Northwest Center Progress Continues

This week our Union Bargaining Team met with Northwest Center and continued important discussions on schedules and flexing hours, assignments to different teams, and the use of coaching and Performance Improvement Plans. We received counter proposals from leadership on remote work and caseloads and hope to be able to reach agreements on these topics at our next bargaining session on September 12.

We appreciate all of the feedback from coworkers during our Union meeting this week! It helped us to finalize our full Economic proposals to present in future sessions. We heard broadly that people are happy with the current healthcare plan and we will be prioritizing trying to make it more financially accessible for adding spouse/children/family and accessible for part-time employees.

Welcome to the bargaining team Kaylee Ainge and Kirsten Syberg, Family Resource Coordinators! They will take turns participating in future bargaining sessions on September 12 and 19. We are excited to have Family Resource Coordinators perspective and voice at the table.

Our team is staying in close contact with our Union siblings at SEIU 925 Early Learning- please stay tuned for future solidarity actions we will take together!

You’re invited!

Monday September 5, 11am – 2pm at Angle Lake Park in SeaTac, Join UFCW 3000 and our community at the annual MLK Labor Day Picnic! Bring a friend, your family, and kids. There will be food trucks with free food for union members, kids games, and a splash park. Hope to see you there!

Questions or to get more involved, please contact Union Representative Ian Jacobson, 206-436-6550.

Follow us on our social media to stay up to date with bargaining! Facebook and Instagram: Early Supports Union @earlysupportsunion

Providence St. Peter (PTAs and COTAs) - Prepare to take action in solidarity

Providence St. Peter (PTAs and COTAs)
Prepare to take action in solidarity

“It just seems unfair that we are putting forth efforts to negotiate in fairness, though Providence does not seem to be bringing a reasonable offer to the table...” —Heidi Ranger-Geh, Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant, Bargaining Team

Our Bargaining Team met with Providence St. Peter Management on Tuesday, August 29, to bargain over the specifics of our Memorandum of Understanding. We have continued to try to come to a compromise on the structure of a wage scale, our placement on it, and continuation of our educational stipend. We have made what we feel to be reasonable movement towards Management’s position on these matters but by and large have found the Employer’s willingness to meet us part of the way to be lacking.

We have heard that our new union siblings also attempting to get their Memorandum of Understanding negotiated so they may be added into the RN union contract have been facing similar struggles. We hope to coordinate actions soon with these Palliative Care and Case Manager RNs so that we can all show Management we deserve dignity, respect, and fair compensation for our labor.

Please speak with our Bargaining Team members or call Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 if you have any questions.

Bargaining Team Members: Cynthia Miner, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant; Heidi Ranger-Geh, Physical Therapy Assistant

ST. ANNE HOSPITAL (TECH) - BARGAINING CONTINUES

ST. ANNE HOSPITAL (TECH)
BARGAINING CONTINUES

“There have been bumps along the road, but today’s session was the most productive yet. We hope the positive momentum continues!” —Bargaining Team: Carlos Camacho, Linda Sanders, Michelle Grennan

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management again on August 16 to continue negotiations for our successor contract. At this bargaining session our team passed across everything except our wage proposal, giving the Employer a lot to consider before we meet again on September 6. Our proposals included the following issues:

• Wage Premiums & Differential

• Recognition for Past Experience

• Equal Opportunity / Equity

• Harassment / Discrimination

• Union Access to Premises

• New Hire Orientation

• Preceptor

• Layoff / Recall

• Low Census

• Holiday Callback Pay

• Grievance Procedure

• Incentive Pay

• Bereavement Leave

• And more!

As we gear up to present our initial wage proposal, our team has been analyzing market data to ensure we create a competitive edge against neighboring facilities, including Harborview and Swedish Medical Centers. Though in past discussions the Employer has dismissed these facilities as unequal due to their larger scale, it remains a fact that some of our colleagues have moved to these neighboring facilities, located just a stone's throw away, for better compensation packages.

However, the positive nature of the conversations with the Employer thus far leads us to be cautiously optimistic that this momentum will continue. We meet again with the Employer on September 6 and 27.

PRMCE RN Let’s Stand Strong Together!

Our latest bargaining session took place on August 28, and we have some important updates to share. We initially engaged in expedited bargaining with the Hospital, but we realized that this approach wasn't yielding the results we need. Therefore, we transitioned to regular bargaining, and August 28 marked our first session.

