Northwest Center - Making Headway

Northwest Center
Making Headway

“Many changes have been announced recently without much input from those of us providing care. The MOU on office spaces we won provides a process that feels empowering and gives us a voice.”

— Our Union Bargaining Team

Our Northwest Center UFCW 3000 Bargaining Team: Jenica Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Cassie Villarreal, Speech Language Pathologist; Kimmy Burns, Physical Therapist;  Julia Szilard, Physical Therapist (not pictured)

We reached tentative agreements on many of the foundations of our first Union contract! These include who is covered by our contract, what happens when new positions are created, Union membership, Union Orientation for new hires, and more. 

One of the most vital pieces for us to achieve better working conditions and wages is having the time for union stewards to prepare for negotiations. Management has time to prepare for negotiations during the workday, but previously rejected our proposals that the employees serving on the Bargaining Team be released from work for preparation. Preparing for bargaining is time intensive, and when it is conducted outside of work hours it limits accessibility for employees that have other obligations. We advocated for bargaining participants to be released from work for preparation so that future Bargaining Team members can participate without barrier. 

Our team also finalized an agreement on collaboration for office space changes. Our next bargaining date is on July 26 and we will be focusing on jointly crafting language around caseloads and remote work and presenting our economic proposals.

Questions or to get more involved, contact your Bargaining Team Stewards or Union Representative Ian Jacobson at 206-436-6550.
 

FOLLOW US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH BARGAINING!

Facebook: Early Supports Union | Twitter: @earlysupportsunion

Forks Community Hospital (RN) - New contract ratified

Forks Community Hospital (RN)
New contract ratified

Thank you for participating in the contract vote! The collective bargaining agreement was ratified on June 21, with all attending members voting “Yes” and the LPNs voting “Yes” to joining the RN unit. This agreement:

• Increases wages 16.25% over the life of the contract

• Adds LPNs to the RN bargaining unit

• Protects affordable health care

• Increases educator pay

“The Bargaining Team feels strongly that the wage increases in this newly ratified contract will continue to allow Forks Community Hospital to recruit and retain competent, qualified RNs. Thank you for participating in your union by attending the ratification vote!”

-Amanda Craft, Bargaining Team, ED/Acute Care RN

Providence St. Joseph Hospital - Tentative agreement reached

VOTE DETAILS

Join your co-workers and vote on the new contract! It takes all of us to fight for the benefits we worked hard for.

Tuesday, June 27
Drop in hours 2:30 PM—7 PM
Providence St. Joseph Hospital, Classroom
500 E. Webster Ave, Chewelah, WA

Our Bargaining Team spent long days with Management and are excited, hopeful, and confident this contract will help address retention and recruitment issues at Providence St. Joseph Hospital.

The new contract addresses:

• The below average compensation with a new competitive wage scale

• Increase to premiums

• Added holiday

• Clean up of unnecessary language

QUESTIONS? Please reach out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Amy Radcliff @ 509- 340-7370.

Our Bargaining Team (L—R): Dawn Trotter, Financial Counselor; Bridgett Mccoy, Coordinator; Terri Barbano-Cardin, Respiratory Therapist; (back row) Amy Radcliff, Union Rep

St. Michael Medical Center (Pro-Tech) - Tentative agreement reached - Vote Scheduled

Ratification Vote

Join your coworkers and vote on the new contract!

Friday, June 30
6 AM—9 AM • 12 PM—3:30 PM • 6 PM —9 PM
St. Michael Medical Center - Conference Room G920 (near cafeteria), 1800 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale, WA 98383

Our Union Bargaining Team is excited to announce that after negotiating late into the night of June 20, we have reached a tentative agreement with Management on our new contract!

Highlights of the proposed agreement include:

• Goodbye to ghost steps: We have completely revamped the wage scale, ensuring that each step represents a meaningful increase. No more steps with a 0% increase.

• Historic wage increases: Substantial raises for each classification that recognize the value of our work and dedication.

• Healthcare maintained: Our healthcare coverage remains intact, providing the same level of comprehensive coverage, low cost, and support as before.

• Standby pay for professional and technical roles will see an unprecedented increase.

• We have restored the Per Diem differential back to 15%.

