Summit Pacific Medical Center - Proposed Improvement in COVID Protections and Practices

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Our Bargaining Team proposed improvements to our COVID agreement with Summit around:

  • Paid administrative leave while waiting for COVID test results

  • Improvements for notification of exposure to COVID

  • Premium pay for Respiratory Care Unit

Management has been consistently denying our proposals around safety, so we expect them to put up a fight about our health and safety concerns now too.

We need to hear from you about any pandemic safety issues you’ve experienced at Summit! 

Take the Survey!

Please join us at our next contract action meeting on Wednesday, August 19 at 7PM.

Wednesday, August 19
7PM via Zoom

RSVP for call-in details!

Four-Part Education Series: Help Build the Movement for a Better Future

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Want to be better informed on how we got into this current crisis, the ongoing attack on working people, and what we as a union can do about it? Sign up today.

UFCW 21 is holding a free series of four 90-minute classes online to educate members on the history and future of our active, worker-led union movement. The series will include the following four classes:

  • 8/18: Stealing the 2020 National Elections: Coronavirus Style

  • 9/1: How Did This Happen? This Pandemic Did Not Need to Be This Bad

  • 9/15: Divide and Conquer: Promoting Hatred and Bigotry to Divide Working People

  • 9/29: The War on Workers: Coronavirus Style

All classes are from 6:30 – 8:30PM.

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Each class is free to members, will be taught over Zoom and include significant opportunities for Question and Answer with the instructors. You will also have an opportunity to learn about ways that you can help make a difference this fall. Members attending all four in the series there will be a awarded a certificate of completion and it will be mailed to you.

The courses will be taught by Mark McDermott, who has led seminars with tens of thousands of union members across the nation and received wide praise from diverse audiences. He will be joined by co-hosts from our UFCW 21 staff: Faviola Lopez and Ariana Davis, Union Representatives, and Pia Rivera and Indira Trejo, Union Organizers. You don’t have to have a Zoom account to participate, just register.

Sign up today to reserve your place

“The ultimate test of a person, a union, a movement and a people is not whether we get knocked down. It is what do we do when we get up. Are we smarter, stronger, more determined and more united?  This is always our choice.”

-Mark M. McDermott

Telephone Town Hall Calls Monday August 17

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UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall: Monday, August 17 at 6:30 PM 

We’ll call you between 6:30 and 6:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 888-652-0386 and enter meeting ID 5066. 

It’s time for another union town hall call! We’re still fighting for safety on the job, hazard pay for all essential workers, and better enforcement of new laws and policies during this public health crisis. Let’s get together to discuss what we can do now and what we’re planning for the future. This week we’ll also be talking about our health insurance and ways to save money for anyone on the Sound Health and Wellness Trust insurance. 

Health Care Members UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall: Monday, August 17 at 7:30 PM 

We’ll call you between 7:30 and 7:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 844-227-7561 and enter meeting ID 5067. 

It’s time for another union town hall call! We’re still fighting for safety on the job, hazard pay for all essential workers, and better enforcement of new laws and policies during this public health crisis. Let’s get together to discuss what we can do now and what we’re planning for the future. This week we’ll be focusing on the different ways to address the issues we’re facing through bargaining, grievances, and reporting violations of the law. 

OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS: 

State Protections for High-Risk Workers Have Been Extended  

If you are over 65 or have health conditions that put you at risk for COVID-19 complications, our state’s protections for you have been extended again. Find more information and an FAQ here >> 

Help Build the Movement for a Better Future 

Want to be better informed on how we got into this current crisis, the ongoing attack on working people, and what we as a union can do about it? Sign up for a free series of online classes to educate members on the history and future of our active, worker-led union movement. Click for more info and to register >> 

Report Workplace Violations of COVID-19 “Safe Start” Rules 

Is your workplace not following state regulations meant to keep you and your community safe? Don’t just ignore it—talk to your Shop Steward or Union Rep, and report any and all violations so the state can hold our employers accountable. The state has already stepped in at multiple workplaces to force management to follow the rules and maintain better safety, due to UFCW 21 members reporting violations. Click here for the state’s reporting form >> 

Mental Health Resources for Members 

This continues to be a difficult time for many people, but there are lots of resources available to help deal with stress and cope with the many challenges we’re facing. Please remember: you are a member of a union, and we have each other’s back. Click here for more information on crisis phone and chat lines, tele-mental health options, and the state’s COVID-19 stress phone line, and more >> 

PCC - PCC Delaying Raises While Eliminating “Appreciation Pay”

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We ratified historic wage increases on July 1 with retro pay back to January 1 for grocery members and meat wrappers. We also won retro pay back to May 3 for meat cutters and seafood workers.

