Providence St. Peter Tech - Strike Authorization Vote on June 4!

We have been at the bargaining table since late June 2020 fighting for our first contract. One of the reasons we organized was to keep our EIB and PTO. Throughout bargaining, we have made thoughtful proposals which would improve our working conditions, make our pay rates competitive compared with similar sized hospitals in the area, and continue our EIB/PTO plan. We believe these proposals will help recruit and retain caregivers so we can provide better patient care, but Providence has rejected many of these proposals. 

They also changed our PTO plan on January 1, 2021 without bargaining with us. We file an unfair labor practice (ULP) with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the NLRB found merit in our case! This shows that Providence’s unilateral change to our PTO plan was a violation to the National Labor Relations Act! 

Given the rejection of our proposals and the unfair labor practice, we are calling for a strike authorization vote! To go out on strike, two-thirds of voters must approve the strike. Going out on strike is always our last resort, but it is clear to us at the bargaining table that Providence is not willing to listen and does not respect us so we must take further collective action! Authorizing a strike means that your Tech bargaining team will have the ability to call a strike, potentially a ULP strike, if Providence continues to drag their feet at the bargaining table. 

We will be joining about 1,700 nurses at Providence Everett who will be voting to authorize a strike on June 2. Our vote will be on June 4 and we will be voting electronically via SimplyVoting from 12 AM to 9 PM. 

All members in good standing are elegible to vote.

To better inform our unit on what it means to strike, we will be holding an education meeting on June at 8 AM and 8 AM and June 2 at 6:30 PM. Please update your contact information on ufcw21.org/update-your-information if you do not receive email notifications from the Union. 

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT), Colleen Castaneda (Cath Lab)

Upcoming Strike Education Vote Meetings 

June 1 • 8:00 AM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

June 1 • 8:00 PM
Register for this meeting for call-in details.

June 2 • 6:30 PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Providence Centralia Hospital Tech - Hands Off Our PTO!

After hundreds of us marched on the picket line including nurses and techs at Everett and St. Peter’s on May 5, Providence continues to disrespect us at the table! We have worked through an entire pandemic short staffed and being undervalued! Providence is trying to frustrate us so we will accept a bad deal. We are essential workers and deserve more than what Providence is offering. 

On May 11, we discussed proposals regarding health insurance, holidays, daily/weekly overtime, PTO, and rates of pay. One of the main reasons we unionized was to keep our EIB/PTO plan. Providence announced the elimination of EIB prior to bargaining, but never announced any changes to our PTO plan until we were in contract negotiations. Due to this change in the status quo, we will be filing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). We filed a charge for St. Peter’s and the NLRB found merit in our case! This means that Providence must reinstate the original PTO plan at St. Peter’s. At Centralia, we need to show Providence that we want to keep our original PTO plan and they must bargain with us to change it! 

In addition, Providence finally proposed their wage proposal which is a continuation of their merit increase/ “minimum, midpoint, maximum” pay scale. This proposal would continue the wage disparity amongst our unit and would not take into account our years of service. Providence can arbitrarily place us anywhere on their pay scale and our merit increases would be up to our core leaders. In other union contracts, Providence union members have: 1) annual wage increases 2) anniversary date wage increases 3) wage scale with at least 20 steps  

We believe that we must take further action to move them away from this proposal which is a drastic deviation from all other union contracts with Providence. Our next action will most likely be to vote down Providence’s proposal. We will be holding a contract action team meeting to discuss bargaining on May 26 and 27.

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

PCH will have in person meetings at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Wednesday, May 26 from 1-3 pm, and Thursday, May 27 from 5-7 pm!

Mason General Tech - Bargaining Dates Set!

Our Bargaining Team is excited to get to the table to negotiate a fair contract. We will begin bargaining on June 4, but we need to hear from you about your priorities! 

Make sure you fill out your bargaining survey!

We will have a Virtual Contract Meeting on Thursday, May 20 @ 7PM to go over the results and discuss our priorities. 

