Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center - Bargaining continues

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center
Bargaining continues

“The Employer actually asked the Bargaining Team to TRUST them when they proposed to eliminate our guaranteed coverage of Health, Vision and Dental insurance. Would you trust Providence?” —Derek Roybal, CV Tech and Bargaining Team member

Our Bargaining Team met with Management on December 18 and had a long discussion about attendance, benefits, and compensation.

While we were able to make significant progress on many issues, the Employer also sent a clear message they want to come after some of the core pillars of our Union contract. This included Management proposal to add language that limits our ability to grieve or arbitrate in many areas of our contract and troublesome language that removes mush of our contractual protections on benefit plans as the wish for us to receive the same as non-represented Employees. We believe in the Union difference and Providence’s proposals clearly show they are attempting to weaken our bargaining unit.

Making matters worse, Management sent conflicting and possibly deceptive information which created the need to take a break and cut bargaining short on December 19.

We will meet again with Providence on January 9, and hope they come to the table ready to work together to address retention and recruitment issues, affordable benefit options, and fair compensation.

Our Bargaining Team is committed to protecting the rights and benefits in our contract. Please contact any of your Bargaining Team members or your Union Rep Juanita Quezada with any questions or concerns.

Join us at our next bargaining update meeting!
Thursday, January 4
6pm — 8pm
UFCW 3000 office, 2805 N. Market St. Spokane WA

Providence Meal Waiver Update

On December 15, Providence rolled out a meal waiver for employees. We sent an information request to all Providence hospitals regarding this meal waiver. We currently recommend that you do not sign the voluntary meal waiver until we better understand the implications of this waiver.

Please refer to the WA meal period law for healthcare workers: Rest Breaks, Meal Periods, and Schedules.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your union rep:

• Anthony Cantu (Providence Everett RNs)
• Jack Crow (Providence Pros and Techs and Providence Credena)
• Brandan Zielinski (Providence St. Peter, Providence Centralia, and Providence Radiant Care)
• Lenaya Wilhelm (Providence Holy Family and Sacred Heart)
• Juanita Quezada (Providence Sacred Heart and Providence St. Mary)
• Amy Radcliff (Providence Mt. Carmel and Providence St. Josephs)

 

PRMCE RN Contract rejected.

Today, December 15, nurses have spoken and have rejected the tentative agreement by a 51% (463 out of 893 cast ballots) and have rejected strike authorization by a 47% (425 out of 893 cast ballots) meaning that we have not reached the necessary two-thirds threshold to authorize a strike.

We will be continuing our quest for improved staffing levels crucial to delivering the quality care our patients and community deserve. Since the beginning, our unwavering dedication to refining staffing language, amplifying our voices within the Hospital Staffing Committee, and aligning with staffing law guidelines has been steadfast.

Nurses have democratically voiced their opinion that the tentative agreement will not do enough to resolve our staffing challenges, but it is a step in the right direction. Our skepticism toward Providence’s resolve to address staffing issues is loud and clear.  

Every individual's commitment is crucial; we urge all to push forward in advocating for better working conditions and superior patient care.

Your invaluable insights are needed now more than ever. We seek your guidance on where to focus our attention for our next bargaining session. Your voices remain integral in charting our path forward in this ongoing journey toward improved working conditions and unwavering dedication to superior patient care.

What to expect for next steps: 

• UFCW will inform Providence that the contract was rejected and request bargaining dates to return to the bargaining table.

• A Union Survey will be sent out to all nurses to hear feedback on what you would like to see specifically improved in the contract offer.

• The Bargaining Team will meet to review the surveys and strategize on how best to address those issues

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Case Manager Rns Bargaining Update!

Our bargaining team met with management on Tuesday, December 12. While we have not come to a tentative agreement, we have made it clear, and management has grasped, that we have no interest in a wage scale that is different (and economically worse) than the existing RN scale. At this point, management has not agreed to any retroactive pay, and we still have not reached a consensus on where our years of experience would place us on the wage scale.

We appreciate the supermajority of our coworkers signing strike pledge cards! We will be holding another Contract Action Team meeting to discuss next steps and get your input. This will be held at the Olympia Center, located at 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, WA, 98501, on January 4 at 5:00 PM in Room 101.

Please reach out to us or Union Representative Brandan Zielinski (206 436 6603) with any questions.

Bargaining Team, left to right: Alison Studeman, Case Manager RN; Melissa Macchiarella, Case Manager RN; Mary Briles, Case Manager RN.

WhidbeyHealth Professional and Technical Contract Ratified!

On Wednesday, December 13, the WhidbeyHealth collective bargaining agreement for professional and technical workers was ratified, with 98% of those voting “Yes” to approve the tentative agreement!