For over a month, PCC has been delaying our raises and blaming it on difficulties in programming their system with the new scales. Meanwhile, the company ended “Appreciation Pay” for members on July 4. While we want them to get the calculations correct, this is money that workers have earned and are counting on. 

We will be filing a grievance over PCC’s failure to implement the terms of our new agreement.

Northwest Administrators - Bargaining Begins

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The Bargaining Team met with Management on Tuesday, August 11 this week to have our first negotiation session. We proposed a COVID-19/pandemic Letter of Understanding to keep our members safe during this time.

Our team is continuing to develop proposals in the upcoming weeks, if you have not completed a bargaining survey, follow this link:

Take the Survey!

Next Bargaining Date: Sept 1, 2020

Be on the lookout for more dates after each bargaining session!

Conifer St. Joseph - Continuing the Fight

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We have been bargaining for over a year. We have been working very hard to build a contract from the ground up and have secured many of the benefits, rights, and protections that we all deserve.  

We have secured:

  • Grievance process to protect you from unjust terminations

  • We secured Conifer’s commitment to maintain your retirement and healthcare benefits 

Our team continues to fight for fair wage increases, Holiday Pay that compensates us for our time spent away from our family, and proposals that recognize our longevity. 

“We’re working hard and headed towards the finish line!”

Tracy Wolfe-Calhoun, Bargaining Team Member

ST. JOSEPH BARGAINING TEAM: Terri Ross, Tracy Wolf-Calhoun, Josie Talavera-Berg

Contact your Bargaining Team to pick up your car signs today!

St. Anne Hospital Pro-Tech - Bargaining Continues

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“We are very disappointed with the lack of movement from the Employer.”

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Michelle Grennan, Kimberly Matson, and Miroslava Dashkel.

Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on August 5 and 10. Unfortunately, very little progress was made towards an agreement.  

Management has begun to drag their feet as they refuse to make any meaningful movement on outstanding issues. They have outright rejected many of our proposals such as reimbursements for maintaining licensure, a clearly defined process for receiving certification pay, and a new COVID-19 hazard premium. 

Furthermore, they haven’t moved much on their original economic package that, while generous to some, includes wage DECREASES for others. When confronted about the wage reductions for some members Management claims it was never their intention, however, they continue to include it in their economic proposals!

We will have no choice but to take action if the Employer continues this behavior when we return to negotiations on September 1.

St. Michael Medical Center - Bargaining Continues

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“We can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

OUR PRO-TECH BARGAINING TEAM: Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes

Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on August 12 and, thanks to further community support during last week’s action, we were able to once again make significant progress towards an agreement.

The most notable movement was Management’s willingness to withdraw their new healthcare proposal, which would allow new hires onto the terrible CHI Franciscan plan. While the employer hasn’t officially withdrawn the proposal, they have agreed to withdraw it when we finalize updated language regarding the Sound Health & Wellness Trust. We’re pleased with this development as the Employer’s plan to force new hires onto the CHI Franciscan plan was a serious threat to our affordable healthcare, as it would give the Management leverage to take away our healthcare when we renegotiate in 2023.

Additionally, we have made progress on a new member lead pandemic safety committee, we continue to fight against an attack to the per diem premium and are much closer to an agreement on wage increases. We are still working against some equity issues with the Employer latest wage proposal but are hopeful those issue can be resolved soon. 

Your Bargaining Team is looking forward to resuming negotiations on August 19 and 28.

 

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Providence isn't Listening to Our Demands

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On August 11, we bargained with Providence and discussed non-economic articles like union representative access, workplace committees, and discipline. Although we now have a couple of tentative agreements, Providence continues to propose weak contract language and a reduction to current benefits/policies. Providence is going to continue proposing takeaways until we stand up and fight. 

Providence isn’t listening to our proposals about: 

  • Just Cause

  • Union Access

  • Due Process

  • Recognition as Professionals with Professional Expectations

“They say they hear us, but they are clearly not listening.”

Rae Lynn Korpi, RT Bargaining Team member 

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Josh (CT), Shapel (X-ray), Colleen (Cath Lab), Rae Lynn (RT)

Join our online townhall meeting! 
Wednesday, August 19
6:00 PM

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

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Incremental Progress - Management's Roadblocks Remain

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Management is ready to contractually recognize our union, and we’re making some progress in other areas like having access to union information in our workplaces.

Management is holding fast to proposals telling us how to run our union. They’re pretending to remain neutral but discouraging employees from joining the union. They’d also like to limit how we can fight back when they violate our contract.

We need to hear from you about any pandemic safety issues you’ve experienced at Summit! 

Take the Survey!

“We need everyone’s support in this fight. Please join us at our next CAT meeting to learn how.”

