Summit Pacific Medical Center - Continuing to Bargain

Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management on November 6 to continue negotiating our first contract. Although we made some movement at the table we still have concerns around Safety, Staffing, Job Security, Wages and Benefits. We were able to secure some additional bargaining dates and will meet again on November 13. 

We also had our Contract Action Team meetings on November 4. We discussed how we can band together with other teams in bargaining so that we can win strong contracts across the area. We also started planning to take action for a fair contract at Summit in December.

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

---

UPCOMING DATES

November 17, 7:30 PM
Joint Contract Action Meeting with members from SPMC, Mason General, and Grays Harbor—RSVP below!
https://bit.ly/CATNov17

December 9
Caravan for fair contract at Summit Pacific—stay tuned for more details!

Capital Medical Center RN - We Have Reached a Deal!

On November 5, the RN Bargaining Team met with the Hospital. After almost a year of bargaining, we were able to obtain a contract settlement! At the start of bargaining, we believed our biggest fight was going to be over maintaining EIB, like it was down the road at Providence St. Peter’s. The Hospital indicated that they would be following Providence St. Peter’s settlement, so we made the strategic decision to slowdown bargaining until the St. Peter’s RNs settled on EIB. That decision paid off when Providence St. Peter’s announced they would be maintaining the EIB program in January.

At that point, we continued bargaining and were focused on wages, increasing education reimbursement money, and improving contract language like floating and call-back pay. We were making some progress when the COVID-19 pandemic started. At that time, we could no longer bargain in-person and had to evaluate how to move forward. At all other tables, the employers agreed to bargain virtually via Zoom, but Capital Medical Center refused to bargain virtually for months.

Finally, in October we were able to resume bargaining and made a lot of progress. We moved away from some contract language proposals and focused on wages and retroactive pay. We insisted on retroactive pay, but the Hospital told us they would rather do higher increases than retroactive pay. When looking at the percentage increases, we determined that higher pay increases would result in more compensation than retroactive pay. In addition, the pay increases we won are higher than Providence St. Peter’s increases.

Our next step is to walk through the tentative agreement with the unit on Thursday, November 12 at 5:30 PM via Zoom. Due to COVID-19, we will be voting via mail. Ballots and vote documents will be sent out via standard mail and the documents will be posted on ufcw21.org. If you or your coworkers, do not received mail from UFCW 21 please contact your Union Rep, Nicholas Hefling nhefling@ufcw21.org so we can update your address and ensure you receive a ballot.

---

“Our hard work paid off and we received raises that are unheard of during these times.” 

— Bonnie Verellen, RN Women Services

“We deserve higher pay and we were able to win higher pay because we kept fighting.” 

— Sara McFarland, RN Ambulatory 

“We have never gotten 10% wage increases before on any contract.” 

— Scott Merrell, RN Emergency Department

Count Every Vote - And Make Sure Your Vote Counts

As a member-led union, one of our core values is that every voice and every vote counts. 

We believe everyone should be able to participate in decision-making about the things that affect us. We believe in that principle in our union, where workers vote to approve their contracts and elect the leadership of the union, and we believe in that principle in our local and national elections. Here in Washington State, our members have long been part of the movement to make sure as many Washingtonians as possible can vote in every election, with statewide vote-by-mail, pre-registration for our youth, and other policies that empower people to participate in the democratic process. 

Members of UFCW 21 have worked tirelessly during the 2020 election to interview local candidates for office and understand where they stand on the issues working people care about, to call and text each other to make voting plans, to coordinate with our international union to help UFCW members in other states and other working people exercise their right to participate in the election, and now to contact each other to make sure any issues causing our ballots to be held up are addressed so we can be counted. 

We encourage everyone in Washington to check on the status of your ballot at VoteWA.gov so you can be sure your vote has been counted and address any issues if it hasn’t. We will be organizing with the labor movement and trusted community partners to ensure that any attacks on the integrity of our national election are addressed. 

We are the largest private-sector union in Washington State, more than 46,000 members strong, and we are a diverse union. But regardless of where we live, who we vote for, what industry we work in, we stand for the bedrock belief that every vote must be counted, and every voice must be heard. 

St. Anne Hospital Pro-Tech - Contract Ratified!

We are excited to announce that members at St. Anne Hospital overwhelmingly voted to approve the new Pro-Tech contract! Our new contract includes historic wage increases, new steps added to the wage scale, increased standby and weekend premiums, stronger safety committee language and more.

Members should expect to notice the wage increase and ratification bonus within the next two pay periods. If you have any questions, please reach out to Union Representative Ates Serifsoy at (206) 436-6569.

