“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.
We’re getting ready to head to the bargaining table, and we want to hear from you!
Join our Union Bargaining Team for a Bargaining Kick-Off Meeting to talk about the upcoming negotiations, review bargaining priorities, discuss the bargaining process, and answer questions.
This is your opportunity to get involved, share what matters most to you, and help shape our priorities as we prepare for bargaining.
Meeting ID: 821 3753 7914 Passcode: 251390
Get Involved!
Strong contracts are built when members stay informed and involved. Join us as we kick off bargaining and make sure Jefferson County members’ voices are heard at the table.
We look forward to seeing you and hearing from you!
Our Union Bargaining Team has reached a Tentative Agreement with Olympic Medical Center and is recommending a YES vote!
After ten sessions across six months of negotiations, our union Bargaining Team reached the difficult but necessary decision to call for a strike authorization vote.
We’ve come to management with contract language addressing our positions being overstaffed by agency & traveler employees. Management have come to us rejecting this proposal.
Our Bargaining Team is thrilled to announce that on September 22, 2026, an overwhelming majority of our members voted YES and approved the contract! We now have a ratified contract!
Our Union Bargaining Team has been working for several months on an agreement to transition Audiology Assistants and Pathologist Assistants into the existing UFCW 3000 Kaiser Permanente Pro Tech Optical Contract and we have reached a tentative agreement. The Bargaining Team fully recommends this agreement.
SEATTLE – Today the Seattle City Council passed Mayor Katie Wilson’s Fair Pricing and Transparency ordinance with no corporate amendments that open the door to algorithmic pricing or weaken enforcement, making Seattle home to the strongest ban on surveillance pricing in the country.
The employer joined us for two bargaining sessions on September 17 and 18. They have hired a new legal counsel who seemingly is trying to set a different, more collaborative tone with our union. We reached Tentative Agreements on several topics, including an Artificial Intelligence Memorandum of Understanding and an Inclusion Memorandum of Understanding to help protect some of our members who are part of marginalized communities.
Join your Bargaining Team and coworkers for an update on the current bargaining campaigns on Tuesday, Sept 22, 5:30-6:30pm. We will give updates on the St. Michael and St. Joseph bargaining and how we can build power together. Please show your support for your bargaining teams by wearing your union swag with pride every day, but especially today, September 18, for our next bargaining session.
Any questions can be addressed to Charlie King at 360-409-0606 or a Bargaining Team Member.
On September 15, a strong group of UFCW 3000 members marched into EvergreenHealth’s Board meeting to make sure their voices were heard.
On Wednesday, September 16, UFCW 3000 members in the St. Michael Medical Center Pro-Tech and Clinical Support unit voted UNANIMOUSLY to reject CommonSpirit’s offer, and overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
We are excited to announce that the 2026 nominations for the PCC Labor Management Advisory Committee (LMAC) will open on September 21, 2026. This is a great opportunity to nominate yourself or a coworker to help shape important decisions that impact PCC workers and our stores.
On Wednesday, September 16, UFCW 3000 members in the St. Michael Medical Center Pro-Tech and Clinical Support unit voted UNANIMOUSLY to reject CommonSpirit’s offer, and overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
Read More
Our Bargaining Team kicked off negotiations on September 15.
We began negotiations by presenting the Employer with our complete non-economic and economic proposals, outlining our priorities and the improvements we are seeking on behalf of our members.
The Employer responded with a non-economic counterproposal. While we still have important work ahead of us, we were encouraged by the discussions we had during our first session.
We will return to the bargaining table on September 21, and we look forward to receiving the Employer’s economic counterproposal. We will continue to keep you informed as negotiations move forward.
Our strength at the bargaining table comes from our solidarity and unity. Together, we can make our voices heard.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
— Helen Keller
What’s Next
Next Bargaining Session - Monday, Sept 21
Join us. Stay informed. Stay united.
It’s Not Too Late to Join Your Union
Bargaining Team: Megan Vickers, Wound Care RN; Michelle Beattie, Radiology Technologist; Tonya Smith, ER MA-C/HUS.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions or concerns about the contract or bargaining process, please reach out to a member of the Bargaining Team or our Union Rep, Becky Latzel, (866) 210-3000.
MultiCare continues to propose a wage scale placement process that could result in significant wage cuts for some members. Our Union Bargaining Team remains committed to fighting any proposal that moves workers backward.
Read More
After months of bargaining at the table, leaflets, CAT meetings, and an informational picket, Macy’s Mall and Furniture Gallery workers came out and had their voices heard, with a majority of workers voting to ratify both the Mall and Furniture Gallery Tentative Agreements that our member-led Bargaining Team negotiated with the Employer.