• Our new contract also includes improved language on critical issues such as low census, preceptorship, certification pay, grievances, and much more!

The above highlights only scratch the surface of all the improvements proposed for our contract. More details, including copies of the entire proposed contract, will be available at the ratification vote.

Bargaining Team: Paul Harris, ER Tech; Chris Young, Transport; Don Szabo, Lead Medical Imaging; Rob Shauger, CNA 8th floor; Angela Roberson, Heart and Vascular; Connie Baker, RT; Kain McLeod, Pharmacy Technician

Multicare Covington medical center CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED!

The summary of contract wins and other contract changes is now available at the link here

After many months of bargaining, we finally have a tentative agreement. We worked hard to get a contract that works for all! We won historic wage increases that can help recruit and retain qualified staff!

We also won:

• New wage scales and job classifications.

• Filled in all ghost steps.

• Low Census Limits for RNs.

• Staffing Accountability Language.

• And other great wins!

Wednesday, June 28, 2023
6:00am-8:00am, 12pm-3:30pm, and 5pm-8pm
At the Covington Command Center (In the hospital wing down the hall from the kitchen)

The vote will be in-person and members will have the opportunity to speak to Bargaining Team members before casting their ballot. Please arrive during the posted vote times as we cannot allow members to enter the vote room outside of the advertised times.

LabCorp Negotiations Begin!

On Friday, June 16 our Union Bargaining Team met with Management to begin contract negotiations. We shared some our non-economic proposals addressing concerns about Safety, the Grievance Process, and Union access and orientation.

We also raised our collective concerns about Staffing, Wages, Sick Leave, and FMLA. We asked Management how they plan to address ongoing problems with underpaying and understaffing our worksites, and to take a proactive and collaborative approach to staff recruitment and retention. We shared our powerful stories to drive home how these serious and widespread issues are affecting us at work and at home. We look forward to hearing their responses and diving deeper into these issues and economics when we meet next. We’ll stand firm in our belief that UFCW LabCorp workers and patients deserve better, and together, we’ll fight to win a fair contract!

GET INVOLVED!

June 27 at 6:30PM - 7:30PM on Zoom!

“Join us next Tuesday for our Contract Action Team Meeting to discuss specifics about the challenges we’re facing at the table and how we can stand together to win the best contract possible. We will also be sharing info on how to apply for short-term disability and FMLA!” —Nancy Pyanowski, Dispatch

GOT BUTTONS? Show THEM!

Share a pic of you or your coworkers wearing UFCW 3000 lanyards and buttons on SLACK or Facebook.

Questions or concerns? Reach out to our Bargaining Team or Union Rep, Christie Harris at 206-436-6606.

Covington Medical Center - Historic tentative agreement reached

MultiCare Covington Hospital
HISTORIC TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED

We worked hard to get some great improvements to our contract, but we couldn’t get everything we wanted this go around. We won new historic wages with the largest first year increases we have ever seen – making us the highest paid in the MultiCare system. We are proud to recommend a YES vote!

After months of bargaining, we finally reached a tentative agreement and fought hard to get a contract that works for all. As a result, we won historic language and wage increases!

» Historic wages that can help recruit and retain qualified staff

» New wage scales and job classifications

» Filled in all ghost steps

» Low census limits for RNs

» Staffing accountability language

» And other great wins!

PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING TIMES SO YOU CAN VOTE ON OUR NEW CONTRACT!

If you have questions, please reach out to a Bargaining Team member OR call Union Rep Ian Jacobson @ 206-436-6550.

WhidbeyHealth Medical Center - We deserve a fair contract

WhidbeyHealth Medical Center
We deserve a fair contract

We are at the tail end of non-economics but have a few items not tentatively agreed upon. We are still holding strong to 14 days-notice to submit a resignation, but WhidbeyHealth disagrees and wants a fulfillment of 21 days-notice.

We also continued to propose our non-discrimination language that included timelines to ensure that with a complaint, our voices are heard and an investigation is started. WhidbeyHealth has told us they are not interested in responding to non-discrimination language within a 30 day timeline. They told us that their final offer was to have no timeline for a response. All we are asking from WhidbeyHealth is to ensure their employees can find out if their discrimination concerns are being heard and investigated. If there are discrimination issues at work, shouldn’t we be confident that the Employer is looking into those complaints within 30 days?