While we were prepared for an outright rejection of our previously agreed-upon tentative agreements, we managed to make some headway. Hospital management accepted a few of our proposals. For instance, they agreed to eliminate the use of written warnings for progressive discipline if the incident occurred 18 months or more in the past.

However, there's still much ground to cover. We've presented a comprehensive proposal that spans both economic and non-economic aspects. Our proposal touches on crucial areas such as Staffing, Seniority, Compensation, Health and Safety, and more – all designed to improve our working conditions and patient care standards.

We also did an analysis of all Level 2 trauma hospitals across Washington. Surprisingly, we've discovered that Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (Spokane), PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s Medical Center (Bellingham), Tacoma General, St. Joseph’s Medical Center (Tacoma), Kadlec Regional Medical Center (Richland), and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center (Vancouver) – all Level 2 trauma hospitals – are paying their nurses more than their surrounding Level 3 trauma hospitals.

We are the sole Level 2 trauma hospital in the state that's receiving less compensation than our neighboring Level 3 trauma hospitals. This disparity is impacting our ability to attract and retain talented nurses, especially when they're being lured by smaller patient loads and higher compensation at Level 3 facilities.

Our proposal includes language on staffing and compensation changes that are designed to prevent nurse burnout and to ensure we continue attracting skilled nursing professionals to our team. We're also addressing the pressing issue of night shift nurse shortages by suggesting temporary incentives for those willing to switch to the night shift. PRMCE agreed to our night flip shift incentive but rejected our retention bonus for night shift nurses. Day shift nurses who switch from day shift to night shift will receive $250 per night shift worked. Read the Letter Of Understanding >>

Our next bargaining session will be on September 26. During this time, we'll not only focus on the negotiations but also on raising awareness within our community about the potential for a strike if PRMCE remains unresponsive to our staffing proposals.
If you haven't already done so, we encourage you to sign the strike pledge at PRMCE RN - I Promise to Take Action! (jotform.com). Let's stay united and committed to ensuring our voices are heard and our concerns are addressed.
We're in this together, and together we can make a difference!

Join us:

September 4 Everett Labor Day Block Party
11am to 2pm meet @ Mission Building Courtyard on the corner of Wetmore & Pacific Ave, followed by a march to Block Party @ Everett Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Everett, WA 98201

September 5 at 8 pm Strike Captain Training via Zoom
If you're passionate about making a difference and being a driving force for positive change, we encourage you to consider becoming a strike captain: https://www.mobilize.us/ufcw3000/event/576988/

The Doctors Clinic - Making progress towards a strong contract

The Doctors Clinic
Making progress towards a strong contract

We want a better place to work and on Friday, August 25, we bargained over changes to the contract that will vastly improve The Doctors Clinic. Our Bargaining Team feels strongly that Management needs to be more transparent and willing to work with us.

We have proposed changes to the contract language on staffing to allow all of us to give input on our schedules and workload. We have also proposed a Labor—Management Committee to work through problems as they come up. We have discussed additional hours, job postings, floater rotators, the safety committee, the layoff process, Union Stewards, discipline, and the grievance process.

Everything we are working on helps Management be better partners and allows us to have a say in the process. We are bargaining again September 19 and 21 and will be focusing on wages, and benefits.

“There has been a breakdown in communication between us, the employees, and Management, and we believe the contract should foster better communication.” —Anna Snyder, Bargaining Team

If you need additional information reach out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Naomi Oligario @ 360-662-1989.

Stay in the loop! Update your information and go to:
ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Management’s math doesn't add up

During our bargaining session on Wednesday, August 23, we engaged in discussions with Management regarding strategies to enhance our competitive stance in terms of wages compared to other local hospitals.

In particular, we suggested the concept of eliminating the initial two steps of our wage scale, subsequently adjusting the positions of most members along the scale. This idea aimed to establish a more attractive entry wage and to ensure substantial wage progression for existing members. Regrettably, Management displayed limited interest and ultimately declined to entertain our proposition.

Our objective remains the retention of current staff and the effective recruitment of new members to address the significant staffing issues at EvergreenHealth Kirkland. Management has consistently reiterated that the challenges in recruitment are prevalent across the industry, not exclusive to Evergreen.

However, we shared our extensive research on wages with Management and told them that our review of wages showed that Evergreen was paying below the market standard. We highlighted that our analysis revealed Evergreen's compensation rates to be below the median for numerous job roles, particularly when contrasted with wages offered by Seattle hospitals.

Management countered that they had already given a wage increase in 2023 and that no additional funding is budgeted for our wage increase this year. They frequently cite the 6% wage hike that was instituted in January for most job classifications.