— Our Bargaining Team: Angi Swinhart—RN (Below Left), Clinic; Kristen Frazer—Registration Specialist (Below Right); Barbara Ford—ED HUC (Below Center); Jeff Redmond—ED Tech; Alicia Wood—RN, ED

Please join us at our next contract action meeting on Wednesday, August 19 at 7PM.

Wednesday, August 19
7PM via Zoom

RSVP for call-in details!

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Providence REJECTED All Our Proposals!!

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On August 6, we met with the Employer and they made it clear that they do not respect our Technical unit like the rest of the unionized units at Providence St. Peter. They refuse to provide annual leave and sick leave banks within our nine departments including: Ultrasound, Echo, MRI, Cath Lab, IR, CT, X-ray, RT, Pharmacy.

They continue to disrespect us with their bare-bone proposals. In addition, the Employer refuses to memorialize several policies such as leaves of absence, PTO, and EIB. They do not believe that we pose a real threat to their operations and continue to undermine and question our requests.

Enough is enough! If we want a FAIR contract with market adjustments and strong workplace protections every union member in every dept. must unite and fight back together! We cannot continue to be strong armed into a less than fair deal! If we agree to that now, it will be difficult to win a stronger contract in the future. 

In order to be more united and organized, we will be holding a townhall Zoom meeting on Wednesday, August 19 at 6:00PM. 

“If you weren’t upset before, you should be fired up now!” OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Josh (CT), Shapel (X-ray), Colleen (Cath Lab), Rae Lynn (RT)

Join our online townhall meeting!

Wednesday, August 19 6:00 PM
https://zoom.us/join

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

Conifer St. Joseph update Some progress but still a big fight ahead

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TO ALL Conifer Patient Access Reps., Patient Advocates, and Union Members: We made some progress this week in negotiations, but we still have a big fight ahead of us. We continue to stand strong for the issues that matter most to ALL of us!

  • Fair Wages

  • Maintain PTO accrual

  • Holiday pay and premiums

“It crucial now more than ever that we get every union member’s input on these important issues. This is your chance to have your voice heard before we start making some very difficult decisions.” – Josie Talavera- Berg

Join our CAT meeting and get updated information on contract negotiations and next steps needed to finally win a fair contract for all of us! In Solidarity, Your Bargaining Team: Josie Talavera-Berg, Terri Ross, Tracey Wolfe- Calhoun

CAT Meeting: August 11, 2020 at 5:30PM

Mason General RN - Bargaining Begins

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We met with Management on Monday, August 3 to begin bargaining. We made proposals for union leave, new hire orientations, and improvements to bereavement leave. We are awaiting the Employer’s response. Management also made some proposals around scheduling that we are carefully considering.

WE STILL NEED YOUR INPUT!

Before we make new proposals or respond to Management, we need to hear from you. Fill out your bargaining survey on our website.

Dynacare Labcorp - Bargaining Update + Contract Action Meeting Today!

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Your Bargaining Team met with Management on Tuesday to continue negotiations. We passed our initial wage proposals and had productive conversations regarding the issues that matter most to you. 

“We had a productive day of negotiations. We look forward to seeing how Management will respond to our recent proposals. Most importantly, I look forward to discussing the details with you at our online Contract meeting this Thursday! Hope to see you there!”

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Shelby Tyner, Eli Lanzcos, Fredel Albritton, Steph Royce, Sherry (Sam) McVay, Tambra Graham, Nancy Paynowski

Hear from your Bargaining Team about negotiations! Join our online Contract Meeting! 
Thursday, August 6 - TODAY
6:30 PM

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

Next Bargaining Dates: August 11 & 14

Olympic Medical Center Support Services - Contract Vote Scheduled

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Our Bargaining Team for Support Services has reached an agreement with OMC. We began bargaining in late June 2020 due to the pandemic. Our main concerns during bargaining were wages and ensuring that we fixed the wage compression given the increased State hourly minimum rate. Initially OMC proposed lower increases than we expected given the loss in revenue due to the pandemic. But at the end, we were able to fight and win higher increases than in past contracts!  

The next step is to vote to approve the contract. We will be sending out a second notice with a vote date/time or we will be running a mail-in ballot contract vote. Please update your email/address on our website in order to receive your vote documents. 

We will be holding a contract vote meeting to explain the tentative agreement via Zoom on August 18, from 8AM - 9PM and 5PM - 6PM.

If you have any question, please contact your Union Rep, Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.

Virtual Vote Meeting
Tuesday, August 18 • 8AM - 9PM • 5PM - 6PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details.

Details will be mailed / emailed out with vote instructions.

To make sure you receive your vote documents please update your address!