Conifer St. Elizabeth - Conifer St. Elizabeth Members Vote to Approve Contract!

On Thursday, October 29, members at Conifer St. Elizabeth voted on their First Contract after over 14 months of Negotiations.

Members at Conifer St. Elizabeth overwhelmingly voted YES to APPROVE the offer!

We have secured a contract that includes: 

• Guaranteed wage increases

• Job protection from unjust terminations

• A formal process to address workplace issues

• Double time for work on a Holiday

• And So Much More!

The contract is in full force and effect as of October 30, 2020 until October 31, 2023. Questions? Call your Union Rep, Erin McCoy @ 206-436-6598

Avenue Dental Bargaining Update

PRMCE - The Hospital Recognizes Our Staffing Complaint Forms!

On October 28, 2020, we met with the Hospital. We have spent the last two bargaining sessions talking about staffing. In this past session, the Hospital told us they would recognize our CSI staffing complaint form—available on ufcw21.org/csi. Their position has changed since our last bargaining session. Also, we talked about PPE with the Chief Nursing Officer and she has promised to ensure that all nurses are able to receive more than one mask during their shift if the nurse requests one. 

As for our proposals, the Hospital has rejected a majority of our proposals except for recognizing gender identity in the non-discrimination article. We discussed the parameters of professional development under the education funding article. We want to ensure nurses are not being denied funding for relevant courses and we are trying to increase available funding. 

Bargaining is going slowly, but we hope they will start hearing our demands to change language, which currently does not benefit the Hospital or the nurses. One way to pressure the Hospital, is by taking part in our car sign action. If you have not received a car sign, please contact the bargaining team or Anthony Cantu, Union Rep @ 206-436-6566. 

In addition, we currently have a 30-day contract extension which expires on November 30, 2020. During a contract extension we are not able to call for a strike, picket, or work stoppage, but we can take other actions like a car sign action. We will continue extending the contract as long as we are making progress at the bargaining table. 

Our next contract action team meeting will be on November 10, 2020 @ 8 PM via Zoom. Our next bargaining sessions are on November 13 and 17.   

OUR RN BARGAINING TEAM: Juan Stout, ER; Kimball Conlon, ER; Betsy Bourg, Glasgow; Cindi Dyson, Float Pool; Bill Hisaw, OR; Jenney Gannon, L&D; Madison Hamilton

Dynacare Labcorp - Standing Together to Win!

Dear LabCorp Members,

We are committed to working together to settle a fair contract for all of our members. We have your backs at the bargaining table but to win, we need to show LabCorp you to have our backs in the field!

We are taking action to show Management we are United to win a fair contract and protect ourselves and our community during this global pandemic.

We have created a list of four central demands and are asking all LabCorp members to sign on! UFCW 21 has also provided medical grade masks and Face-Shields for our members.

Here is the link:

Also don’t forget to pick-up your union provided PPE from the Bargaining Team in James Tower and send us photos with it on!

We have been digging into our staffing and scheduling proposals the last few sessions and we know that fair competitive wages and affordable healthcare are a huge part of retaining and recruiting staff. Our goal is to present this petition to Management at the table in early November to show we are serious and standing united. Join us!

In Solidarity, Your Bargaining Team: Sam McVay, Steph Royce, Eli Lanczos, Tambra Graham, Fredel Albritton, Nancy Pyanowski and Shelby Tyner

Questions? Call your Union Rep, Ates Serifsoy @ 206-436-6569.

Northwest Administrators - Preparing for Upcoming Contract Negotiations

NWA stands for No Wiggle Again on a wage increase in Management’s counter proposal on October 27.

Now We Are entering Influenza season during a pandemic and our prescription for a COVID-19 Letter of Understanding (LOU) has yet to be filled or considered urgent. Protecting Pandemic Employment is our PPE and a remedy is long over due. The protections we have proposed are on the front line of our negotiations.

It’s time for all of us to come together and talk about next steps to winning a good contract. Join us at our Zoom Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting and learn what everyone can do to move Management at the bargaining table. 

BARGAINING TEAM: Chris Covey, Jennifer Harris, Iva Johnson, Katrina Kromm, Lulu Morgan, Grace Tsuchikawa

Swain's General Store - Proposal Meeting

Our one-year contract with Swain’s General Store is nearing expiration, which means it’s time to begin contract negotiations once again! You should have already received a bargaining survey, therefore, the next step is to hold a proposal meeting where we will discuss the results of the survey and begin crafting our proposals.

The proposal meeting will be held virtually through Zoom on Sunday, November 15 @ 6:30PM. You can join by either downloading the Zoom app or simply calling into the details listed.