It's worth noting that numerous emails sent to employees during January referred to this increment as a "market increase," implying that Management had conducted research on wage trends at neighboring hospitals and concluded that a 6% increase was sufficient. We believe this adjustment falls short of addressing the issue, as evidenced by the continued departure of Evergreen staff for better-paying alternatives.

Management has asked for mediation, and our team is currently reviewing this option. While our next bargaining dates are not yet set, we'll inform you as soon as we decide on the mediator and our schedule. Meanwhile, reach out to your Union Steward to get "Our Retention Needs Attention" stickers to wear at work, demonstrating our united support for a fair contract.

Stay in the loop and update your information!
ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

For additional information contact Union Rep Jack Crow @ 206-436-6614.

UFCW 3000 Podcast Episode 6: Honey, Listen! …To the Rest of Kristina’s Story

Kristina was Michaela’s first interview here on the podcast, but they didn’t get to the full story of Kristina’s union journey. What happens when you become a full-time union rep? And what if it doesn’t work out like you planned? Kristina talks about her time as a union rep, why it was not actually a great fit for her, and how it impacted her returning to work as an even more educated and empowered shop steward.

UFCW 3000 union shop steward Michaela is always ready to answer fellow members’ questions about their union. She’s also a devoted murder podcast listener. Put those interests together, and she decided to start a union podcast to get all her coworkers’ questions and her own questions answered, and to meet as many people as possible who could share what it means to be a part of UFCW 3000. (No murder on this podcast, only solidarity!)

*The information shared on this podcast is offered by rank and file union member leaders of UFCW 3000. There may be inaccuracies or misstatements shared, as members will be speaking from the lenses of their perspectives and life experiences. While members are doing their best to share good information, we can make no claims to 100% accuracy and this podcast should not be construed as legal advice.

PRMCE RN Weekly Update

On August 22, we came together for a strike captain training session held over Zoom. During the session, we went over the fundamentals of a strike and the vital roles that strike captains play. Our goal is to spread awareness and educate our fellow nurses throughout September and October. To make this happen, we need dedicated strike captains for every unit and every shift.

If you're passionate about making a difference and being a driving force for positive change, we encourage you to consider becoming a strike captain. Your involvement could have a lasting impact on our profession and the quality of healthcare we provide. You can sign up for this role by visiting our strike pledge page: 

>> Sign-Up to be a Strike Captain!

Also, mark your calendars for our upcoming strike captain meeting on September 5 at 8:00 PM via Zoom.

>> Strike Captain Meeting RSVP

Now, let's talk about why this matters. A strike isn't just a halt in our work; it's a collective stand for our rights and the well-being of our patients. According to federal law, we have the right to strike, but we must give the hospital a 10-day notice to ensure patient care isn't compromised.

The prospect of a strike isn't just a last resort; it's a powerful tool that can drive change. It forces Providence to reconsider its stance and acknowledge our proposals. The mere threat of a strike can be as influential as the strike itself, but for it to be effective, we must show that we are united and ready to take action.

This unity is why signing the strike pledge is so critical. It shows our commitment and solidarity as nurses who are dedicated to making a difference. Additionally, participating in the strike authorization vote further strengthens our stance. You can sign the pledge here:

>> Sign Our Strike Pledge!

This week members from Everett City Council, Snohomish County Council, and State Representative Mary Fosse delivered a letter to Kristy Carrington, Chief Executive of PRMCE, and expressed their support for our cause. Their recognition of the importance of patient safety through our union contract is a testament to the significance of our efforts.

We return to the bargaining table on August 28. We've already secured several tentative agreements, but Providence has indicated they will be resetting their proposals. This shows a lack of genuine collaboration and a disregard for addressing the staffing challenges we face daily. Our staffing proposals empower nurses to collaboratively address enduring staffing challenges alongside PRMCE Management. They involve binding third-party mediation to resolve long-standing staffing-related issues that Management has failed to address, ensuring consistent consultations between the Chief Nursing Officer and nurses to efficiently allocate resources for staffing and patient safety initiatives, and establishing accountability mechanisms should PRMCE fail to adhere to the agreed-upon staffing plans.

In addition, we are proposing:

1. Establishing permanent incentives for those who take up extra shifts.

2. Introducing an hourly premium for nurses in units that are 90% understaffed.

3. Shortening the time required to move to the next wage step, benefiting all nurses, especially per diem nurses.

4. A flip shift incentive for those day shift nurses picking up night shifts.

5. Recognizing the experience of current nurses and adjusting our wages accordingly.

6. Competitive wage increases that reflect our dedication.

We anticipate that Providence will continue bombarding us with communications in the coming weeks, but we must stay focused. Our aim is clear – improving patient safety by addressing the staffing challenges head-on. This goes beyond mere wage increases; it's about creating a sustainable solution that benefits our patients.