Our Bargaining Team wishes to congratulate everyone on their contract and thank them for their patience throughout 2023 as we negotiated this agreement.

Ratification bonuses of $1,200 pro-rated by FTE (for instance, a .5 FTE will receive $600) will be on our pay checks this December 22, less standard deductions.

“We are happy to have been able to help facilitate settling this contract. Getting paid for our ‘real’ experience is huge! We’re always looking for co-workers to get involved in this process to help continue to support one another.”- Jennifer MacNeill, Medical Technical Lead

Bargaining Team: Jennifer MacNeill, Medical Technical Lead; Rosalie Nguyen, Pharmacy.

Lourdes Medical Center RN Tentative Agreement reached for contract extension and wage increases for all Nurses

In an attempt to address the immediate retention and recruitment issues at Lourdes Medical Center, our Bargaining Team and Administration met to discuss the possibility of extending the current contract with increases to compensation and some other changes.

After two long days of conversations, we were able to reach a tentative agreement that will close the gap in compensation with our geographic competitor. We believe the increases will help our hospital with retention and recruitment.

Our Bargaining Team worked hard and made sure that there were substantial economic increases, increases to PTO accrual, an addition step to the top of the scale, and premiums were increased in many areas including Charge Nurse, On-Call, Night shift differential, Preceptor, and a new SANE premium.

“Competitive wages are an absolute must to recruit and retain nurses. We believe this proposal achieves that goal and makes me very happy.” — Jennifer Powell RN

“It is great to be part of a Union that always has the members’ best interest in mind and supports our efforts in achieving those interest.” — Holly Kelly RN

“I feel accomplished and fulfilled in being part of a successful negotiation in this expedited process. It is a validation of our hard work, dedication, and the value we brought to the table as a team.” — Jessica Leon RN

Please join our Bargaining Team in voting YES!

December 27, 2023 any time between 6:30am to 8:00am and 11:00am to 2:00pm in the Carondolet Room next to the cafeteria.

A complete document of the contract and the new wage scale will be available at the vote along with our Bargaining Team to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have.

You must be a member in good standing to be eligible to vote. Please reach out to Union Representative Juanita Quezada with any questions at 509-340-7407.

LabCorp - Ho! Ho! Ho! LabCorp is Still On The Naughty List!

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

“We’re finding common ground on non-economic proposals, but LabCorp continues to offer wages and benefits that just aren’t competitive. We all need to get ready to take action and fight for the contract we deserve in the new year.” 
— Lisa Magee, Hematology

On Monday, we met with LabCorp to negotiate our union contract. We’re making progress on some of our non-economic proposals, including improvements to our union stewards and new hire orientation language. Management responded to our economic proposal (updated for the Seattle 2024 minimum wage) from last session. They walked back their proposed decreases to the percentages between steps and increased their base pay offer for some positions by 5¢ to 25¢. We’re frustrated by this small, slow movement, but we took an opportunity to try to come closer to agreement by sharing and compiling our market research. 

It’s no secret that LabCorp is struggling to hire and keep talented lab workers. We’re understaffed, overworked, and undervalued. Management acknowledges these issues, but we’re half a year into negotiations and they’re still not offering real solutions. We need LabCorp to put its money where its mouth is and come to the table with fair and competitive wages and benefits at our next session on Dec 18.

WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN

We’re going to give LabCorp the holiday present it deserves – our petition demanding fair pay! Hundreds of our union members have already signed their names but we need your help to get to 75% by next Monday, December 18. 

>> Sign the Petition!

Already Signed?
Find a coworker who hasn’t yet and talk to them about how important it is to stand together! Every single person makes a difference.

CAT MEETING – UPDATES & PLANNING JANUARY ACTIONS

Please join us this Sunday at 6:30 PM for a virtual meeting to learn more about what’s happening at the bargaining table. We’ll review the employer’s latest offer then discuss how we will engage our communities and coworkers to win a strong contract. All questions are welcomed and encouraged!

Sunday, December 17, 2023 
6:30 PM – 7:30PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Your voices are wanted! 

Call Christie at (206) 436-6606 (landline) to discuss the different ways you can share your story. Use your strength to inspire and empower your coworkers!

>> For the latest bargaining updates, a copy of your contract, our Facebook and Slack, and more.

Olympic Medical Center Support Services Tentative Agreement Reached! CONTRACT VOTE Scheduled

An earlier version of this vote notice read that the Port Angeles vote on Friday, December 22 ran from "11:00PM to 5:00PM". The correct time is 11:00AM to 5:00PM. Thank you for your patience!

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Tentative Agreement Reached! CONTRACT VOTE Scheduled

After several months of bargaining, we have reached a tentative agreement. Highlights of the Tentative Agreement Include: 18% Wage Increases over 3 years, Bonuses, Differential and Premium Increases. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote.

