Our team met with management on Tuesday (6/3) and continued to discuss non-economic issues such as layoff protections, seniority, temporary employees, low census and more. While there is still much to be done, we were pleased with the pace of negotiations and are hopeful that management will continue to display the same collaborative attitude we saw today.
Read MoreAfter eight months of constant battle and momentous efforts by our bargaining team and the unification of our entire membership, we have finally settled our contract with Providence Sacred Heart. Our members’ efforts and commitment have yielded the best contract we have seen for our collective bargaining unit. This is a small victory in the greater war for recognition of our efforts and skills, and our value as caregivers to our families and community.
Read MoreOur bargaining committee was excited to share the Tentative Agreement we reached with Harbors Home Health & Hospice at our three vote meetings on Friday, May 31. Judging from the vote results, we feel that our coworkers were excited about the offer as well—which is now in full force and effect after members voted overwhelmingly in support to ratify the new contract.
Read MoreMeet Michael Condon, a Planned Parenthood security officer who chooses to brave the rain and cold to ensure the safety of our communities.
Read MoreIn April a survey was sent out to all Conifer St. Michael Medical Center UFCW 3000 members regarding compensation, benefits, and working conditions in preparation for our upcoming Union contract negotiations. The response rate was remarkably strong! Unsurprisingly, of folks’ top three issues in responses, wages were the most commonly recognized area where workers would like to see improvement. The next two top issues in the responses were affordability of health insurance and enhancement of vacation/PTO benefits.
Read MoreMeet Cheryl Ziegler who has worked at Kaiser (formerly Group Health) since 1978, has been a shop steward since 1982, and has served on multiple bargaining and labor committees since 1987.
Read MoreAfter nearly 8 months of negotiations and taking a historic act of solidarity by going an 8.5 day Unfair Labor Practice strike, our bargaining team has reached a recommended tentative agreement on a new contract.
Read MoreOn May 28 our Union Bargaining Team met with SCH Management for our initial bargaining session. We discussed times of future bargaining dates and exchanged some initial non-economic proposals that included potential changes to:
Read MoreJust two days after an email from MultiCare’s CEO announced a new affiliation with Overlake Medical Center, & further confirmed MultiCare’s aspirations to become “the Pacific Northwest’s highest value system of health”- we cannot say we are surprised to learn that the line of a “commitment to invest” stops somewhere between “a network of primary, urgent and specialty care clinics” and us- their dedicated, hard-working, & committed staff.
Read MoreOn May 23, our union Bargaining Team met with Management and received their second set of economic proposals.
Read More
After nearly 8 months of negotiations for a new contract that respects our work and dedication, and that will allow us to retain and recruit staff—we are holding a contract vote. This notice serves to inform all members that a critical membership meeting will be held on May 31, 2024, at the Hampton Inn in the Rockwood Retreat Room 3. We will be conducting a vote on the last offer presented by the Employer following our scheduled bargaining dates on May 28 and 29, 2024.
The Agenda, Times, and Location for the meeting will be:
1. CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE: The bargaining team will present the last offer received from Providence. Members will have the opportunity to discuss the terms and implications of the offer before proceeding to a vote on whether to ratify or reject the proposed contract.
2. STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE: There will also be a strike authorization vote at the below place and time. This vote is subject to cancellation if the last employer offer is recommended by your bargaining team.
3. VOTE TIMES AND LOCATION: Any member in good standing will be able to vote at the Hampton Inn (Rockwood Retreat Room 3) located at 675 McClellan St., Spokane, WA any time between 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM on May 31, 2024.
For questions, please contact your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada, (509) 340-7407.
All members in the Providence Sacred Heart Technical Unit are encouraged to be part of this important vote. Your voice and vote are essential in guiding the next steps we will take as a Union.
Providence knows they must make meaningful improvements to their wages and benefits if they want to be competitive in the market and retain and recruit qualified staff.
If you feel like we do, and believe that we’ve been patient long enough, call your rep, sign up for steward training, raise your voice, talk to your coworkers, and prepare to come get your yard signs to show Providence we are everywhere, and it is time for them to DO THE RIGHT THING.