We hope to see you there, but in the meantime, please make sure you complete your bargaining survey and return it as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please reach out to Union Representative Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.

Providence Centralia Hospital Tech - Bargaining Commences

On October 26, the Tech Bargaining Team met with Providence Centralia Hospital. Our first proposal to the Hospital involved articles around bargaining unit recognition, union access, union membership, successorship, grievance procedure, and duration of the agreement. These articles are standard in union contracts and strategically we always start with easier non-economic articles in order to reach agreements and then move on to more contentious articles like wages and EIB/PTO.

While at the table, we clarified that the Imaging Center is part of the Hospital and any Rad Techs employed in the Hospital who float to the Imaging Center are in the Union. Meaning that Rad Techs can continue to float to the Imaging Center.

The bargaining process is slow, and we saw that in our first session. We have a long list of issues and concerns we wish to discuss at the bargaining table, but we need to pressure the Hospital. 

One way to pressure the Hospital is through our car sign action! If you are interested in participating and distributing signs to your coworkers/ community, please reach out to your union representative, Erin McCoy @ 206-436-6598 (office line). 

We will also have a Contract Action Team meeting via Zoom on November 19 @ 5:30 PM where we will be talking about bargaining/workplace issues. 

Our next bargaining date is on November 18.

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Jen Mullins, Rad Tech; Jamie Freeman, RT; Verity Olsen, Pharmacy Tech; Kathleen Spencer, RT; Jen Frunz, Mammo Tech 

Providence Centralia Hospital Support Services - Bargaining Commences

On Tuesday, October 27, the Support Services Bargaining Team—which represents housekeeping, phlebotomy, endoscopy techs, surgery, food services, CNAs, imaging assistants, emergency department techs, HUCs, emergency department techs—met and bargained with Providence Centralia Hospital. The team proposed articles around bargaining unit recognition, union access to the workplace, union membership, grievance procedure, notification of sale, and duration of the contract. These articles are standard in union contracts and strategically we always start with easier non-economic articles in order to reach agreements and then move on to more contentious articles like wages and EIB/PTO.

The Hospital was willing to discuss adding more classifications to the bargaining unit which were not part of the union authorization vote. We have heard from several employees that they wish to be part of the Union, so we are invested in adding those classifications to the unit. On the other hand, the Hospital wishes to circumvent employees’ union rights. They wish to limit the union representative’s access to the Hospital, prevent access to new hire orientation, and limit the number of union stewards.

It is clear the Hospital wishes to undercut our Union’s strength! We must show the Hospital that Support Services wants their Union present throughout the workplace in order to have a strong and empowered unit!

One way we can show that we are united and willing to fight for our union rights is by participating in the car sign action. If you are interested in participating and distributing signs to your coworkers/ community, please reach out to your union representative, Erin McCoy @ 206-436-6598 (office line).

We will also have a Contract Action Team meeting via Zoom on November 19 @ 5:30 PM where we will be talking about bargaining/workplace issues.

Our next bargaining date is on November 18.

In Solidarity, Your Support Service Bargaining Team: Necole Moore, EVS; Kaycee Grimm, Phlebotomist; Kim Jorgenson, ED HUC; Laura Norton, Endo Tech

State Hazard Alert for Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings

UFCW 21 members at CHI’s Harrison/St Michael Medical Center faced an outbreak at their hospital in August 2020, and after management did not address health care workers’ safety, members pushed back and stood up for a safer workplace for themselves and their patients. Their advocacy led the state’s Department of Labor & Industries and Department of Health to issue a special document called a Joint Hazard Alert, which addresses a special workplace issue brought to these departments’ attention.

The September 2020 Joint Hazard Alert specifies requirements of health care employers to keep workers and patients safe as we deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Employers must meet the requirements outlined in this alert, and can be held accountable to these standards by complaints filed with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). If your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.

The Hazard Alert covers specific safety requirements such as:

• “Disposable respirators and procedural masks must be replaced daily at the beginning of each shift for every employee and immediately upon employee request when soiled or damaged during the shift. Multiple shift use of disposable respirators/masks is NOT allowed.”

• “Hospitals must develop and implement an effective system to track N95/PAPR/CAPR training and testing that ensures every employee is supplied with appropriate respiratory protection.”

• “Staff must be provided a safe place to don and doff PPE prior to entering spaces where facemasks must be removed for eating and drinking. Staff should don a new facemask prior to returning to the unit.”

• “Provide adequate space and procedures for staff to physically distance at a minimum of six feet in break rooms, nurse stations, cafeteria and other places where staff congregate”

• “Prohibit staff from working or being on the premises if exposed to COVID-19, and all staff who test positive must be excluded from work and isolated according to CDC guidelines”

There are many more specifics in the Hazard Alert. Be sure to read the entire document to understand your rights to a safe workplace during COVID-19.