Our determination remains unshakeable. We will continue organizing actions and getting ready for a potential strike. On Sunday, August 27, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, we will be leafleting at the Everett Farmers Market. Join us at the corner of Pacific and Wetmore as we engage with the community and amplify our message.

Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• October 30, 2023 - Contract Expires!

• September 21 - Community Townhall @ Everett Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Ave Everett, from 5:00-6:00 PM

• September - Strike educational meetings for nurses at PRMCE and over Zoom

• September 4 - Labor Day Block Party from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM @ Mission Building Courtyard on the corner of Wetmore & Pacific Ave, followed by a march to Block Party @ Everett Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Everett, WA 98201

• August 28 - Bargaining with PRMCE Management

• August 27 - Everett Farmers Market 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM (meet at the corner of Pacific and Wetmore)

Show PRMCE that we are serious about our proposals and are willing to strike! If you have not already signed the strike pledge, please click on the link below!

>> Sign Our Strike Pledge!

Also encourage your coworkers to update their information.

>> Share this Link with Coworkers to Update Their Information!

PRMCE RN Bargaining Team
Trevor Gjendem, Juan Stout, Carrie Rimel, Kelli Johnson, Stephanie Sausman, Julie Byum, Kristen Crowder.

Providence St. Peter Palliative Care RNs Bargaining Begins!

We met with Providence St. Peter for our first day of negotiations- and felt positive throughout the first few hours- but as the day went on, we were left feeling a bit deflated. PSPH agreed the entire contract would apply to Palliative Care RNs, including the current wage scale! Unfortunately, we disagree on where on the existing wage scale we would be placed.

Both parties made movement on wage scale placement proposals- but we are still being undervalued by 25% by PSPH. We are awaiting potential dates for our next bargaining session from management.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your bargaining team or our Union Representative Brandan Zielinski (206) 436 6603.

“They’re telling me I have 28 years of experience, and yet I got my 30-year pin in the mail last month?!” —Doyla Doty, Palliative Care RN

Keep your personal contact information up-to-date to be sure you receive updates on bargaining, union benefits, bargaining surveys, as well as contract vote information. >>

Northwest Center Bargaining Update

Significant Progress

Over the last two bargaining sessions, we have focused our energy on the right to work remotely, caseloads, and our assignment to different teams.These issues have been at the heart of many proposals, and by collaborating in-person we were able to finally reach a common understanding on the role of Teams. We pushed for team assignments to be listed on job descriptions and confirmed at the time of hire. We know that working in North versus South Seattle impacts where we choose to live and our commute time. These differences are not small and we made significant progress in defining a process for allocating new cases and how people may be assigned to other teams. We also made gains in outlining what is considered remote work and in-person work.

“As an organization that promotes inclusion of people with disabilities, we strongly believe that many positions within our department can function remotely and that should be an option that is promoted and offered to people. This allows our department to continue to diversify in terms of candidates that are outside of Seattle city limits as well as those that may not have the ability to drive and therefore were previously excluded from working with us. We are proud that we are very close to an agreement on remote positions!”-Jenica Barrett, Kimberly Burns, Cassandra Villarreal

Our bargaining team returns to the bargaining table on August 30, where we will present all economics.

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We want to say a special thank you to our coworker and Union leader Cassandra Villarreal for all her contributions to our Early Supports Union- and wish her the best in her new career opportunity! Starting in September, we will welcome Kaylee Ainge and Kirsten Syberg, Family Resource Coordinators, to the Union bargaining team. 
 
Please join us on August 28 for a virtual meeting to learn more about health care proposals our team is considering. We will share plan comparisons and want to hear from you about what is most important to you and your family.

Early Supports Union Mtg- Health Care Plans
Monday August 28, 6:30 – 7:30 pm

Questions or to get more involved, please contact Union Representative Ian Jacobson, 206-436-6550.

Follow along and stay informed!