The Fully Recommended Agreement reflected our ability to fight for higher wage increases than last contract while defending against the biggest takeaways:
Higher GWI’s
No more waiting for three years to be eligible for GWI
Retro Pay to 6/1
Ratification Bonus
Defended our health care by fighting off proposed language that would allow Macy’s to eliminate it mid-contract.
Maintained the flexibility of the Flex Clerk position.
Strengthened our rights to representation in disciplinary meetings.
And more…
Our fight doesn’t end here. This win provides a foundation we can use to keep building strength back in the retail space that shoppers and workers deserve.
Bargaining Team: Daniel Landon (Alderwood), Emily Hunter (Alderwood), Curtisy Bryant (Southcenter), Preston McInnis (Southcenter), Samantha Wilson (Bellingham).
After two additional full days of bargaining with the Employer, our Bargaining Team has reached a Tentative Agreement that we are proud to bring back to our members.
We went into these negotiations with a clear message: our members deserve meaningful improvements, and we were prepared to fight for them.
We listened to what you told us. We stood together at the bargaining table. And we pushed to deliver an agreement that addresses the priorities our members asked us to fight for.
Wage Increases
Improved Longevity Increment Language
PILB Improvements
Discipline Process Changes
Strengthening protections and improving the process for our members.
Call-Back Improvements
Expanded our recognition, adding 6 job classifications.
We didn't get here by standing alone. We got here because our members stood together.
Every conversation, every concern, and every voice helped shape what our Bargaining Team took to the table. This agreement represents that collective effort.
Now it's our turn to stand together again.
“The art of negotiation lies in finding mutually beneficial solutions that satisfy the interests of both parties.”
September 22
11:30am–1:30pm
5–7pm
Hub Conference Room
Our Bargaining Team is asking you to vote YES on the Tentative Agreement.
We fought for it.
We negotiated for it.
Now let's ratify it together.
UNITY AT THE TABLE. UNITY AT THE VOTE.
VOTE YES!
If you have questions or concerns about the contract or bargaining process, please reach out to a member of the Bargaining Team or Becky Latzel, Union Rep, at (866) 210-3000.
Bargaining Team: Rebecca Thompson, UC and CNA; Michael Hughes, Cook; Chris Torres, Lab Tech Non-Certified.
On Wednesday, September 9, we met with the Employer and two federal mediators. It was our first session involving mediators. We discussed our contract proposals, and there was some movement on non-economic issues. We are still at a standstill on wages. The Employer is holding to its proposed 1.75% increase, and our Union is also standing by its higher wage proposal. We have two more bargaining dates on Sept 17 and 18 with a mediator. The Employer committed to bringing economic information about its health insurance proposals to our meeting on Sept 17, and a full presentation on Sept 18.
“Good to be making some progress, but a lot of fight still to come.”
— Kyle Chrisman
“Good to have the mediators helping things stay on track and move things along.”
— Grace Nagamatsu
We should have more updates soon. For more information, contact your Union Rep, David Trujillo, at 360-409-0623 or a Bargaining Team member.
Bargaining Team: Sherry (Sam) McVay, CSR; Lisa Magee, MT; Serenity MacLennan, NRT; Grace Nagamatsu, MT; Kyle Chrisman, PST Specialist; Erin Vaughn, Dispatcher; Shelby Tyner, MT.
Yesterday, by a vast majority, the new contract was ratified.
After a unique journey, we can look back and realize that our persistence and hard work in getting all techs together have paid off. Now we have a full union contract in place that provides job protection and ensures our benefits for the next three years. We will see structural increases, and through the wage scale movement, some of us will see at least 16% hourly rate increases in the next three years. We now have one of the highest-paid professions in our craft.
“Congratulations, everybody. We have voted to ratify our first contract! Thank you to everyone who was able to participate in the vote. The tentative agreement and the summary will be posted on the UFCW site soon, as will the final contract once it is signed.”
— Scot Johnson
If you have any questions, you can reach out to any Bargaining Team members or your Union Rep at 1-866-210-3000, ext. 6518.
Bargaining Team: Karla Boxum, Michael Desmarteau, and Scot Johnson.
Union Rep: Charlie King
Negotiator: Cesar R. Quiles-Borrero
September 9 and 10, 2026
On September 9 and 10, our Union negotiations committee representing the RNs at Trios met with management for our fifth and sixth bargaining sessions, respectively.
