Katterman's Pharmacy Vote Notice - Katterman's Pharmacy to merge onto Ostrom's Drug union contract!

After many delays and the closure of nearly all the other drug stores on the former Northwest Employee Relations (NERI) multi-employer union contract, an agreement has been drafted between UFCW 3000, Ostrom's Drug, and Katterman's Pharmacy. The Letter of Understanding will allow (with a ratification vote of the members at both pharmacies) Katterman's Pharmacy employees to merge with the Ostrom's Drug union contract. This will replace the now-expired NERI contract and accept most of the terms of the Ostrom's Drug contract.

Most notably, the pension plan will change from the old legacy plan, the Sound Retirement Trust, to the current Sound Variable Annuity Pension. The new plan will allow newer members vesting credit if they have been with Katterman's less than five years so that they do not have to begin their vesting period again, and automatic vesting for those already past the five-year mark on the Sound Retirement Trust.

Most workers on the old pension voted in favor of this change in 2019 and moved over to the new plan in the following year. The variable annuity pension is structured in such a way to allow market trends to not have such dramatic impacts on pensions, as happened with many in the wake of the 2008 global financial crash.

Ratification Vote

• July 23

  • Ostrom’s Drug, (on site): 10:00 AM - Noon

  • Katterman’s Pharmacy: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Your Union Representative Aaron Bailey will be on site with the UFCW 3000 negotiator Daniel Cobb on July 23 to hold this ratification vote and answer any questions you may have. Aaron can be reached at 206-436-6631 if you have clarifying questions.

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Progress Made: A Successful Day of Bargaining!

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN
Progress Made: A Successful Day of Bargaining!

On Wednesday, July 9, our bargaining team, representing registered nurses at Providence St. Peter Hospital, met with management for the eighth bargaining session of this contract cycle.

After more than a month since our last session, our team came prepared and eager to make meaningful progress. At the start of the day, nearly all outstanding proposals were with the Employer. Over the course of two morning meetings, we received their responses and had productive exchanges.

By the end of the day, we had traded both economic and non-economic proposals and we're encouraged by the progress made. We reached mutually aligned language on several key non-economic issues, including:

• Personnel File Protections: outlining a process for when verbal and written disciplines may be removed from an employee's file.

• Equal Opportunity Language: Strengthened protections against discrimination and harassment, including a defined process for feedback and accountability when concerns are raised.

As of the end of the session, only a few important non-economic Articles remain unresolved:

• Negotiations Release Time: A proposal to ensure that bargaining team members can be released to attend scheduled negotiations sessions; supporting full, effective representation at the table.

• Free Parking Protections: Language to preserve free employee parking for nurses at PSPH—reflecting current practice and preventing future rollbacks.

• Pre-Meeting Time for Committees: A proposal to allow 30 minutes of paid time for union members to meet prior to important worksite meetings, such as the Labor-Management and Hospital Staffing Committees.

• Steward Pay Protections: Contract language to ensure union stewards remain on paid time while attending grievance meetings or representing coworkers.

• Workplace Safety Measures: Proposals to enhance on-campus safety, including a weapon detection system at the Emergency Department entrance, and a particular focus on improvements to security in the hospital parking lot; which we feel are long overdue.

On the economic front, the Employer presented their second wage scale proposal, which included:

• An increase to wage rates for nurses at Step 25 & above (reflecting around a 1.75% - 3.5% increase for these steps, compared to the Employer's initial proposal)

• Removal of additional "ghost steps"—years where there is no wage increase, leaving only one remaining across their twenty-eight step proposal.

While we appreciate this movement, management's second proposal still brought no changes to any of the other components of our compensation; for example there are still no proposed increases to any of our workplace premiums or differentials.

Most concerning, however, was when we inquired about when we might expect a response to the safe staffing article our team presented back on April 29 (which included minimum nurse to patient ratios, the addition of break relief nurses, and an emergency department contingency staffing plan)—the Employer seemed to indicate that they'd forgotten about it entirely. Considering that this is a highly important issue for us and our coworkers—we're hopeful that bringing this article back to management's attention will result in meaningful responses.

We return to the bargaining table with management for back-to-back sessions on July 23 and 24. Despite some concerns about the Employer's responses, we feel that Wednesday's session was a productive step forward. We're proud of the progress made, and remain committed to pushing forward on issues like wages, workplace safety, and protections that honor and respect the work of all RNs at Providence St. Peter.

Tonight's Contract Action Team Meeting

Thursday, July 10
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
906 Columbia St SW
- Olympia 98501

Looking Ahead... Next Contract Action Team Meeting

ThursdayJuly 24
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
906 Columbia St SW
- Olympia 98501

"We made strong progress today! While there are still issues to work through, but it was great that we exchanged so many proposals and really landed on the same page as Providence on so many items... I'm excited about the direction we're heading and to keep this going at our next sessions!"