After almost eight months of Negotiations with Harbors Home Health & Hospice, your bargaining committee is excited to announce we have reached a Tentative Agreement on a new union contract!
After management arrived to the bargaining table proposing not only to sunset (do-away-with) the Sound Health & Wellness health insurance plan, but also proposing a zero-percent increase to the wage scales, the Committee knew we would be in for a fight—not just to maintain these Union benefits—but to ensure our dedication to our patients and our communities was recognized by our Employer with a fair contract!
With support from our coworkers across the organization, your bargaining team persevered.
We are now proud to present a Tentative Agreement which maintains the Sound Health & Wellness insurance benefits plan, the 20-Step Wage Scales which reward our longevity at Harbors Home Health, but also offers:
Wage Increases to all Job Classifications!
$500 Ratification Bonus!
Adjustments to our Wage & Step level based on years of service with Harbors!
Increased Premiums, Education Funds, & Certification Pay!
Additional Vacation time!
& more!...
Vote on the Agreement and learn more about the wins we achieved this cycle!
Join us on May 31!
HHH&H Long Beach Office (Conference Table)
1600 S Pacific Ave # 2, Long Beach, WA 98631
7AM – 9AM
HHH&H Hoquiam Office (Conference Room)
201 7th St, Hoquiam, WA 98550
12PM – 2PM
5PM – 7PM
Each year we gather together with fellow UFCW 3000 members across the region for summer days at the park, an opportunity for some union-sponsored family fun and a great chance to meet and talk with other union members.
This year we're excited to add a new summer event for members, supporting our longtime community partner Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Game Day for Domestic Violence Prevention at T-Mobile Park!
Refuse to Abuse Game Day is Sunday, June 16, and for every ticket sold our longtime community partner the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) receives an $18 donation and attendees get a free Mariners-themed Refuse to Abuse® Dri-fit T-shirt. Tickets are View Level for the Mariners vs. Texas Rangers game and cost $35. WSCADV has shown up for our members in many ways over the years and we look forward to this fundraiser and opportunity to share the belief that domestic violence is 100% preventable!
In addition, our other summer fun events have been popular each year and continue to be a great way to celebrate with family and union friends:
all day access to Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park
all you can eat buffet picnic-style lunch @ the banquet pavilion (starting at 12pm noon)
unlimited drink refill wristband
On Thursday, May 16, our Union Negotiating Committee met with MultiCare to continue contract negotiations, however, we’re not sure MultiCare showed up for the same reason. We do not believe that Management are bargaining in good faith. They are not taking this process seriously, nor do we feel that concerns about our staffing, our wages, and the well-being of ourselves and our families are being considered in Management’s proposals.
“Three percent is BS. That’s not even enough to cover inflation for this year.” —Rafael Diaz
We feel that MultiCare is trying to drag this out, perhaps to exhaust us, and defeat us, but we are not giving in. We will show MultiCare that we will stand together to win a fair contract.
WE ARE: 2000 WORKERS, 9 CONTRACTS & ONE FIGHT!
On Thursday, May 9, our Union Bargaining Committee was eager to meet with MultiCare Management to continue negotiations on our nine contracts. We kicked the day off feeling refreshed & confident from the overwhelming support we’ve seen from our coworkers over the last week —a highly attended Union Family Day on May 4, and outstanding participation in Union Solidarity Day on May 8 (we gave out around 1,000 MultiCare Workers United buttons!)
And it seems that we may not be the only ones who noticed the growing solidarity in our workplaces…
At Thursday’s bargaining session, MultiCare came to the table and moved closer to our positions on a few of the proposals we’ve been passing back and forth- for example, discussions on Extra Shifts, and making a very reasonable counter proposal on Changing Time (donning/doffing)- which we later agreed to add to the contract!
While this exchange of proposals with MultiCare was encouraging (and felt like we were really bargaining!), it did not extend to many of the items that matter most to us, such as our wages and our health insurance benefits. In fact, we agreed that it is nessessary to remind Management, once again, why the proposals we’ve continued to put forward on the Health Insurance Plan are so important. We made it as clear as we could by breaking down the issues we’re facing into “categories” like affordability, access, and network. We broke down these categories further by sharing personal stories about how MultiCare’s benefit plans have negatively impacted us and our families.