Show solidarity with our co-workers to let WhidbeyHealth know that WE WANT A FAIR CONTRACT AND WE WANT IT NOW!

We were supposed to be bargaining the week of June 26, but WhidbeyHealth has canceled our bargaining date for that week. We will be passing out stickers to wear the week of the June 26.

WhidbeyHealth Bargaining Team:
Jennifer MacNeill, Lab; Rosalie Nguyen, Pharmacy

Northwest Center Progress Made in West Seattle

“Thank you to everyone who shared the Community Letter and has been participating in solidarity actions! This type of unity will help us continue to make progress and win a contract we can be proud of.” — Our Union Bargaining Team

Last week our Union Bargaining Team met with NWC Leadership to discuss questions about the changes in service area boundaries and office closures. It was a deep dialogue- where they shared their commitment to having a structure in place for reassigning West Team providers and new referrals. We agreed that feedback will be elicited from all affected employees before any decisions are made.

NWC shared that they didn’t have a set plan already decided and committed to getting input from providers before making decisions on how to structure our teams and caseloads.

We negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines a timeline between now and August 18 for sharing information, gathering feedback, a work group process, and democratic voting on the plan moving forward.

Bargaining resumes on June 20 to negotiate over changes in Offices and continue conversations on remote work and caseloads, and on July 26 our Union Bargaining Team will present our Economic proposals.

Questions or to get more involved, contact your Bargaining Team Stewards or Union Representative Ian Jacobson at 206-436-6550.

Follow us on our social media to stay up to date with bargaining!

Facebook: Early Supports Uwnion | Twitter: @earlysupportsunion

EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Bargaining Continues

Join our bargaining Team as we plan out next moves:

Wednesday, June 14
5:30pm
EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Tan 100
To RSVP, go to: bit.ly/432v1ct

EvergreenHealth Kirkland
Bargaining Continues

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management on June 9 to discuss the challenges of work we do. They listened to what we had to say, asked some questions, and had a few responses. However, they don’t seem to get it.

Management needs to understand why WAGES and STAFFING improves RETAINMENT and RECRUITMENT!

We have proposed many changes to our contract, including improvements to compensation.

What keeps Management from saying “YES”?

• Maintaining low overhead?

• More $ for Management?

• More $ for equipment or building improvements?

We understand they have a budget. Do they understanding the cost of living and working in Kirkland?

If we have to be on-call and live within a half hour of the hospital, where can we live and how much will it cost? The cost of living has gone up significantly in the past three years.

Does Evergreen understand this?

READY TO GET MORE INVOLVED? Join your union today and go to: join.ufcw.org/join/3000

QUESTIONS? Talk to a member of the Bargaining Team or call Union Representative Jack Crow @ 206-436-6614

Forks Community Hospital RNs - Tentative agreement reached!

After three bargaining sessions we have a reached a tentative agreement that includes:

• Across the board wage increases

• Two additional steps at the top of the wage scale

• Reduction of full-time status from 37 to 36 hours so that 0.9 FTEs do not have to use PTO to maintain full time healthcare benefits

• Increase in education instructor pay

Join your co-workers and vote on the new contract!

The Bargaining Team looks forward to seeing you at the vote to discuss this unanimously recommended tentative agreement.

Wednesday, June 21
9 am—12 pm |1 pm—4 pm
Hospital conference room across from the cafeteria

Bargaining Team (L—R): Lisa Huelsdonk, Darlene Rondeau, Amanda Craft, Carlyn Beebe (not pictured, Annie Crippen)

UFCW 3000 Member Story: August Silva

August SIlva

August Silva (she/they), is a Patient Access Center Representative and Shop Steward at Planned Parenthood Tacoma. As a trans woman, she has faced a lot of challenges at her previous jobs, many of them coming behind the boss’s door:

I knew I wanted to work for Planned Parenthood because when I started transitioning in the Fall of 2021 and I couldn't think of a place that'd be more accepting of trans people like me than the place I get my hormone replacement care. My previous employer felt like I was taking "too much time off for frankly unnecessary office visits" and I applied the very next day! I love working with transgender patients.