Again, if your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.

Bartell Drugs - Wages and a Secure Future

The Union Bartell Bargaining Team met with Bartell’s management on Friday, October 23. Up top we brought up the sale of Bartell Drugs to Rite Aid:

• We are pleased to hear that if Rite Aid acquires Bartell, they have pledged to stay independent and to honor our Union contract.

• We asked about layoffs or store closures as a result of the sale of Bartell’s to Rite Aid and were told no closures were planned. 

• Your Bargaining Team proposed severance pay if there are store closures now, or in the future. 

Bartell’s responded to some of the Union’s proposals, and while there was movement on things like Bereavement and leave for stewards to work with the Union, we were disappointed that Bartell’s proposed:  

• A wage scale that gave little or no raises for most Bartell workers.

“What I saw was no raises this year, or next year, and then a nickel for a raise in 2022 for me and a lot of my coworkers. We need a wage scale that keeps us above minimum wage, especially if we have been loyal employees for years.” 

— Kia Haggerty (Bargaining Team)

• Eliminating all of our premium overtime, except for when we work more that 40 hours.

• Rejected our proposals to increase premium pay like Sunday and Late Night pay.

Bartell’s Needs to Know That We are Serious and That We Deserve More!

We have worked hard to make Bartell Drugs a success, and to serve our customers and our communities. That is why Rite Aid was interested in buying Bartell’s in the first place.

Soon we will have stickers to let Bartell’s know that we won’t settle for less than a fair contract with living wages! 

“I’m not accepting these proposals, and you shouldn’t either. That’s why I’ll be wearing a sticker! If we stand together then we can get a fair contract together.” 

— Christina Common 

NEXT CAT Meeting: We will have another Contract Action Team meeting on November 2 @ 7PM to update you. Make sure everyone has stickers in their stores and to plan our next action! 

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Summit’s Management Delivers Economic Proposals

We heard Management’s response to our economic proposals today. We clearly identified in our proposals what needs to change about our PTO system, shift differentials, and wage scales. Management is only interested in maintaining status quo and creating division in our union workforce.

On top of that, they did not respond to our majority petition we delivered last bargaining session around COVID safety.

Our next bargaining date is November 6!

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

---

JOIN US AT A VIRTUAL CONTRACT ACTION MEETING! 

We’ll talk more in depth about what Management proposed at the table, set our priorities, and plan our next action!

Wednesday, November 4
3:30 or 6:30

RSVP through this link!

Skagit & Cascade Valley Healthcare changes approved

Telephone Town Hall Calls Monday, October 26

UFCW 21 Members Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, October 26 at 5:30 PM 

We’ll call you between 5:30 and 5:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at  877-365-5237 and entering meeting ID: 5413

You’ll join other UFCW 21 members in retail, independent grocery, meat processing, cannabis, laundries, and other industries. We’ll be discussing COVID safety, what our union is doing to deal with the impacts to our workplaces, and any questions members have. All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above. 

Allied Grocery Store Workers Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, October 26 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  888-652-0383 and entering meeting ID: 5365

You’ll join other UFCW 21 members working in grocery stores to discuss our contract and the campaign for an even stronger contract in 2022. We know our employers and the public are more aware than ever of the importance of our work, and we need to start building toward a powerful contract campaign. We’ll also be answering member questions on COVID safety and other subjects. All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 6:30-6:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.  Make sure you make your priorities heard, fill out the 2022 Bargaining Priorities Survey HERE.

Health Care Members UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, October 26 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. 

You’ll join other UFCW 21 members working in health care and dental workplaces to discuss our safety at work during a potential fall surge and flu season. Members have begun fighting back against management missteps during COVID outbreaks in hospitals, and we’re learning how to push for changes in a way that impacts everyone in health care. To join the call, all you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 7:30-7:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above. 

Want a UFCW 21 “I Voted!” sticker? Tell your Rep and we’ll send you one!

2020 NATIONAL AND LOCAL ELECTION TUESDAY, NOV. 3  

If your Washington State voter registration is up to date, you should have received your ballot in the mail by now. If you haven’t registered, the deadline to register online is Monday, October 26, and you can register in person at your county elections office all the way up until Election Day, November 3.  

Ballots are due in ballot dropboxes or voting centers by 8pm on Election Day, or mailed (free, no stamp required) and postmarked on or before Election Day. This year it’s a good idea to vote as early as you can to avoid mail delays and prevent crowds and lines at ballot boxes on Election Day. 