Contract Vote Details:

Sequim: Thursday December 21 3:00pm to 5:30pm

Medical Services Building (MSB): Conference Room 840 N 5th Avenue Sequim WA 98382

Port Angeles: Friday December 22 8:00am-10:00am

PFS Building: 519 S. Peabody St. Basement Breakroom Port Angeles, WA 98362

Port Angeles: Friday December 22 11:00Am to 5:00pm

Olympic Medical Center: Fairshter Meeting Room 939 Caroline Street Port Angeles WA 988362

For additional information contact a Bargaining Team Member or our Union Representative Aimee Oien 360-662-1981

Cascade Valley Security Officers and MSWs - Successful First Day—More Dates Scheduled

BARGAINING TEAM: Carl Ramirez (Security Officer), Lisa Warriax (MSW)

“We received a wage proposal which gives us hope that Cascade Valley wants to engage in productive talks with us. We will keep going forward from here!”

Early this year we won our union election for Security Officers and MSWs. Our bargaining team met in the Fall and drafted proposals which would achieve parity with Skagit Regional, increase retention, and bolster recruitment efforts.

On December 12 we had our first bargaining session with the Cascade Valley’s management and had a successful day. Our proposal is for the existing Cascade Valley collective bargaining agreement to extend to security officers and MSWs. In addition, we proposed wage scales and other compensation for both classifications. Throughout an intense day of negotiations, we’ve already made headway, particularly in refining seniority language for both groups and establishing wage guidelines for Security Officers. Recognizing the significance of seniority in scenarios like job applicant tiebreakers, layoffs, and scheduling, we succeeded in establishing that our original date of hire with Cascade Valley would serve as our seniority date.

In our pursuit of equitable treatment, we firmly pushed back against the Employer’s proposals and stand united in advocating for wage parity. The battle for parity will continue in our upcoming sessions scheduled for January 4 and 18.

Congratulations 2023 Essential Workers Organizing Academy Graduates!

In April 2023, we began our first Essential Workers Organizing Academy (EWOA) cohort, hiring eight full-time and one-half time “apprentice organizers.” Candidates were drawn from UFCW 3000 members in healthcare and grocery, as well as from external organizing campaigns and a general applicant pool.​

The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. ​Training included exercises and readings about how to conduct organizing conversations and campaigns, learning about the history of unionization and organizing workers, presentations from guest speakers, and visits to both union and non-union worksites. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer(s), PCC, Providence-Everett, as well as political and community projects. ​

Congratulations to the EWOA class of 2023!

Post-EWOA, our goal is to help every apprentice organizer who wants to continue in the labor movement to find a job either with this union or another movement organization. 

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Kyle Chrisman

Kyle Chrisman

Kyle Chrisman has been working at LabCorp for almost 18 years on Capitol Hill as a phlebotomist. Kyle is dedicated to his patients and coworkers, which is why he fights so hard to build collective power on the job. Kyle is currently serving on the LabCorp union bargaining committee. Phlebotomist union members at LabCorp have often had their concerns ignored by their employer and Kyle is ensuring that LabCorp hears them loud and clear during negotiations.

LabCorp is having trouble staffing and retaining workers and union members know why, LabCorp needs to provide competitive wages and benefits. The City of Seattle recently announced that the minimum wage within city limits would be going up 6.85%, which helps workers keep pace with the increased costs of living and working in the city. Instead of proposing a wage scale based on the percentage, LabCorp simply bumped all positions that were under the new minimum wage rate of $19.97. This compresses the scale so that several of the steps are at the same rate. LabCorp then maintained their offer of below-market raises, decreased percentages between steps above minimum wage, and higher health care costs.

Kyle and his fellow bargaining committee members know that is simply not realistic when it comes to making ends meet and safely caring for patients. That is why the bargaining committee updated their proposal to reflect the effects of the new minimum wage throughout their wage instead of just meeting it like LabCorp.

Stay tuned as Kyle and his fellow union members fight for a better contract and better patient care, they have already held one info picket are prepared to take further action to ensure a fair contract!

Mason Health RN - Bargaining Continues

Bargaining Team (Left to Right): Tori Willis, Megan Corbin, Nancy Ownby

We have been negotiating since the beginning of October and have made many proposals for competitive and equitable wages, premiums and benefits along with addressing fair distribution of work. Management has been receptive, but slow in responding. On December 4, 2023, we received an economic response. We are reviewing Management’s proposal package and will respond with a counter-proposal at our next session on December 13.

Nurses need to be valued for our essential work. Retention and recruitment should motivate Management to provide competitive wages and benefits. This is critical to ensuring the best care at Mason Health for our community.

We want this contract to reflect Mason Health’s Mission:

“United Community, Empowered People, Exceptional Health.”