On the bright side, we wrapped up our two days together with an all-new and first-of-its-kind agreement regarding On-Call assignments, outlining a “cap” on mandatory call scheduling and an automatic incentive premium when additional call is taken voluntarily or assigned.
While this win is exciting—the downside is that it is the only new tentative agreement from our back-to-back days; and frankly, it was the only article management provided us with any response to.
Considering it has been over a month since our previous bargaining session—and approximately three months since we initially provided the Employer with our initial economic proposal—this is beyond aggravating. When questioned about where their response to wages was or when we might expect to see their counterproposal, management couldn’t even necessarily give us a clear ETA.
We are proud of the hard work we did prior to meeting with management to get our proposals in their hands quickly—we are confident that they’re both reasonable, impactful, and importantly, maintain competitive wages for Trios RNs throughout our contract term—but the delays from management have our team feeling like the work we put in at the bargaining table alone will not be enough to move the Employer as quickly as we need.
We are calling on all nurses—the time to stand together and show our collective power is now: join our upcoming Union meeting to discuss ways to build solidarity and strategize around how to win a strong contract:
Union Contract Campaign Planning Meeting
September 21, 2026
6pm–7:30pm
UFCW 3000 Richland Office
2505 Duportail St, Suite D
Richland, WA 99352-4079
Virtual Option:
Bargaining Team: Tami Ottenbreit, OB RN; Stephanie Weibel, ER RN; Yesenia Ellis, ICU RN; Holly Hurst, Med Surg RN; Karen Campbell, Surgery RN.
If you’re interested in being a member of our Contract Action Team, reach out to a member of our Bargaining Team, or call our Union Rep Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407.
Congratulations: On Tuesday, the new three-year contract was unanimously ratified. The new contract includes 10% across-the-board increases over three years, ratification bonuses, and market adjustments for all classifications. We protected current benefits and incorporated changes that improved our contract. A redlined doc, the summary, and the new scales will be available on the website. Once the parties execute the final version, we will post it as well.
If you have any questions, you can reach out to any Bargaining Committee member or your Union Rep at 866-210-3000 ext. 7369.
Bargaining Committee Members: Bridget McCoy and Chris Hallock.
UFCW 3000 Negotiator: Cesar R. Quiles-Borrero
Union members of Olympic Medical Home Health voted unanimously to approve the tentative agreement reached by our Bargaining Team.
Highlights of the new contract include:
Wage increases each year of the contract
Bonuses in both 2026 and 2027
Weekend differential increased to $4.50 per hour
On-call pay increased to $85 per night
For additional information, reach out to Union Rep Collin Greer at 360-662-1982.
Bargaining Team: Tilly Richards, Danielle Green, Justin Parks, Allan Crawford.
On Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Union members voted overwhelmingly to approve the tentative agreement reached by our Bargaining Team.
Highlights of the new contract include:
9% wage increase over three years.
Ratification bonus.
Eight hours will be added to vacation bank in November 2026.
Eight hours will be added to vacation bank in May 2027.
For additional information, reach out to Union Rep Collin Greer at 360-662-1982.
Bargaining Team: Josh Johnston, Sandy Caudill, Hector Pozernick, Patty Wood.
Tuesday, September 8, was our most recent bargaining session with Broadcast management, following a successful flyer and button-up action at the cafe last Friday.
Read More
Bargaining Team: Robel Haile, Clinical Pharmacist; Bryson Andrews, ED Tech; Olivia Almeida, Respiratory Therapist; Merry Brandt-MacFann, CT Technologist; Lara Williams-Graham, Certified Surgical Technologist; Angela Roberson, EP Technologist; Rob Shauger, CNA.
After more than five months since our contract’s original expiration date, CommonSpirit still has not offered us a fair contract.
Their latest proposal erased progress made through mediation, failed to bring wages where they need to be competitive, and left important issues, including Family Birth Center safety, unresolved. On top of that, we believe management has committed Unfair Labor Practices that have interfered with the bargaining process.
NOW IT’S TIME TO VOTE.
VOTE “NO” ON COMMONSPIRIT’S OFFER.
VOTE “YES” TO AUTHORIZE A STRIKE.
Come review CommonSpirit’s latest offer and cast your vote on whether to authorize our Bargaining Team to call a strike if necessary.
If you have questions about the vote, talk with a Bargaining Team member or contact Union Rep Ryan DeGouveia at (360) 662-1981.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
7am–10am
12pm–2pm
5pm–8pm
UFCW 3000 Silverdale Office
2430 NW Myhre Road #101
Silverdale, WA 98383
Must be a member in good standing to vote.