August completed her first steward training this spring, and sees her work at Planned Parenthood and organizing her coworkers as being two sides of the same coin:

I want to do whatever sort of work I can for employees and patients to make sure there are equitable practices for everyone within the organization, and I think being a part of UFCW [3000] gives me the safety to be a voice for transgender employees in states that aren't unionized.

Outside of work, August enjoys listening to Jazz and helping provide mutual aid to unhoused people with Serve The People Tacoma. August is a great example of solidarity in action.

MultiCare - Covington Hospital - Headed closer towards an agreement

We met with the Employer on June 5 to resolve the handful of remaining issues that we have not agreed upon. While we made significant progress on all of our language proposals, and are extremely close on an agreement around wages, Management’s proposal to merge the Covington Clinic with Covington Hospital has proven to be complicated.

We have our next bargaining session on Tuesday, June 13, where we will dig into these issues with the proposed merger and evaluate if it is in the best interest of members.

“At long last, management recognized the need for limits around low census.”

– Poonam Gil, Surgery RN, Bargaining Team

“We are encouraged by the movement today and look forward to finalizing a good contract, hopefully on the 13th.”

– Ken Farrell, MedSurg RN, Bargaining Team

Tri-Cities Community Health - Tentative Agreement Reached on a First Contract for Tri-Cities Community Health RN—the Bargaining Team Is Recommending a “YES” Vote!

Our Bargaining Team: Hilda Torres, Sophia Rubalcava, Karen Engel

Our bargaining team is encouraging all RNs to join them on June 21, 2023 any time between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm in the Administration Building conference room at W. 800 Court St. Pasco WA. This is a great time to learn about the new contract, ask questions and vote. The new contract guarantees 2 wage increases each year of the contract, annual merit bonuses, a competitive wage scale, job security, Grievance process, Continuing Education reimbursement, Union Security and much more.

Vote Meeting Scheduled

• Wednesday, June 21, 2023

• Drop-in between 10:30 am to 1:30 pm

• Administration Building Conference Room

• W. 800 Court St. Pasco WA

UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend a meeting, ask questions, and vote on the contract. Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Representative for any questions.

We are excited and optimistic about this first contract, which will lay a strong foundation for the future of nurses at TCCH. A fair contract doesn’t just grant us parity, but also a seat at the table and a voice in the workplace. These are very exciting times ahead for all of us, WE CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE! Ask your bargaining team how to get involved!

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Olympic Home Health - Contract Ratified

This week Union members at Olympic Medical Home Health overwhelming voted "YES" on a new Union contract which includes:

• 18.5% wage increases over three years

• 2%-26% market increases for most jobs

• $1500 Bonus 

• $4 per hour Weekend Differential 

• On-Call Pay increased to $75 per night

Congratulations to all!

For additional information, reach out to any Bargaining Team Member: Danielle Green, Joseph Bridge, Sandra Villam, Susan Montana OR Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981

If someone you know is not receiving emails, they can update information at: https://ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Planned Parenthood - Bargaining Continues

Join your Contract Action Team for an update on negotiations via zoom:

Thursday, June 8 @ 7pm
Thursday June 15 @ 7pm

Contact a Bargaining Team member for meeting details OR call Union Rep Charlie King @ 206-436-6518

“Appointment access shouldn’t come before patient and staff safety”

– Michel Avery, Clinical Trainer

We went into bargaining hoping for movement from Management’s side, but instead were shown that Management is not interested in countering our language on items, with no counter to our non-discrimination language initially. We responded by stating that not responding to our non-discrimination language is unacceptable and we expect a counter on that language. At the end of the session, after stating that, “Planned Parenthood is already walking the walk on non-discrimination,” they countered with a limited response that we will be countering on. We were told our non-discrimination language was “over-kill” and redundant on Planned Parenthood policies, however we deserve to have strong non-discrimination language in our contract.