Management’s movement on Thursday was a good start, but to win the wages, benefits, and workplace protections we need, we have to turn up the heat!
Mark your calendars:
Our Union Bargaining Team (L-R): Marci Pindi. Social Worker; Ramona Strassburg,Mental Health Technician; (Not Pictured: Brent Kirshenbaum,Pharmacist)
“It was a nice change to be able to pass proposals back & forth today, it felt productive! However- I didn’t like hearing that they’re not planning to move much on their wage proposal…” —Marci Pindi, Social Worker, Bargaining Team member
Our Bargaining Team met with MultiCare Management on May 8, to continue negotiations on our first Union Contract.
Throughout this process, we have felt increasingly frustrated about Management’s approach to working towards a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with us; for the most part, rejecting our proposals time and time again, or holding their position with little to no change for weeks (or even months) at a time.
While we’re not sure we can confidently say that this pattern has changed entirely, we are feeling very positive about the work achieved at the bargaining table on May 8. We’ve come to agreements with Management on some issues like shift differentials (evening & nights), the minimum guaranteed hours we’re paid when we’re called into work (On-Call), and memorializing our participation in the MHS Gainsharing Plan.
This progress is encouraging, but we still have a fight ahead of us on some of our highest priorities, considering management confirmed that they have not increased their wage scale proposal at all.
Are MultiCare feeling the pressure? We think so! However, we need to stand together now more than ever to make sure management understand that our wages need to reflect the life-saving care we provide every day.
Join our next Contract Action Team meeting:
Thursday, May 16 @ 11:30am—12:30pm
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, Cascade Training Room
Shelbie had heard that the Union contract was about to expire and discovered that there was no one at the Long Beach location of Harbors Home Health and Hospice to represent them in these negotiations. So she volunteered to serve on the bargaining committee both for herself and coworkers. As bargaining unfolded, she learned more about the rights the contract provided her and how important it was to enforce it.
Read More
Last Friday, our bargaining team met with LabCorp for the first time after our informational picket at Swedish First Hill to continue negotiations. Meditation helped us make movement on many of the final outstanding language pieces, and LabCorp promised us a comprehensive non-economic counter at our next session on Monday May 13. At the end of the day, LabCorp gave us their latest economic counter, which is summed up below.
| Union Proposals | LabCorp Counterproposals |
|---|---|
| 11% - 14% increases to base wages (over what members are currently making) | 1% - 6.29% increases to base wages (over the wage rates listed in the 2021 contract) |
| 5% COLA increases for 2024 and 2025 | 2% COLA increase for 2024 and 2025 |
| Eliminating Ghost Steps & getting members to the top of the scale faster | ✅ |
| Lower monthly healthcare premium costs | Higher monthly premiums, higher out-of-pocket maximums, and higher co-pays |
| Expansion of covered benefits to match non-union plans (e.g. HRA, optional insurance, LifeWorks, adoption assistance, 401k improvements) | ❌ |
| Tuition reimbursement coverage for union employees | ❌ |
| Telehealth coverage for union employees | ✅ |
| Reduced wait for new employee healthcare coverage | ✅ |
| Market increases to premiums and differentials | Extra 0.25¢ for third shift differential only |
| Lead pay included in PTO accrual | ❌ |
| Market increases for per-diem pay in lieu of benefits | ❌ |
LabCorp’s new wage scale proposal only increases each step by 0.75% - 1.5% over their last proposal from March (which moved up by less than 1% from their December proposal!). We are almost a year into negotiations. Members have waited too long for the raises they’re due for management to be passing back and forth incremental pieces of paper. We’re here to bargain in good faith and work together to find creative solutions to serious workplace issues. LabCorp knows they must make meaningful improvements to their wages, premiums, and benefits if they want to be competitive in the Western Washington market. We’ve already been patient enough for the fair contract and fully staffed labs we deserve! LabCorp needs to step up and come prepared to reach an agreement.