For additional information, talk to a bargaining team member or to Union Representative Naomi Oligario (360) 662-1989.

Your Rights During Flooding and Extreme Weather Events

Once again UFCW 3000 members and communities are facing some extreme fall and winter weather, including recent flooding. It is important to remember that if you, your family, or your coworkers have been affected by extreme weather, you have rights at work, resources through your union, and the support of your community.

Important rights and resources for UFCW 3000 members if your workplace, home, or transportation routes are flooded or evacuated:

1. Just cause protections at work: 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 flood that affects your home, work, or commute to work

   • Be clear in communicating with your employer if you are unable to report to work on time or at all due to flooding or other extreme weather

   • 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)

2. The right to a safe workplace: If you feel unsafe at work, 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

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

4. Mutual aid: As union members, we know standing together and supporting each other is how we really make a difference. If you have ideas for ways to connect with or support fellow UFCW 3000 members in need, talk to a Shop Steward and/or your Union Rep for help with organizing

Extreme weather is dangerous in our workplaces and our communities, which is why UFCW 3000 members, including our Climate Justice Advisory Board, work for climate policies that will help protect us and our future health.

PRMCE RN Contract Votes set for December 15!

After almost eight months of negotiations, we have reached a tentative agreement with Providence Everett (PRMCE)! From the beginning our goal was to improve staffing to ensure our patients and community would receive the quality care we so desperately want to give them.

We are the first hospital in WA state to have binding mediation for unresolved chronic staffing issues and a staffing premium for RNs when their unit is staffed below the Hospital Staffing Committee’s staffing plan, which is created by nurses and nurse managers. 

We won language on market analysis triggers and a full contract opener 6 months earlier in April 2026, meaning we can get to the table as early as January 2026 to negotiate a new agreement and remain competitive with other hospitals.  

The tentative agreement is fully recommended by a majority of the bargaining team!  

Union members in good standing will have a choice to approve or reject the tentative agreement and approve or reject a strike via an online vote on December 15 from 6:30am to 8pm. All voting will occur online, and we will hold optional in-person meetings at the Colby and Pacific/Pavilion campuses: Colby Campus in the MOB Olympic Room from 6am to 9am; 11am-2pm; 5pm-8pm and at Pacific Campus in PAV 5 from 6am to 9am; 11am-2pm; 5pm-8pm.  

Please stop by so we can share how the new 12 month progression calculation positively affects your wage increases.  

On Friday December 15 at 6:30am you will receive a secure email with your unique log-in credentials. Because this is a secure online vote, it is important that your personal contact information is up-to-date with our Union!  Update your Personal Contact Information >> 

If you have not signed your UFCW 3000 Membership Application yet , please make sure that is done as soon as possible so you can vote! Go to join.ufcw.org/join/3000 

Join us for a Zoom meeting Monday December 11 from 6pm to 9pm to discuss and answer questions about the tentative agreement document.

"United, we've proven our strength to Providence. Let's enforce this contract, safeguard patient care, and keep our nursing family strong. Our solidarity is unwavering—we'll fight on, legislatively and in our workplace, ensuring patient safety and nurses’ well being.” Carrie Rimel Cath Lab RN

Frequently Asked Questions

Did we win a 3 year contract or 2.5 year contract? 

We won a 3 year contract expiring 10/30/2026 with the right to fully open the contract at 2.5 years, 90 days prior to April 30, 2026. This means the Union or PRMCE can open contract in January 2026 for bargaining and build a campaign up to potential strike after April 30, 2026. The entire contract will open including the No Strike Lockout article. It would be an Unfair Labor Practice for Providence to refuse to bargain with us after the contract is opened.  

Will we receive EIB on day one of a regular illness? Yes, nurses can now use their EIB for an illness. You can choose to use your PTO or EIB for that day.

For the extra shift incentive, if a nurse picks up a shift and that puts the unit at 85% staffed, does everybody else who picked up an extra shift receive straight time?

No they will post for extra shift incentive after the final schedule has been posted. If anyone picks up an extra shift they will receive the extra shift incentive even if that puts the unit above 80% staff. The contract language we won is like Providence St. Peter and Providence Centralia. This staffing premium also applies to the float pool. 

View the Vote Document and Hospital Wage Comparison document here >>

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Physical Therapy Assistant and Occupational Therapist Assistant - Memorandum of Agreement Ratified!

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Physical Therapy Assistant and Occupational Therapist Assistant
Memorandum of Agreement Ratified!

Our union Bargaining Team is happy to announce our tentatively agreed memorandum of understanding (MOU) that brings us into the UFCW 3000 Professional and Technical collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was ratified by a vote of our members on Tuesday, December 5.