We proposed staffing language around understaffing and workloads of each unit, that included a step-by-step process with a timeline to allow staffing concerns to be addressed. Planned Parenthood has yet to respond but did respond to our Labor Management Committee proposal stating that they were not interested in having a timeline in which the Labor Management Committee respond to items discussed. Planned Parenthood wants the Labor Management Committee to be informal, however a Labor Management Committee is meant to address problems at the worksite by creating solutions. Without a timeline, how can we expect solutions?!

Our next bargaining date is scheduled for Thursday, June 29, where we expect to continue on non-economic items. We are hopeful to get to economic proposals, but that will only happen if Management responds to our proposals instead of just saying they are just interested in “current contract language”. We deserve a contract with strong language, as well as strong wage increases. Our Bargaining Team will continue to fight in solidarity for a great contract.

Labcorp Dynacare - We Are Prepared to Bargain!

LabCorp Bargaining Committee: Nancy Pyanowski, Matt Noll, Lisa Magee, Kyle Chrisman, Sam McVay, Shelby Tyner, and Deborah Gibby

Your Dynacare/LabCorp Bargaining Committee met this week to continue preparing for upcoming negotiations. We’ve been working hard on proposals to address departmental concerns, cost of living increases, issues with scheduling and staffing, winning good health care benefits, and raising wages for everyone. We’re confident in our strong position and are eager to meet management at the table for our first negotiating session on June 16. Get ready for an exciting win as we fight to secure the contract we all deserve! 

Speak Your Mind! 

We’re collecting stories to share about who we are and why we’re committed to improving our working conditions and continuing to provide vital, outstanding patient care. If you have a story you think management or our communities need to hear, reach out to your steward, your Union Representative, or a member of your Bargaining Committee. 

Please submit your story by next Monday, June 12! 

Keep in Touch! 

Keep up the Slack! Join our Union Slack channel, Lab Force 3000, for bargaining updates, office hours with your Rep, training and education resources, and more! 

See the email update for the link or talk to a Bargaining Committee member!

Update your contact information and make sure you’ve opted in to email and text communications!

Have questions? Contact your Union Representative Christie Harris (206) 436-6606 .

Ferry County Public Hospital Service & Maintenance LPN Bargaining Begins!

Our Union Bargaining Team members met with Management on June 1 and June 2 to begin negotiating our first contract.

“Negotiations are progressing well. Our team is keeping the best interests of all employees in the district in mind and are working hard to establish a fair and beneficial contract.” —Chris Torres, Lab

“It is an honor to sit with my fellow co-workers and Management to go through this process for the betterment of the staff and hospital. We have been working diligently on various issues and have made progress on many of those issues with the thought of our fellow co-workers at heart.” — Nykole Silrus, LPN

“We are off to a good start but have a long way to go in this process. The doors of communication are wide open and the conversations have been very productive.” —Rebecca Thompson, Unit Coordinator

Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for June 22 and June 23. Please reach out to our Bargaining Team or our Union Representative Amy Radcliff at 509-340-7370 with any questions or concerns.

EvergreenHealth Kirkland - RSVP - Stand up for fair wages

YOU’RE INVITED!

Join our Bargaining Team to plan and prepare upcoming actions that will pressure Management into offering a serious wage proposal.

Wednesday, June 14 @ 5:30pm
EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Room Tan 100

To RSVP, scan or go to: bit.ly/432v1ct

We have told Management that they need to address wage disparities and staffing! After nearly two months of bargaining Management said,

“NO WAGE INCREASE THIS YEAR!”

It is time to show Management that Evergreen workers won’t stand for this disrespect and are ready to fight for a FAIR CONTRACT.

READY TO GET MORE INVOLVED? Join your union today and go to: join.ufcw.org/join/3000

QUESTIONS? Talk to a member of the Bargaining Team or call Union Rep Jack Crow @ 206-436-6614

Sunrise Dental CONTRACT RATIFIED

On Wednesday May 31 members voted overwhelmingly to approve a new union contract!

This contract includes:

• Wage increases for all employees,

• including those paid above the wage scale.

• $900 Bonus

• One additional personal day for a total of five days.

• Additional employer contribution to the 401K.

• NEW Meal and Rest Periods language.

• Extended time for Bereavement Leave.

Reach out to your Union Representative for additional information or if you want to get more involved.