— Darlett Holm, RN

Your bargaining team: Mary Bloomberg, Surgical Acute RN; Jacob Kostecka, PACU RN; Darlett Holm, SADU West RN; Mike Staley, SADU RN; Ashley McBride, L&D RN; Julia Douglas, Sepsis RN; Grace Kraege, ED RN; Kelly Williams, Inpatient Psychiatry RN; Melanie Oakes, ED RN; Andy Dusablon, PACU RN; Haley Sweet, Neurology RN.

Sign the strike pledge card: We need to show Providence we're ready to do what it takes to get what we deserve. Sign the strike pledge card or ask a fellow member to sign it if they haven't already.

Step up! We need department leaders to keep members engaged in the fight. providence united — UFCW 3000

Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join the union? Send them here.

Providence Mt. Carmel - Bargaining Team Reaches Tentative Agreement—Contract Vote Scheduled!

After two full months of bargaining, despite challenges and difficult conversations with management, our bargaining team persevered and has reached a tentative agreement with Providence Mt. Carmel. On July 16, we will have a contract ratification vote. Please join the bargaining team at the vote and have any questions you may have answered. All documents will be provided at the time of the vote.

Contract Vote

July 16, 2025
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
HEC

UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend the vote meeting, read the documents, ask questions, and vote on the contract. Reach out to your Union Representative, Lenaya Wilhelm, at 866-210-3000, Ext. 7369, with any questions or concerns.

Harbor Regional Health Community Hospital - Bargaining Update

We have been bargaining over wages and premiums. Management has proposed a different wage increase percentage for every job, and some jobs have various percentages depending on the step. For some steps and jobs, the increases are significant, and for other steps and jobs the proposed increases are low. We are continuing to propose competitive wages that can retain and recruit, keeping the hospital fully staffed.

Management is claiming (again) that they are interested in being average or "in the middle" for pay as compared to other local hospitals. This has been their stated goal for several contract cycles, but we know how challenging it is to constantly be understaffed. We carry the load as the hospital continues to undercut employees.

Find Out How We Can Help Management See Why It's Important to Value Our Work! Contract Action Team Meeting:

Monday, July 7
6:00 PM
Duffys

• 1605 Simpson Avenue

• Aberdeen 98520

For additional information, contact a bargaining team member or Union Representative Kimberly Starkweather at (206) 436-6515.

Update Your Information >>

Bargaining Team: Dan James, Eric Timmons, Janet Byrd, Ana Garcia, Debi Sturm, Bambi Shope.

Lourdes Counseling Center - Bargaining Update

Lourdes Counseling Center
Bargaining Update

Bargaining has begun! Fighting for fair wages, premiums, and much more! If we want a strong contract, we must show the employer that we stand together! Now's the time to be unified!

Bargaining Team: Nicole Arnzen, Shanelle Cox, & Joseph Goodman

On Thursday, June 26 and Friday, June 27, we met with the Lourdes management team and made our proposals. The team was receptive and provided us with proposals, counter proposals, and tentative agreements. Our next bargaining session is July 16 & 17.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to join your Union, please contact a bargaining team member or your Union Representative, Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407.

Join UFCW >>

St. Michael Medical Center RN - SMMC RNs Deserve More

On June 26, we met with SMMC management for our eleventh bargaining session, where the hospital presented what they called a "comprehensive counterproposal." While there was some movement on break relief RNs, bereavement leave, preceptor pay, and float pay, management's wage proposal and response to staffing remain deeply disappointing.

The hospital proposed a wage increase of 5.25% upon ratification—a number that still leaves SMMC RNs behind St. Joseph's pay rates. Despite repeatedly hearing from RNs that unsafe staffing is driving burnout and turnover, the hospital offered no real solution on staffing. In fact, when we presented our staffing proposal again, management responded with deafening silence.

They continue to insist that they're "staffing above the matrix" and claim that contractual guardrails are unnecessary. We strongly disagree. Every day, RNs are working below matrix staffing levels due to chronic short staffing, floating to other units to fill gaps, or taking full assignments as charge nurses—sometimes doing both at once. This is not safe. This is not sustainable.

The hospital's message is clear: They're not listening.

Instead of offering meaningful fixes, they've doubled down on targeting specific departments. For instance, their latest proposal would restrict scrub privileges to only Emergency Department RNs—and they've rejected any kind of ED premium despite the high-intensity work and constant short staffing in the ED.

We are at a critical moment in negotiations. While there's been some progress, we are still far from winning what RNs need most: fair wages and enforceable staffing protections. Competitive contracts at Multicare and Providence include understaffing premiums and stronger staffing language—and SMMC RNs deserve no less.

If we want to win the contract we need, we need to show we're ready to fight for it. One way to take action right now:

Sign the strike pledge card >>

Let management know we're united and serious about what's at stake—our safety, our patients, and our profession.

The strike pledge card is to show our commitment to winning the best contract possible—your signature indicates that if we have to reject an offer on the table in the future by a vote, you will also vote to authorize a strike.

Together, we can win the contract we deserve.

Bargaining Team: Kim Fraser, Pre-Op; Janice Brown, FBC; Meredith Francisco, Med Surg; Lindsey Gearllach, Obs; Tammy Olson, ICU