EarlySupports Union on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earlysupportsunion?mibextid=LQQJ4d
 
EarlySupports Union on Instagram: https://instagram.com/earlysupportsunion?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Providence St. Peter Case Manager RNs BARGAINING CONTINUES

Providence St. Peter Case Manager RNs
BARGAINING CONTINUES

“Management may not have a clear idea of what we do, but we are important to the functioning of the hospital!” ­—Alison Studeman, Case Manager

On Tuesday, August 22, our union Bargaining Team met with PSPH Management to continue bargaining our Memorandum of Understanding. While we were able to come to a minor agreement on not needing to re-submit 2023 vacation requests once we joined the larger union RN group, we were not able to get a concrete counterproposal from Management on our wage scale.

PSPH Management says they cannot cost out our last proposal, which would properly recognize past experience for placement on the existing union pay scale. The reason we were given is that Providence does not have our resumes on file to see what wage increases would look like. They have not moved from their initial position on wages, which would create a second lesser-paid tier of Case Manager RNs in the union contract. We do not believe our work to be of lesser value than that of bedside RNs!

However, we did agree to provide Management with as much data as we could possibly gather on the past experience of all of our case manager colleagues, so they could more seriously evaluate our proposal.

As such, we are asking that you please submit an updated resume to Union Rep Brandan Zielinski. If you have specific questions about this, we encourage to call and leave a voicemail @ 206-436-6603 OR talk to one of our Bargaining Team members!

Please keep wearing your union buttons at work, stay tuned for details, and ask a Bargaining Team member if you have any questions!

Our Bargaining Team: Mary Briles, Case Manager; Melissa Macchiarella, Case Manager; [not pictured]: Alison Studeman, Case Manager

2023 Wildfire and Smoke Information for Workers

As our region again faces wildfire season, wildfires and wildfire smoke may affect us in the workplace and at home. Below are important things to know to stay safe and enforce your rights at work. Here are the most important actions to care for yourself and your coworkers during wildfire season:

1. Report any safety concerns to your worksite safety committee & management right away, and get support from your Shop Steward and/or Union Rep if your concerns are not addressed.

2. Get accommodations if needed and exercise your rights—use your sick leave if you become unwell; speak with a health care provider and use FMLA or exercise your disability rights under the ADA if you have a health condition that makes you vulnerable to wildfire smoke.

3. If your home or work is affected by wildfire and financial assistance would help, speak with your Union Rep about the UFCW 3000 Membership Assistance Fund.

Your Rights During Wildfires

If your workplace, home, or family are evacuated, burned, or otherwise affected by active wildfires:

With a union contract, you have “just cause” protection, meaning you should not be disciplined at work for reasonably having to deal with a circumstance outside of your control like a wildfire that affects your home, work, or commute to work

• Make sure to invoke your right to union representation if you are called into a meeting that could lead to discipline (we call these “Weingarten Rights” — read more here)

Workplace Safety for Wildfire Smoke

You have the right to a safe workplace, and if wildfire smoke makes your workplace unhealthy for you, you should be able to address that with your employer and get support from your Shop Steward and/or Union Rep.

MASKS

• You can wear a respirator mask at work that helps protect you against wildfire smoke.

• Most masks we wear to protect against COVID do not actually protect against wildfire smoke. The right mask to protect against wildfire smoke is an N95 mask or other respirator with the same or higher level of protection. These respirator masks should have two straps and the word “NIOSH” and/or “N95” or “N100” printed on it.

EXPOSURE TO SMOKE

• When the air is smoky, your employer should allow workers to follow basic steps that will help prevent excessive exposure to wildfire smoke—that could include things like reassigning workers to less smoky areas or allowing for extra rest and water breaks away from smoky work areas.

MEDICAL LEAVE AND ACCOMMODATIONS

• If you or a family member gets sick because of wildfire smoke, you have the right to use Paid Sick & Safe Leave for illness

• You may also be able to use your Paid Sick & Safe Leave if your child’s school or place of care, or your worksite has been shut down by a public official due to health-related reasons resulting from exposure to wildfire smoke

• If you are vulnerable to smoky air due to an existing medical condition, talk to your health care provider about your workplace and see if they have recommendations for how to keep you safe from smoke exposure. Use FMLA if needed, or exercise your disability rights under the ADA.

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General Wildfire and Smoke Information and Resources

• Airnow.gov Federal Air Quality Information

• Washington State Air Quality Map

• L&I Information on Worker Health and Smoke/Air Quality

• Department of Health Information & FAQ on Smoke from Wildfires

• How to Keep Indoor Air Clean at Home on Smoky Days (King County Public Health)

• Spokane Regional Health District: Get the Facts About Wildfire Smoke

• Washington Smoke Blog

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Debby Gibby

Debby Gibby

Debby Gibby is a senior Lab Assistant, steward, and bargaining team member at LabCorp. Debby knows union member voices are crucial to creating better workplaces and better lives and she isn't afraid to use hers to make it happen!  Debby has lots of creative ideas that she shares with her coworkers and her union representatives, and is using these ideas as a member of her bargaining team to win substantial wage increases to recruit and retain staff.  When she's not fighting to improve the lives of workers, she spends her time fighting for affordable housing.

