Ferry County Public Hospital - Bargaining Continues for Service & Maintenance and LPN Workers

Bargaining Team members met with management on June 22 and were scheduled for June 23, but management cancelled so they could prepare a response to our comprehensive proposal, which we introduced on the 22nd.

We are looking forward to a counter from the employer on June 29 that hopefully will address all of the very vital parts of our contract.  

We have had some very good conversations but still have a lot of work to do.  

Our next bargaining session is scheduled for June 29. Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Amy Radcliff at 509-340-7370 with any questions or concerns.

Our Bargaining Team: Amy Radcliff Union Representative; Chris Torres Lab; Nykole Silrus, LPN; Rebecca Thompson, Unit Coordinator.

PRMCE RN Bargaining Update

Providence asked for expedited bargaining, yet repeatedly failed to bring any counter proposal to our wage and staffing proposal.

Providence thought their best proposal for wages and staffing language was what Michelle Lundstrom sent in her May 22, 2023 email. Nurses should feel disrespected by this lack of action from Providence.

Given Providence’s lack of movement around staffing and wages, we will be launching a strike pledge card. Get ready to show solidarity with your coworkers and sign your strike pledge cards at the hospital and online.

Be on the lookout for information on your next Contract Action Team meeting! Keep wearing your blue and yellow, it’s time to put our words to ACTION!

If you have questions reach out to our Union Bargaining Team or Rep. Anthony Cantu at 206-436-6566

PRMCE RNs Back at the negotiations table!

“Nurses treat patients with dignity and respect. We expect the same from Providence. We are not going to take disrespect from the Employer bargaining team” —Kelli Johnson

We are back at the negotiations table with Providence and are continuing to fight for the contract that we all deserve. Today at the table we addressed non-economics, including skills departments, access to your union representative, membership language and language to ensure Nurses can receive coverage for participating in negotiations.

Providence came to the table being aggressive and disrespectful, but we stood our ground and movement is being made, including some Tentative Agreements on:

• Discipline and Discharge: discipline after 18 months cannot be used for progressive discipline, and discipline in your file to be removed after 18 months by request.

• Skills Departments: changes to skills departments that ensure safer staffing.

If you have questions reach out to our Union Bargaining Team or Rep. Anthony Cantu at 206-436-6566

Tri-Cities Community Health RNs Ratify First Contract

The Bargaining Team would like to thank everyone that showed up to vote YES on our new 3 year contract.

Our bargaining team is excited to announce that on June 21, 2023 Tri Cities Community Health workers made history with Ratifying their First contract by a Unanimous vote. The new contract guarantees two wage increases each year of the contract, annual merit bonuses, a competitive wage scale, job security, Grievance process, Continuing Education reimbursement, Union Security, Equality and fairness from now on.

We now have a voice that will be heard by All! Reach out to our Bargaining Team or Union Rep. Juanita Quezada at 509-340-7407 if you have any questions or concerns and to learn how you can get involved.

Forks Community Hospital Service & Technical - Tentative Agreement Reached! Contract Vote Scheduled

After four bargaining sessions your service and technical union contract negotiating team has reached a tentative agreement!

• Improvements to the collective bargaining agreement include:

• Across the board wage increases.

• Improvements to on-call, shift differentials, and weekend premiums phased in over the life of the contract!

• Multi-lingual pay for people certified by Washington state as fluent in a language other than English that is regularly spoken with patients.

• Certification pay for some job classifications wherein people receive certs that are not already requirements of the position (to be discussed in the Labor Management Committee prior to implementation in early 2024).

Please join us for a drop-In contract vote! This Tentative Agreement is recommended by your bargaining team!

Thursday, July 6

• 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

• 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Hospital Conference Room

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!

Our Bargaining Team: Jen Smith, Aleda Adams, Micaiah Nelson, Cheryl Depew

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Alison DeBoise

Alison DeBoise recording a solidarity video for California Planned Parenthood workers fighting for a union

Alison DeBoise (she/they pronouns) works as an Insurance Biller for Planned Parenthood in Seattle and is an active shop steward at her work location. They talk about how they got involve in being a steward:

After college, I knew I wanted to work for Planned Parenthood because I'm passionate about access to reproductive healthcare for all. I began working at the Bellevue location in the Refill Center mailing patients their medication and became interested in the union after getting to know my coworkers better, attending general membership meetings, and our contract expiring not long after the pandemic started. Other stewards in my workplace inspired me to become a steward because I wanted to be a helpful resource to my coworkers.

Alison is now serving on the bargaining committee for the Planned Parenthood contract during negotiations this year, and has also stepped up to offer solidarity with Southern California Planned Parenthood workers fighting to organize a union with UFCW Local 324 by recording a video to offer those workers solidarity:

Being a part of a union with my coworkers has given us greater power to ask for and get what we need. Better wages, better working conditions, better work-life balance, and better time-off benefits.

We couldn’t agree more with Alison!

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.