New wages and step placement will have an effective date of December 17, 2023. Members will see the pay changes on their January 5, 2024, paycheck. All working conditions and benefits not mentioned specifically in the M.O.U. are now covered by the UFCW 3000/Providence St. Peter Hospital Collective Bargaining Agreement for professional and technical workers.

QUESTIONS? Reach out to our Bargaining Team members or call Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603.

Our Providence St. Peter Bargaining Team: Cynthia Miner, Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant; Heidi Ranger-Geh, Physical Therapy Assistant

Olympic Medical Center (ProTech) - Contract Ratified

Olympic Medical Center (ProTech)
Contract Ratified

On November 30 and December 1, workers overwhelmingly voted YES to ratify a new Union Contract.

Highlights of the contract include:

• 7% wage increase paid the first full pay period following ratification

• Market increases for many jobs

• 2024: 6% wage increase, first full pay period following March 31, 2024

• 2025: 6% wage increase, first full pay period following March 31, 2025

• $1000 bonus prorated based on FTE in each of 2024 and 2025

• New Step 13 added in 2024 for all positions at 2% higher than Step 12

• Shift differential: $3.00 Evening/$5.00 Nights

• $4.00 standby

• Callback/call-in on day off at two times the normal rate of pay

• $3.25 lead pay

• $4.50 weekend premium

• LOU for hazardous drug mixing

• $2.00 certification premium

For more information, contact Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.

LabCorp - 2024 Seattle Minimum Wage

LabCorp
2024 Seattle Minimum Wage

“We dug into the pay scale and worked hard to make sure our proposals were equitable, competitive, and reflect the value of our work. We feel like we came up with a fair offer and now we’re looking ahead towards the actions we need to take to win.” —Shelby Tyner, Med Tech and Bargaining Team member

In September, LabCorp gave us their insulting opening economic proposal. In October, we stood together to demand better. We held our powerful first informational picket of the year outside Swedish Cherry Hill to start bringing our patients, providers, and community into our fight for fair and competitive wages.

At the end of October, Seattle announced its 2024 minimum wage rate: $19.97, up from $18.69. The 6.85% increase is a win for all of us working in the city and struggling to keep up with the rising costs of living and commuting. This increase meant LabCorp needed to give us a new economic proposal, as their offer would have put many positions below the 2024 minimum. It confirmed what we had already been telling them at the table: the wages they’re offering don’t meet our needs and LabCorp must do better if they want to recruit and retain great Lab workers.

In November, our economic negotiations were essentially reset. But despite an opportunity to come with a stronger offer, LabCorp simply bumped all positions that were under the new minimum rate to $19.97, compressing the scale. They maintained their offer of below-market raises, decreased percentages between steps, and higher health care costs.

While our wage proposal was already higher than the 2024 minimum, we made adjustments to reflect the new rate and gave it to LabCorp at our session on November 29.

LabCorp has told us to expect a full counter proposal to everything that is on the table at our next session on December 11. Join our next virtual Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting to discuss their counter and plan our next steps to win a fair contract!

Your VOICE matters!

It’s time for us to show LabCorp that we are brave, united, and will not be undervalued. We all deserve better so we are all signing our names to demand fair and competitive pay.

Join our CAT meeting Via Zoom

Sunday, December 17 @ 6:30 - 7:30pm
Contact a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep for meeting details. Details will also be sent your email.

Sign our petition now!form.jotform.com/232136709410348

ALREADY SIGNED? Talk to your coworkers, spread the word, and help us reach our goal of 75% union members standing together!

Find our union contract, membership application, Facebook, Slack, and more at: linktr.ee/labforce3000

Our LabCorp Bargaining Team: Lisa Magee, MLT; Deborah Gibby, Lab Assistant; Sam McVay, Client Services Rep; Shelby Tyner, Med Tech; Nancy Pyanowski, Dispatcher; Kyle Chrisman, Patient Services Tech; Matt Noll, Cytogenetics Tech; Union Rep Christie Harris

WhidbeyHealth Pro-Tech Contract Votes Scheduled

On November 28 and November 30 our Bargaining Team met again with the Employer to negotiate. While continuing to try to come to an agreement over economic issues, and in particular the wage scale, we were somewhat surprised that the Employer presented us with a Last, Best, and Final offer on all outstanding issues. This means that a vote on what that offer is will be forthcoming on Wednesday, December 13. While we had not expected to have to make this decision quite yet, we are recommending a “Yes” vote to ratify the offer.

Some of the highlights include:

• Wage parity as of April 1, 2024: We secured agreement that WhidbeyHealth would recognize past experience for represented workers at 100%. Many of our more senior employees who may be in the middle of the wage scale would move up the scale if they have more years of experience in their job classification than the step they are on actually represents. This will happen in the coming year if we approve the contract.