Debby’s been a a strong advocate on affordable housing committees, especially in her First Hill neighborhood, as well as chairing a committee that stopped the removal of over 500 housing units from the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Seattle. Her archival research was rewarded with her work being on the cover of the First Hill's historical society's book.  Debby loves living in one of the oldest buildings on First Hill and works hard to keep her neighbors and her community safe and thriving.

Debby knows that the only solution to organized greed is organized people, on the job and off!

UFCW 3000 Episode 5: A Personal History of UFCW 3000 Organizing, Bargaining, and Community Activism with John Warring

From organizing a union to bargaining a contract to enforcing it as a shop steward, John Warring has done it all. Michaela sits down with this retired member and activist in her community to hear about the history of the local hospital in Grays Harbor, WA. Michaela and John get real about the value of being a union worker and the many different ways to be involved in your union. For John it went far beyond ensuring fair wages and enforcing job security, and included things like protecting departments from outsourcing and advocating for workers alongside fellow unions in a labor council. He also shares his experience and perspective on 40 years of UFCW 3000 history!

UFCW 3000 union shop steward Michaela is always ready to answer fellow members’ questions about their union. She’s also a devoted murder podcast listener. Put those interests together, and she decided to start a union podcast to get all her coworkers’ questions and her own questions answered, and to meet as many people as possible who could share what it means to be a part of UFCW 3000. (No murder on this podcast, only solidarity!)

*The information shared on this podcast is offered by rank and file union member leaders of UFCW 3000. There may be inaccuracies or misstatements shared, as members will be speaking from the lenses of their perspectives and life experiences. While members are doing their best to share good information, we can make no claims to 100% accuracy and this podcast should not be construed as legal advice.

PRMCE RN Weekly Update

On August 16, we hosted a town hall and engaged with community members regarding the dire staffing crisis and the uncompromising stance of our employer in contract negotiations. We exposed the shocking reality of pervasive staff shortages at the Hospital. Providence's audacity knows no limits as they overtly refuse to surpass the benchmarks established by the recently enacted WA State safe staffing law, a crucial law that won’t achieve full effect until 2027.Those who attended from the community now comprehend the stark truth we confront - a formidable struggle to ensure patient safety.

August 17 saw us distributing leaflets to the community during the Aquasox game on Union Solidarity Night. We conversed with community members and fellow unions, experiencing an overwhelming surge of support. Many committed to contacting the Providence General Foundation to endorse our staffing demands.

Throughout the previous and ongoing week, PRMCE management has inundated us with a deluge of emails, videos, and even a flashy newspaper ad in the Everett Herald. Their propaganda machine works incessantly, disseminating falsehoods that we, the nurses and our union, are to blame for the stalled negotiations. This is a distortion of reality.

Let's be absolutely clear: an impasse is far from our situation.Despite our inability to reach an agreement through the prolonged expedited negotiation process, we believe both sides possess further proposals to present. At no point did our union or PRMCE assert that we were delivering a "last, best, and final offer." PRMCE manipulatively wields the term "impasse" as a tool of fear. According to the National Labor Relations Act, if a union and employer reach a valid "impasse" during contract negotiations, the employer can enforce their last proposal. This is PRMCE's cunning strategy to shirk bargaining and impose their terms.

Furthermore, Providence only seems fixated on one talking point: wages.Yet, what about the lives we safeguard daily? What about patient safety? Their callous calculations dismiss our primary objective - rectifying the staffing nightmare. Our contract's aim is to create a resolution for our staffing predicament. Wage increases alone are insufficient. Our proposals, rejected by PRMCE, empower nurses to collaboratively address enduring staffing challenges alongside PRMCE management. They involve binding third-party mediation to resolve long-standing staffing-related issues that management has failed to address, ensuring consistent consultations between the Chief Nursing Officer and nurses to efficiently allocate resources for staffing and patient safety initiatives, and establishing accountability mechanisms should PRMCE fail to adhere to the agreed-upon staffing plans.

Circle August 28 on your calendars as we head into another round of negotiations with PRMCE.However, don't for a moment think that we're commencing with a blank slate. We've already hammered out several tentative agreements. If Providence dares to reject this already agreed upon language, they knowingly prolong our struggle to tackle the staffing crisis.