Conifer St. Joseph and St. Elizabeth - To all Conifer Members

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TO ALL CONIFER MEMBERS:

It was brought to our attention that on July 31, 2020, you received an email communication from Maureen Powers, alleging that union members have been calling out from work as a coordinated action against the Company.

The Union wants to make it clear that we have NOT called for, encouraged, nor condone any kind of call/sick out action against Conifer. Any work stoppage/strike will be voted on by the membership. Please ensure that you are using your PTO/Sick Leave only for legally protected reasons and in accordance with the law and attendance policies. We expect both sides to continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a deal.

Again, the best way to win a fair contract is to stand together by:

  1. Attending CAT meetings

  2. Signing the petition

  3. Talking to your bargaining team members about other ways you can participate

Thank you in advance for your cooperation,
Amirah Ziada Mirziteh
Negotiator

UNITED for Fair Pay and Safety Online Rally

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Join fellow union grocery store workers and our union Presidents from UFCW 7, 21, 324 and 770 from California to Washington to Colorado for an exciting and informative online rally on August 4th at 6:30 PM (Pacific).

There will be information on workplace safety, hazard pay and other important and timely topics. Save the date and plan to join us then.

Join us right here on this page for the live streaming event or join the conversation live at that time on UFCW 21’s Facebook Page.

Essential Workers Bill of Rights: Grocery Store Workers

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Article 1

RIGHT TO BETTER WAGES: We have a right to fair pay so we can afford food, clothing, a place to live, and the other necessities we need to live our lives and support our families. Better wages mean that current workers can be given the opportunity to move into higher paying jobs and have their time with the company recognized.

Article 2

RIGHT TO LIFE OUTSIDE WORK: We have a right to a life outside of work including two dependable days a week for ourselves, our families, our places of worship, and our communities.

Article 3

RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE: We have a right to an affordable health care plan that helps us stay well and takes care of us when we are ill.

Article 4

RIGHT TO RETIREMENT: We have a right to a dependable pension so we can retire with dignity.

Article 5

RIGHT TO PAID SICK DAYS: We have a right to paid sick days when we are sick so we can stay at home, get well and contribute to a healthy food supply. Nobody should have to choose between staying home and caring for themselves or a sick family member and paying the rent.

Article 6

RIGHT TO JOB SECURITY: We have a right to protection against unjust firing or demotion, and unfair discipline.

Article 7

RIGHT TO SAFE WORKPLACES: We have a right to decent and safe working conditions. This includes basic humane treatment including rest breaks and worker safety protections.

Article 8

RIGHT TO A VOICE ON THE JOB: We have a right to a voice in the workplace when we choose to have a union, without any interference by our employers.

Article 9

RIGHT TO HEALTHY FOOD: Grocery workers and our customers have a right to safe and healthy food in the stores where we work and shop.

Article 10

RIGHT TO MORE HOURS: We have a right to a dependable number of hours of work each week so that we can predict our paycheck, manage our household budgets, and be able to pay our bills.

The Doctor's Clinic - Bargaining Continues

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“More of the same behavior from Management.”

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Danilo Dantes, Monique Pyles, Katy Turek

Our Bargaining Team met again with Management on July 29 and were severely disappointed with Management’s behavior. While we work to address current issues, Management has consistently stonewalled any attempt at progress. It’s becoming increasingly clear that The Doctor’s Clinic didn’t come to the table with the intention of bargaining in good faith.

Among the many points of frustration were wages, as the Employer—who originally refused to provide a counter offer until we pushed back—slightly raised their proposal to 1%, 1.5%, & 2% for each year of the contract. This is an insulting proposal that ignores the new hazards we face with COVID-19, would make the Doctor’s Clinic significantly less competitive, and is much less than what other UFCW 21 contracts received this year.

To make matters worse, the employer has proposed new language to weaken the Union and our Bargaining Team’s power to win strong contracts and improve the workplace. We cannot stand for this attack on workers especially as Management proposes ridiculous wage increases and is failing to properly protect us from COVID-19.

We will take to the streets and unmask the Employer’s behavior to a community that has always stood in solidarity with workers under attack. Please bring your friends and family to our “CHI Unmasked Banner Action,” where we will have banners and signs that ask the community to support our fight for a fair contract. This will be a joint action with our fellow members at Harrison Medical Center who are dealing with similar issues in their own contract negotiations. 

The action will be held on Thursday August 6 at three roadside locations:

12:00PM – 1:30PM: HWY 305 NE & 7th Ave NE (Poulsbo)
(Near Poulsbo Central Market) 

2:00PM – 3:30PM: Greaves Way & NE Waaga Way (Silverdale)
(Near “The Trails at Silverdale”)

4:00PM – 6:00PM: South End of Warren Ave Bridge (Bremerton)
(Near Lower Roto Vista Park)