fourth meeting with the Employer feeling like overall, this was a productive session. In the morning, we presented the Employer with our responses to all of the proposals on the table. This proposal from our Bargaining Team included a significant number of individual articles we've agreed to, in addition to items that the Employer had previously agreed to. As we discussed the proposals with the Employer, we are really beginning to see where our proposals align and other places where additional work will need to be done to reach mutually aligned language.

Directly following our meeting with the Employer in the morning, their team stayed in our conference room to engage in a productive conversation regarding caseloads. During this meeting, the Employer walked us through their calculations and we were pleased to see that they had clearly put in a lot of thought and effort into their proposal. The Employer also acknowledged what they see as responsibilities that fall outside of the "direct time" calculations, and how these would impact the final caseload calculations for each worker. While more discussion is planned on the caseload contract language, we were encouraged by the consideration management gave to this.

Prior to departing in the early afternoon, the Employer returned to our meeting room to ask questions about our proposals, and committed to returning us a response at our next scheduled date on January 14.

MultiCare Covington Medical Center Bargaining Update - Session 4 - December 18

We left our fourth meeting with the Employer feeling that overall, this was a productive session. In the afternoon, the Employer gave us responses to some of our outstanding items. After being presented with the new proposal, our team gathered our responses to all the proposals that the Employer passed across, as well as our proposal on wages, and sent them everything around 3pm. Everything is now in the Employer's court. There has been positive communication on both sides that resulted in us getting to answer outstanding questions and the Employer being able to ask clarifying questions to the intent of our proposals.

We were able to come to agreements on language surrounding bargaining unit information, new hire orientation, layoff language, and telephone calls from home. While we still have a lot of proposals to work through, there were signs of progress.

We are hoping to get a response to all outstanding proposals at our next scheduled session on December 29.

Washington Beef Bargaining Update

Bargaining Update 

On December 18, your Union Bargaining Committee met with the Company to continue negotiating the significant increase to the medical plan. 

As we shared in the last update, after reviewing the Company’s documents, we continue to believe the actual increase from 2025 to 2026 is much lower than 37.9%. 

During the meeting, we made it clear that the contract only allows a 50/50 split of annual increases and not cumulative increases, and that passing this increase on to workers would have a significant and unfair impact on employees and their families. 

At the end of the meeting, we believed we had reached an agreement to lower employee’s cost, with reduced deductions beginning in February, since it was too late to stop January payroll deductions, and that the January overpayment would be adjusted. Unfortunately, the following day the Company told us there was no agreement and that they are still demanding something in return to lower employee costs. We do not believe this is fair or reasonable. 

We know many of you have already signed the petition and have questions about next steps, including filing a grievance and how that process works. We will be holding a membership meeting in January to answer questions and explain next steps. We are currently working to secure a meeting space and will share more details as soon as possible. 

Stay United. Sign the petition. We deserve affordable health care. 

PHOTO: [Bargaining team/Comité de negociación: Araceli Brito Saavedra, Alondra Ceballos, Edgar Rodriguez] 

Actualización de Negociaciones 

El 18 de diciembre, su comité de negociación se reunió con la Compañía para seguir negociando el aumento al plan médico y buscar soluciones. 

Como dijimos en la última actualización, después de revisar los documentos de la Compañía, seguimos creyendo que el aumento real de 2025 a 2026 es mucho menos que el 37.9%. 

Durante la reunión, dejamos claro que el contrato solo permite una división 50/50 de los aumentos anuales, no aumentos acumulados, y que pasar este aumento a los trabajadores tendría un impacto grande e injusto para los trabajadores y sus familias. 

Al final de la reunión, pensábamos que teníamos un acuerdo y que el costo para los empleados se reduciría a partir de febrero, ya que era muy tarde para detener las deducciones de enero, y que se corregiría el sobrepago. Lamentablemente, al día siguiente la Compañía nos dijo que no hubo un acuerdo y que sigue pidiendo exigiendo algo a cambio para bajar los costos a los empleados. No creemos que eso sea justo ni razonable. 

Sabemos que muchos ya firmaron la petición y tienen preguntas sobre los próximos pasos, incluyendo presentar una queja (agravio) y cómo funciona ese proceso. Tendremos una reunión para todos los miembros en enero para responder preguntas y explicar qué sigue. Actualmente estamos trabajando para asegurar un espacio para la reunión y compartiremos más detalles lo antes posible. 

Manténganse unidos. Firmen la petición. ¡Merecemos un seguro médico accesible!  

Cascade Valley Hospital Bargaining Update!

On Friday, we met the employer for the third time. Your bargaining committee stated from the beginning that we intend to ensure that all Skagit Regional Health - Cascade Valley Hospital employees have equitable wage scales. It is the same administration; same jobs, must be the same pay rate as well.

We have introduced several proposals to improve the contract and ensure fair working conditions. We will meet with the employer again on 1/15/2026, when the employer will provide us with responses to our last set of proposals.

As we gather with loved ones and reflect on the year gone by, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication, resilience, and unity. This season reminds us that the true strength of our union lies not just in our collective voice, but in the care and respect we show one another.

May this holiday season bring you peace, joy, and well‑deserved rest. Let’s carry the spirit of solidarity into the new year, standing together for fairness, dignity, and a better future for all.

Wishing you and your families a safe, happy, and hopeful holiday season!

Wishing you a year filled with fresh opportunities, personal growth, and collective success. Together, we will make this year our best yet!

Please reach out with any questions or concerns to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep, Bruce Le at 1-866-210-3000, ext. 6614.

Bargaining team members: Tia Hafner, Calley O'Harra, Carl Ramirez, and Rana Rennels. Bruce Le - Union Representative and Cesar R. Quiles-Borrero - Union Negotiator