Providence stands at a crossroads.Will they join forces with nurses to uplift patient safety? Or will they suppress our voices, perpetuating the staffing crisis and jeopardizing patients?

Our determination remains unwavering.We will persist in organizing actions and preparing for a strike - a demonstration of our commitment to realizing our proposals. On August 22 at 8 pm via Zoom, we will conduct strike captain training. Join us if you're willing to lead within your unit/department. Let's demonstrate to PRMCE the unyielding strength of our unity.

Please join us at one of the actions below:  

September 21: Community Townhall
@ Everett Labor Temple 2810 Lombard Ave Everett 5-6pm

September: Strike educational meetings for nurses at PRMCE and over Zoom  

August 28: Bargaining with PRMCE

August 27: Everett Farmers Market 10:30 to 12pm  (meet at the corner of Pacific and Wetmore) 

August 22, September 5, and September 19: Strike Captain Training 8pm-9pm CLICK HERE TO JOIN

 Show PRMCE that we are serious about our proposals and are willing to strike!If you have not already signed the strike pledge, please click on the link PRMCE RN - I Promise to Take Action! (jotform.com)

Also encourage your coworkers to update their information:https://ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

- Our PRMCE RN Bargaining Team: Trevor Gjendem, Juan Stout, Carrie Rimel, Kelli Johnson, Stephanie Sausman, Julie Byum, Kristen Crowder 

Labcorp - Ready & Left Waiting—Again

Our Bargaining Team: Nancy Pyanowski, Kyle Chrisman, Sam McVay, Lisa Magee, Matt Noll, Shelby Tyner, Deborah Gibby

Once again, our LabCorp Bargaining Team came to the table prepared and ready to negotiate. Once again, Management let us down.

Despite receiving our economic proposals two sessions ago, LabCorp failed to live up to their promise of having counters for us. Instead, we traded non-economic proposals and counters, and continued our ongoing discussions of how to address understaffing and work shipping out, expanding training opportunities, and increasing recruitment and retention.

We urge Management to respond to our wage, benefits, and other economic proposals so that we can move forward and negotiate over all of our priorities at the next session on September 6.

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SPEAK UP, STAND TOGETHER—WE NEED YOU TO SIGN OUR WAGE PETITION

The time is now! To win the wage increases and benefits we deserve, we must show Management that we are united and ready to fight together. This starts with each of us signing the wage petition and coming to the CAT meetings to strategize our plan to win. We will be planning upcoming actions and sharing our economic proposals at our CAT meetings. All Union members are welcome to attend!

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Online Contract Action Team Meeting!

Sunday, August 20

• 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Monday, August 21,

• 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sign up here get Zoom invitation details here, or find the link here!

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Look for text message updates from our Bargaining Team to take action!

Not getting text messages from us? Update your information now!

Ferry County Public Hospital Service and Maintenance LPN Vote Scheduled

Ferry County Public Hospital Service & Maintenance / LPN

Tentative Agreement reached! Contract Vote Scheduled!

Our Union Bargaining Team members met with Management on August 10, 2023 and were prepared to meet again the next day but were able to reach a tentative agreement late into the day.

“Today was a great day for all of the hardworking employees of Ferry County Health. We established our foundation with a new contract that will give us a voice and return power to those of us that work tirelessly to keep this hospital district running. We will continue to improve our position and strengthen our resolve through sticking with one another and growing our membership. We all deserve this and more.” —Chris Torres, Lab.

“I am so proud for all the results of our hard work and commitment to each other for the benefit of our co-workers. We look forward to working and talking with each of you.” —Nykole Silrus, LPN.

“It was a privilege to work on a contract that benefits all Service & Maintenance and LPN employees. We now know where we stand for the next Three Years.” —Rebecca Thompson, Unit Coordinator.

Contract Vote: August 30, 2023 Please join our Bargaining Team in voting YES on August 30, 2023 at any of the scheduled times in the HUB. 6:30am—8:30am, 11:00am—1:00pm or 4:00pm—7:00pm.

Please reach out to our Bargaining Team or Union Representative Amy Radcliff at 509-340-7370 with any questions or concerns.

PRMCE RN Weekly Bargaining Update

On August 6 we handed out over 200 leaflets to the community at the Everett Farmers' Market! Community members we spoke to at the Farmers' Market were extremely supportive of our fight for better staffing at Providence Everett. Many people shared stories with us about long waits in the emergency room and Providence’s predatory medical billing practices. From our conversations, the community wants PRMCE to increase nurse staffing and to decrease medical costs.