• Market adjustments of wage scales: When the mid-cycle wage bargain happened in 2022 the result was that many people further up the scale received increases that put them ahead of what workers earn at competing hospitals. This also resulted in workers on the earlier steps of the wage scale earning less than what workers earn at competing hospitals. Thus, management concentrated on increases at the lower steps in this bargaining cycle.

• Ratification bonuses: If we ratify the contract with a “Yes” vote on Wednesday, December 13, we will receive $1,200 ratification bonuses pro-rated by FTE. For example if you are a .5, you will receive $600.

Contract Votes: Wednesday, December 13

Main Hospital Coupeville HEC Room C: 5:00am—8:00am, 12pm—2:00pm, 5:00pm—8:00

Clinic 1: Oak Harbor-Cabot Break Room: 3:30pm—4:30pm

Clinic 2: Oak Harbor -Goldie Conference Room: 2:30pm—3:00pm

Clinic: Freeland Break Room: 10:00am—10:30am

Clinic: Clinton Break Room: 9:00am—9:30am

We look forward to seeing you at the following times to discuss the offer and vote on it. Members in good standing are eligible to vote.

Our Union Bargaining Team: Jennifer MacNeill, Medical Technical Lead; Rosalie Nguyen, Pharmacy

PRMCE RN We have reached a tentative agreement!

After almost eight months of negotiations, we have reached a tentative agreement with Providence Everett (PRMCE)! From the beginning our goal was to improve staffing to ensure our patients and community would receive the quality care we so desperately want to give them. We identified that we could achieve this through staffing language, which would strengthen our voices on the Hospital Staffing Committee and supplement the staffing law’s guidelines (https://ufcw3000.org/safestaffing), and being competitive with other area hospitals.

It was through our collective actions we were able to pressure PRMCE to accept many of our staffing concepts, including a staffing premium. We went out on an unfair labor practice strike because PRMCE was not considering our proposals in good faith. PRMCE told us they would never agree to a staffing premium before or after a strike, but the power of our strike pressured them to agree to this and additional staffing language and incentives. We are the first hospital in WA state to have binding mediation for unresolved chronic staffing issues and a staffing premium for RNs when their unit is staffed below the Hospital Staffing Committee’s staffing plan, which is created by nurses and nurse managers.

Additionally, the third year of the contract was a major priority to assure we can recruit and retain nurses when other hospitals negotiate in 2025- and not have an exodus of nurses again.

We won stronger language on market analysis triggers and a full contract opener 6 months earlier in April 2026, meaning we can get to the table as early as January 2026 to negotiate a new agreement and remain competitive with other hospitals. We will join solidarity actions with other Providence Hospitals in 2025- and take that energy into our early 2026 negotiations.

The tentative agreement we reached on December 1st meets our goals and is recommended by a majority of our bargaining team!

We will be holding a Zoom meeting this Tuesday December 5 at 8pm to discuss and answer questions about the tentative agreement document and next steps.

We will be giving nurses a choice to approve or reject the tentative agreement and approve or reject a strike via an online vote on December 15 from 6:30am to 8pm. Similar to the strike authorization vote in October, all voting will occur online, and we will hold optional in-person meetings at the Colby and Pacific/Pavilion campuses.

Your voice is important, and we encourage you all to read through the tentative agreements below and vote online on December 15. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote.

Summary of tentative agreements:  

Full Tentative Agreement Redline on the PRMCE RN contract page at ufcw3000.org >>

Economic

• Extra shift incentive: If a nurse’s unit is staffed at 80% or below then, full-time RNs (.9 – 1.0 FTE) who pick up an extra shift shall receive double time. Part-time nurses (.05 -.89 FTE) who pick-up an extra shift will receive 1.5 their regular rate of pay and will receive double time if they work above a .9 FTE. Per diem nurses who work more than 2 shifts per pay period shall receive 1.5 their regular rate of pay and double time if they work above a .9 FTE). The Employer can offer an incentive above this requirement, but this now the minimum incentive that nurses must receive when picking up an extra shift

• President’s Day is swapped for Dr. Martin Luther King Day (MLK)

• Christmas Day for Night shift RNs: The holiday will be defined as 6:30am on December 25th to 7am on December 26th

• Holiday Substitute: Nurses can switch a holiday for a day of importance to them. Example: switching MLK Day for your birthday

• Low Census: traveler RNs will censused before agency RNs

• Weekend pay expanded- Nurses working Saturday and Sunday night will receive weekend pay for Sunday night

• Twelve .9 FTE relief nurses will be hired to cover meal and rest breaks

• Shift differential increased to $3 for evening shift and $5.25 for night shift

• Low census standby increased to $4.75/ hour

• Standby differential increased to $6.75/ hour

• Relief charge nurse pay increased to $3/ hour

• Intermittent night shift premium of 1.5 time regular rate of pay for non-night shift nurses who pick up a night shift

• Preceptor pay increased to $2/ hour

• Float pool pay increased to $5/ hour

• Non-float pool pay increased to $2/ hour

• EIB will now be paid out on day 1 of an illness

• Health insurance premiums will not increase more than 10% on a blended average in 2024 or 2025

• Bereavement leave shall increase to 40 hours of paid time for spouses, significant others, or children.