Our OMC Service Bargaining Team came to the table on September 4 prepared to have collaborative and productive discussions with management and we made meaningful progress.
Read More
On August 19 and yesterday, we met with the Employer.
The Bargaining Team is looking to bring you the best contract possible. We have made significant progress since we started this bargaining, but we are not there yet. The Employer has been adamant about being “fiscally responsible,” but has forgotten the undoubted work we do to help the hospital best serve its patients. We have seen a bleeding of talent, and everyone has been impacted. While we are conscious of the times we are living in and the challenges, we are asking for what we feel is fair and what we have earned.
Next steps will include a federal mediator who will come in to help the parties close a deal, and then we will proceed with the vote.
We do not have any more bargaining dates until we hear back from the mediator. We will watch closely what's happening in St. Michael's and St. Joseph's to see if we can find a faster track to reach a Tentative Agreement.
If you have any questions, you can talk to any bargaining committee member or reach out to Bruce Lee, your Union Rep, at 866-210-3000 Ext. 661.
"Unity in the workplace is not just about fairness; it's about building a foundation where everyone can thrive."
Our Bargaining Team met with the Employer and continued making progress at the bargaining table. We have worked through more of our non-economic proposals, and we have reached several tentative agreements.
These agreements reflect the hard work of our Bargaining Team, our voices, and the strength we bring when we stand together.
Some of the progress we've secured:
Changes to our EIB
Strengthened our Union Access
Secured both Medical Air Insurances
Expanded Bereavement language
This is important progress—but we are not done yet. The Employer provided an economic counterproposal, leaving our Bargaining Team a lot of work ahead as we prepare for our next bargaining session on September 10 and 11.
We want to show our members Uniting together! Wear your Union button on September 9 and send a photo to one of our Bargaining Team members, so we show the Employer just how united we are. Every button, every photo, and every member standing together sends a message.
Bargaining continues September 10 and 11.
Stay engaged, stay informed, and most importantly, stay united. Together we have the power to win a strong contract!
Keep Your Information Up to Date: Update Your Information >>
If you have questions or concerns about the contract or bargaining process, please reach out to a member of the Bargaining Team or Becky Latzel, Union Rep, at (866) 210-3000.
Bargaining Team: Rebecca Thompson, UC and CNA; Michael Hughes, Cook; Chris Torres, Lab Tech Non-Certified.
Our Bargaining Team met with CommonSpirit management again on Thursday, September 3, to continue negotiations for a successor contract.
Unfortunately, the day did not end on a positive note. After more than five months since our contract’s original expiration date, our Bargaining Team has made the difficult decision to call for a Strike Authorization Vote.
On Wednesday, September 2, UFCW 3000 Children’s Therapy Center members voted with an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY to ratify our new two year collective bargaining agreement.
Read MoreWe are fighting to keep Whidbey Health and our community sustainable. Management does not seem to fully grasp what other hospitals and clinics are paying. This is really challenging, but we keep pushing back and fighting for what is right.
Our Bargaining Team has done extensive research, and Whidbey Health has several open bargaining unit positions, particularly for MAs. We have carefully looked at recently ratified contracts, including Skagit, and see the wage differences.
On Thursday, August 27, Bargaining Team Members attended the Board of Commissioners meeting, both in person and virtually. Cassie Anderson, Pharmacist and Bargaining Team Member, reported on our bargaining status and noted that 17.6% of positions in this bargaining unit are unfilled, putting patient care at risk. She talked about the cost-of-living increases relative to wages and the difficulty filling evening, night, and weekend shifts, as well as the importance of growth and expansion in our community. Cassie concluded by addressing the need to stay competitive with other local hospitals and clinics.
Our goal is to retain and recruit workers.
We will continue to push back and tell management what is important to us.
To find out more, come to our virtual Contract Action Team meeting:
Virtual Contract Action Team Meeting
September 9, 2026
6pm
“I came in hopeful for a fair agreement, but this offer undervalues our work. We’re going to keep pushing back until we get the respect we deserve.”
— Caitlyn Korkoskie
“I went into this negotiation session feeling like we were getting close to an agreement. I came out feeling very frustrated, undervalued, and unheard.”
— Jennifer MacNeill
image-20260902-103212-F32F46
Bargaining Team: Cassie Anderson, Jennifer MacNeill, Caitlyn Korkoskie.
On Tuesday, September 1, UFCW 3000 Service & Dietary members at St. Michael Medical Center voted UNANIMOUSLY to ratify our new three-year collective bargaining agreement!
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.