When we first began bargaining, we proposed that PRMCE make charity care more accessible for our patients and PRMCE rejected our proposal. Although in expedited negotiations we cannot revisit this topic since it is off the table, we can propose this concept if we move to “incremental” negotiations.

Incremental bargaining means that we would reset negotiations and would be able to make new proposals or repropose language from our expedited negotiations. While this may delay reaching a tentative agreement by October 2023, this might be our only option going forward given PRMCE’s unwillingness to agree to our economic and staffing proposals.

We have a tentative negotiation date of August 28. We are currently waiting for the PRMCE management to confirm the date.
Regardless of expedited or incremental negotiations we will continue holding actions and preparing to strike to show PRMCE we are serious about our proposals. On August 22 at 8pm via Zoom we will be holding a strike captain training, please join us if you are willing to be a leader in your unit/department.

Please join us at one of the actions below:  

• September 21 Community Townhall @ Everett Labor Temple 2810 Lombard Ave Everett 5-6pm

• Late August to September- Strike educational meetings for nurses

• August 27 Everett Farmers Market 10:30 to 12pm (meet at the corner of Pacific and Wetmore) 

• August 22 Strike Captain Training 8pm-9pm Zoom Meeting 

• August 17 AquaSox Union Solidarity Night 6pm to 7pm (free tickets will be available to the game after the action, please RSVP with Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566)

• August 16 Community Townhall @ Everett Labor Temple 2810 Lombard Ave Everett 5-6pm

Show PRMCE that we are serious about our proposals and are willing to strike!If you have not already signed the strike pledge, please click on the link PRMCE RN - I Promise to Take Action! (jotform.com)
Also encourage your coworkers to update their information: https://ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Our Union PRMCE RN Bargaining Team: Trevor Gjendem, Juan Stout, Carrie Rimel, Kelli Johnson, Stephanie Sausman, Julie Byum, Kristen Crowder 

Wage Comparison between PRMCE Management’s proposal vs. Overlake and Swedish Edmonds

As you can see below PRMCE’s proposal keeps RNs wage rates behind Overlake through August 2024 and Swedish Edmonds through February 2025. Overlake and Swedish Edmonds will renegotiate their wages in 2024 and 2025 meaning the PRMCE RNs will be even more behind these two hospitals in 2024, 2025, and 2026

EvergreenHealth Kirkland - Bargaining Continues

We continued to bargain on Monday, August 7, and Management is clear that they do not want to increase wages in 2023. They say Evergreen already pays competitive wages and they don’t want to have the highest wages in the area, but would rather be “in the middle”. They don’t seem to understand this competitive job market and how it impacts our staffing when they refuse to pay competitive wages.

We have reached tentative agreements in many other areas including: overtime language for 7/70 shifts, rollover of Continuing Education Funds, travel time when floating to a different work location, and reinforcing the Labor Management Committee language.

There is still much work to do. We need to stand together to fight for a fair contract!

Please join us at the Board of Commissioners Meeting!

Tuesday, August 15 @

EvergreenHealth

12040 NE 128th

Kirkland WA 98034

Meet at 6:15 PM by the Café on the second floor of TAN

Bring friends and family! We will have an opportunity to speak directly to Hospital Commissioners during the public comment period and share why we need a fair contract and fair wages.

For additional information about this meeting or how you can get more involved, contact Union Representative Jack Crow @ (206) 436-6614.

Kaiser Labor Job Positions are open - Apply now!

KAISER WORKERS, Come work with your Union: Kaiser Permanente Labor Positions NOW OPEN for January 2024!

UFCW3000 and the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, invite you to apply to one of two open positions:

• Contract Specialist – one year term

• Alliance Partnership Representative (APR) – three year term

Both positions offer great opportunity to learn new skills and spend time doing meaningful work that has a direct impact on Kaiser workplaces.

If selected, you will be released from your current role. In your new role, you will continue to receive the same pay, benefits and seniority accrual, returning to your position after your contractual term.

Applications due by September 15. Both positions start January 2024.

APR JOB DESCRIPTION: Download job description here.
To Apply: please email resume with KPWA APR Position in the subject line to: cmacphail@ufcw3000.org, lvanwormer@ufcw3000.org, betelhem.michael@ahcunions.org, becky.t.peterson@kp.org 

CONTRACT SPECIALIST JOB DESCIPTION: Download job description here.
To apply: Please fill out CONTRACT SPECIALIST Application here