As union members, we know how important it is to make our voices heard and vote. This year in Washington State, there are many UFCW and other union members (and former members) running for office. We have a real chance to elect nurses, teachers, firefighters, and other working people into leadership. 

• Find our UFCW 21 member endorsements and see how many of our candidates are union members at UFCW21.org/endorsements. 

• Find links to register to vote, check the status of your ballot, figure out where to drop off your ballot, and get questions about voting answered at UFCW21.org/elections. 

PRMCE RN - Staffing is a Major Concern!

On October 21, the RN bargaining team met with Providence for the second time this bargaining cycle. We discussed several articles like union membership, nurse staffing committee, seniority, union access, and staffing. The Hospital rejected most of our proposals and wishes to keep current contract language.

We mentioned to Providence that staffing is a huge concern for the RN unit. In the past few weeks, we have received and forwarded several CSIs (staffing complaint forms) to Providence. Providence is currently refusing to recognize the Union’s staffing complaint form, which was created in coalition with other healthcare unions (WSNA and SEIU 1199NW). Although this is their position, the State recognizes our form and we can file complaints with the State, so we encourage you to continue submitting the CSI forms on ufcw21.org/csi.

We will continue to discuss staffing issues and fight for appropriate staffing for the safety of the RN unit and the patients.

In addition, we will have a car sign action in solidarity with Providence Centralia and St. Peter’s. If you want to distribute signs to your co-workers/community please contact your Union Rep, Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566. 

Our next bargaining session will be on October 28 and November 13 and 17. We will be holding a contract action team meeting on November 10 @ 8 PM via Zoom.

---

OUR RN BARGAINING TEAM: Juan Stout, ER; Kimball Conlon, ER; Betsy Bourg, Glasgow; Cindi Dyson, Float Pool; Bill Hisaw, OR; Jenney Gannon, L&D; Madison Hamilton

---

Join our online CAT meeting! 

Tuesday, November 10
8:00 PM

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

PCC - Meet the PCC Board of Trustees Worker Candidates!

10/23/2020

Our union contract and the PCC bylaws allow for up to two workers to serve on the PCC Board of Trustees. However, there has not been a worker on the PCC Board for some time. 

Through our bargaining surveys, conversations with members, and CAT meetings, it’s clear that many workers are concerned about a disconnect between the central office and the stores and a lack of worker representation on the board. Two worker candidates have stepped up to run for the Board of Trustees, and we will be supporting their signature gathering efforts to get on the ballot. Our goal is for each candidate to collect 2,000 signatures of active PCC co-op members to be nominated, so look for a petition in your store! 

SIGN UP TO COLLECT SIGNATURES!

---

“I’m Laurae McIntyre and I’m running for a position on the PCC Board of Trustees.”

“I was a PCC member and shopper for years before I started working here and I know how important it is that we stay connected to our community as we continue to grow. Our continued success rests in the ability of our customers/members and team members working together as a community.  As a union shop steward who works one-on-one with customers every day, I am making myself available as a candidate for this position so that all our voices are represented in the boardroom.”

“Hi! My name is Donna Rasmussen and I’m running for a position on the PCC Board of Trustees.”

“I’m running because I believe the Board, and the cooperative, could benefit from the perspective of someone who connects with our co-op members, staff and customers every day. My entire household works for PCC, including my two teenagers who helped keep our store safe and sanitized as the COVID pandemic spread. I love my job, my coworkers, my customers and the values of PCC. I want to be a voice for [regaining and] maintaining the mission and values of PCC even as we continue to grow. I’m committed to making this a great place to work and to shop.” 

Dynacare Labcorp - LabCorp: Protect Your Frontline, Not Your Bottom line!

We met with Management to continue negotiations this week. We had another in depth conversation about the staffing crises and Pandemic safety protocols. We hope to see some counter proposals from Management on these issues at our next bargaining date.

“Staffing is short and so is our patience! Management came to the table woefully unprepared, once again. We spent 3.5 hours discussing staffing, scheduling, and COVID PPE. We even had to explain to them the difference between medical grade vs non-medical grade face masks. That is unacceptable!” 

— Sam (Sherry) McVay

This week, members are taking action by stickering up to show support for the bargaining process. Get your sticker from a bargaining team member to show you stand with us for a FAIR contract.

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

---

We need to continue to stand strong and escalate our actions to show Management we are serious. Join us at one of our drop-in CAT meetings on Wednesday, October 28 with NEW extended and additional times!

Wednesday, October 28 

12 PM - 1:30 PM
6:30 PM - 8 PM

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

---

November Bargaining Dates: 11/10, 11/16 & 11/23