If you feel like we do, and believe that we’ve been patient long enough, sign the strike pledge card, come to a union meeting, raise your voice, and talk to your coworkers about taking action to win a fair contract.
DROP-IN CONTRACT ACTION TEAM MEETINGS
Wednesday May 15 from 7:30am-9:00am @ Swedish First Hill
Wednesday May 15 from 5:30pm-7:00pm @ Swedish First Hill
Details for virtual meetings and in-person strike information sessions to come soon!
OREGON LABCORP UNION ELECTION VICTORIES!
More than 400 lab professionals at LabCorp across seven Legacy Health facilities in Oregon voted YES to unionize last Friday! Despite facing a tough (and expensive!) anti-union campaign, these workers won their union elections with the Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals – AFT Local 5017 (OFNHP) by an overwhelming 86% majority. We’re excited to support each other and coordinate our fights for a better future for LabCorp workers, and to work together to grow our LabCorp union power.
WORKDAY TIMEKEEPING ISSUES
Issues with Workday were brought to our attention, and we asked LabCorp while we were at the table to address it. Management said they advised supervisors to be careful and to review Workday submissions diligently while they try to resolve the problem. Please continue to check your paystubs thoroughly and reach out to a member of our bargaining team or our Union Rep if you need help ensuring your pay is correct.
Union Rep Christie Harris @ (206) 436-6606 (landline)
We finally got Back to the table on May 9, which is nearly a month after our last session and nine days after our return to work from our successful Stike. Unfortunately, today during negotiations no ground was gained. We return to contract negotiations on May 28 and May 29.
“Providence made it clear that they have never perceived themselves to be ahead or a leader in the local market, nor do they want to be. Our bargaining team’s determination is unyielding in the face of corporate greed.” – Providence Sacred Heart Technical Unit Bargaining Team: Derek Roybal, Janelle Mathias, Craig Kistler, Lee Lidman, Joe Sikkila, Shane Sullivan, Miriam Critelli, Teresa Bowden, Angela Holmes, Holly Granly.
Today we call on every one of our coworkers who found themselves moved by our unity and collective power, to join us in stepping up and volunteering to be a union steward in your dept and shift.
Over the next couple of weeks we will be expanding our workplace leaders throughout the hospital and invite you to join us for Union Steward training virtually or in-person. NOW is the time to show that we are continuing to organize for retention, recruitment, and patient care for our community.
Please rsvp to Jackie Williams at jwilliams@ufcw3000.org.
In Person at the UFCW 3000 Spokane Office: 2805 N Market St., Spokane, WA 99205
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87131881290?pwd=UDNZMUp4VytGNVFxMFQxZVNkdlRkZz09
Meeting ID: 871 3188 1290
Passcode: 893823
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83378239210?pwd=QWM1MkpsM1dZZzNrSUpKQVV2Tmhjdz09
Meeting ID: 833 7823 9210
Passcode: 540340
Thank you with deepest gratitude to all of the community members, co-workers and patients who supported us during the strike. We plan to send out complete list with our next updates
On Thursday, May 2, our Bargaining Team met with Management for our scheduled bargaining session. We were able to provide responses on the remaining non-economic issues as well as put forward a comprehensive initial response to Management’s economic proposals.
We are encouraged that they have proposed to have our shift differentials, weekend premium (including consecutive weekend premium) and certification pay increased to be the same as the Professional and Technical unit. However, their proposal regarding getting everyone in our unit to 100% credit on the wage scales for past work experience would not get everyone to their proper step as quickly as it did in the Professional and Technical unit! As such, we pushed back with a counter proposal that would not have more senior employees waiting until the last year of the contract for this credit.
We have another bargaining session scheduled this month for Thursday, May 23 and are hoping we can come to a Tentative Agreement we can recommend soon. If there are questions, please speak with us, or call Union Representative Celia Ponce-Sanchez at (360) 419 4678.
Our Bargaining Team: Liz Latiff, Health Unit Coordinator (pictured above); Marilyn Faber, Patient Financial Services
-Marilyn Faber, Patient Financial Services (not pictured)
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