• Professional development leave: 40 hours prorated by FTE

• Continuing education increased to $700 for .75 - 1.0 FTE and $500 for .6 - .74 FTE

• Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $5,250 for .75 FTE or more and up to $2, 625 for .74 FTE to .5 FTE

• Wage increases

Two pay periods following ratification, the following wage scale will be implemented.

The new base rate of $43.91 aligns with Swedish Edmonds and the top of the scale exceeds Swedish Edmonds through June 2025.

Effective the first full pay period following 10/1/2024, nurses will receive a four percent (4%) across the board increase.

Effective the first full pay period following 10/1/2025, nurses will receive a four percent (4.5%) across the board increase.

• For Nurses on the payroll upon ratification and who were also on the payroll on June 1, 2020, will be paid a bonus of $1,200, pro-rated by FTE (per diem will be counted as .25 FTE) on the second full pay period following ratification

• For Nurses on the payroll ratification and who are also on the payroll on December 1, 2025, will be paid a bonus of $1,000, pro-rated by FTE (per diem will be counted as .25), less applicable withholdings, on the first full pay period following December 1, 2025

• Year for year experience- All nurses will receive one step for one year of continuous experience. Nurses with 12 months or less shall be placed on the corresponding step on February 1st, 2024, according to their resume on file. 60 days from ratification, current nurses shall have the opportunity to resubmit their resumes to HR to adjust their wage steps. On March 1, 2024 nurses will be placed on the corresponding step based on their resume on file

• Wage step increases- Wage step increases will now be calculated using 12 month increments versus 1872 hours. There will be a recalculation of wage step increases for all current nurses’ steps. Annually nurses will start advancing one additional step on their work anniversary after ratification. In 2026, nurses will progress through the remaining steps to reach the appropriate level. For instance, if a nurse, working at a .75 FTE, should be on wage step 14 based on a 12-month calculation, but is currently on wage step 10 due to the 1872-hour calculation, their wage steps will be recalculated. They will get two step wage increases in 2024 and 2025 and then be brought to their appropriate step in 2026

• Modified Baylor Shift- Positions will be posted 30 days after ratification for positions which will work a .6 FTE only on the weekends. All weekend shifts will be paid at 1.5 regular rate of pay and additional shifts will be paid at straight time, unless overtime rules apply

• Night shift differential- Night shift nurses, who have 24 months or more working on night shift, will receive an annual bonus of $1,500 (prorated by FTE) on January 1, 2025

• Staffing Premium- Nurses working in a unit averaging at or below 85% staffing according to the plan will receive a $300 bonus (prorated by FTE) the following month. Per diems will receive this bonus prorated at .3 FTE. This will expire one year from ratification but can be revisited by the Hospital Staffing Committee

• 2.5 year agreement- The Hospital and the Union have agreed to initiate contract renegotiation by or before April 30, 2026, allowing for negotiation closer to other area hospitals' contract expirations

• Market Analysis  of wages will be conducted every September and the results will be shared with the Union. If there is a difference between the average of the current wage scale and the average wage of the market analysis the Hospital and Union will meet to discuss solutions, like wage increases or bonuses, to make PRMCE more competitive

Non-economic and Staffing

• Union membership- New nurses will have 21 days to join the union or 14 days to opt out of union membership. Newly hired nurses who do not opt in or opt out of the union shall be removed from the schedule within 30 days of the union notifying PRMCE. If the nurse does not make an election within 90 days after PRMCE receives notice from the union the nurse shall be discharged. This language grants more time, when compared to the previous language, for new nurses to make a decision on union membership. Nurses may opt out of union membership and donate their union membership fee to a non-religious organization if their religion objects to them joining a labor organization. Personal emails shall be provided to the union, if available

• Access to conference rooms on units- The Union representative shall have access to the conference rooms on the floor

• Non-Discrimination language which reflects diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Charge nurses and relief charge nurses shall generally not be expected to take a patient assignment. A charge nurse will only take a patient care assignment if it is mutually agreed upon and the charge nurse will use their professional judgment to determine if they should take a patient assignment

• Updated Skill departments

• Nurses can email the Hospital if they wish to accept a recall position

• Discipline- Written warning will be removed after 18 months (about 1 and a half years), upon request, as long as the warning is not related to patient care violations. Coachings will be removed after 9 months, upon request

• Staffing- The Hospital Staffing Committee members will be comprised of 50% or more nurses per SB 5236 staffing law and decisions must reach consensus  Subcommittees shall review CSIs for their units and make recommendations to the Hospital Staffing Committee

• Binding Mediation- Chronic staffing issues existing within the same category for at least 90 calendar days can be moved to binding mediation one time per year. A mediator will hear solutions from the Hospital and the Union and then make a recommendation on a solution. The solution will be sent to the Hospital Staffing Committee on whether or not to adopt the solution

• The Hospital will review exit interviews, adverse events, and retention interviews

• MOU Collaborative Approach to Full Staffing- Commitment from Providence to staff the right staff, in the right place, at the right time. And timeline/process for working together through the Hospital Staffing Committee

• One year from ratification RN turnover goal is set to 15%. First Year RN Turnover: Over 25% top priority department, between 20-24% “at risk dept”, between 16-19% "watch list dept”, at 10% or below “share best practices”. Whenever a department is at 20%+ FYTO, a process is triggered to identify root causes for turnover and immediate solutions for retention

• Innovative staffing models, like the co-caring model, require approval by consensus from the Hospital Staffing Committee

• The Hospital will pay nurse techs for clinical hours  

• Adoption of the Healthy Work Environment (HWE) standard: skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, authentic leadership, and workplace violence

• Hospital Staffing Committee and Subcommittees will meet to review the open positions in units, review retention interview data and exit interview data, review, adjust, and employ tactics for retention and recruitment

• Core leaders and nurse volunteers will visit job fairs and schools to recruit nurses

Nurse Zoom Meeting
Tentative Agreement Q&A and next steps
Tuesday December 5 at 8:00 pm via zoom

*Join us to ask questions about the tentative agreements, what are the next steps if the contract is not approved, and any other questions you may have. We hope to see you there!

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81373254464?pwd=aVV0d3Q1YlhGaHByeVRycGV3QkF2QT09
Meeting ID: 813 7325 4464
Passcode: 757437

CONTRACT VOTE
Friday December 15- online and in person meetings at Hospital

*As soon as rooms are confirmed, we will email the times and locations of in-person meetings

Strike Benefits:

Strike Benefits checks were mailed on Monday 11/27 to all nurses who picketed 20+ hours and completed a W9. A second batch of checks will be sent this Monday 12/4 for nurses that forgot to sign in/out on at least one shift and had a "miss punch". We gave credit for these shifts and fixed the hours- and Union Leadership made the decision to pay out strike benefits to all nurses who picketed for 16+ hours. This makes sure there is a buffer to get the most people strike benefits and take into account any issues with sign in.

If you would like to confirm the status of your strike benefit check or would like to request additional financial hardship assistance, please email Kendra Valdez at kvaldez@ufcw3000.org. 

Learn about safe staffing committees and the new staffing law at our December training

We’re not done speaking out to hold hospitals accountable!

Our coalition’s WA Safe + Healthy team received great feedback from members who attended our first safe staffing training Oct. 19, where we covered an overview of staffing committees, charters, and a timeline of implementation for our safe staffing legislation.

We are looking forward to the next training in December! We’ll demystify what the staffing committee does and how it does its work. With our new staffing law starting to roll out, it’s our job to hold hospitals accountable and get the most out of this new law. Together in our coalition, members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000 and WSNA are ready to do the work.

Speaking out about unsafe staffing

We have been talking to legislators, and members have been fighting hard to raise the alarm about ongoing staffing issues at our facilities. Right now the spotlight’s on:

• Providence Everett (UFCW 3000) – November 14-19, nurses went on an unfair labor practice strike at the hospital after voting to authorize a strike by 97%, with staffing the top concern at the bargaining table.

• MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital (SEIU Healthcare 1199NW) – A month after holding a vigil, healthcare workers at MultiCare Yakima Memorial held an informational picket Nov. 15. They are fighting for wages that meet market standards to attract and retain experienced staff.

• Virginia Mason Hospital (WSNA) – On Oct. 10, hundreds of nurses picketed outside Virginia Mason, calling for a fair contract that will improve staffing and reduce workplace violence.

Members are speaking out in the news! Here’s some of our latest coverage:

“Nurses can no longer stand by and take these unsafe assignments, come to work and be physically, mentally, emotionally abused,” said Kristen Crowder, labor & delivery RN at Providence Everett.

“Honestly, staffing is a revolving door,” said RN Trish Bowman. “I have a difficult time even knowing my own staff on my floor, people are leaving all the time.” 

“I am so sick of having short staffing at work,” [Brad] Rathke said to the crowd Tuesday.