Your Bargaining Team: Brenda Routson, Jennifer Madara, Pam Murphy, Jessica Turner (not pictured), Melody Warren (not pictured)

Virtual Contract Action Meeting on Thursday, May 20 @ 7PM !

RSVP for Zoom info here: 

Providence Sacred Heart Tech - Contract Vote Scheduled!

We held three contract Q&A meetings via Zoom on March 8, 2021 to answer any questions or address any concerns about the proposed contract prior to voting.

We will be voting online via “Simply Vote” on Monday, March 15, 2021 from 12AM to 11:59PM. You will be receiving an email from “Simply Vote” with your unique login information. If you do not receive an email from UFCW 21 or “Simply Vote,” by March 12, please update your information (via ufcw21.org/update-your-information) or contact your union representative Maureen Hatton at mhatton@ufcw21.org or 509-340-7370

Your Bargaining Team is recommending a “YES” vote!

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Lisa Aker, Surgical Tech; Angela Holmes, Surgical Tech; Teresa Bowden, Respiratory Therapist; Laurie Trudeau, Respiratory Therapist; Sam Zabala, Respiratory Therapist; Miriam Critelli, Pharmacy Tech; Kevin Lange, Mental Health Counselor; Shane Sullivan, Peds Sonagrapher; Aaron Bryant, IR Tech; Derek Roybal, CV Tech; Jason Van Curler, EP Tech

Providence Sacred Heart Tech - Protect Your Frontline, Not Your Bottom Line! Put Families First!

We have had 7 session of bargaining and are making progress in many areas but we are focusing our fight for fair wages and you to be able to continue to take care of yourself and YOUR FAMILY. Providence has proposed the elimination of your EIB benefits which for a full-time person would eliminate 64 hours from your Extended Illness Bank.

Please look out for the SAVE OUR EIB petition to show Providence that we are united in the fight to save our EIB.

Please reach out to your bargaining team with questions or concerns or contact your Union Representative Maureen Hatton at 509-340-7370.

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Lisa Aker, Surgical Tech; Angela Holmes, Surgical Tech; Teresa Bowden, Respiratory Therapist; Laurie Trudeau, Respiratory Therapist; Sam Zabala, Respiratory Therapist; Miriam Critelli, Pharmacy Tech; Kevin Lange, Mental Health Counselor; Shane Sullivan, Peds Sonagrapher; Aaron Bryant, IR Tech; Derek Roybal, CV Tech; Jason Van Curler, EP Tech

Providence Centralia Hospital Tech - Providence Ignores Our Demands and Will Eliminate EIB January 1!

On December 8, we met and bargained with Providence. We made a proposal to keep our EIB/PTO and Providence presented their new PTO plan which would eliminate EIB. Our position is that Providence should not implement the new plan until we bargain over PTO/EIB and it is a change to the status quo. Under the National Labor Relations Act, employers cannot change policies or procedures, the “status quo,” after a workplace has unionized. Because of this, we have demanded that Providence not implement their new PTO plan until we reach a contract agreement!

Their new PTO plan will 1) freeze your EIB accrual 2) reduce your PTO accrual rate, especially for employees with 10 years or more of service 3) your PTO will also be used for sick time 4) their short term disability plan provides wage replacement only if you are on medical leave and doesn’t apply if you are on leave for a family member. In addition, WA State Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML), which Providence is calling “short term disability” is a state-run program which all Centralia employees can currently use for 12 weeks with partial wage replacement and use their EIB to reach 100% wage replacement. Providence is selling this program as an additional benefit, but the reality is that all employees can access this program and employees are paying into the PFML program.

In addition, we reached agreement on five contract articles: recognition, union access, grievance procedure, no strike/no lockout, and separability. 

We will go more in-depth about bargaining at our “Contract Action Team” meeting on Monday, December 14 at 5:30 PM via Zoom. Furthermore, we will be planning a banner action in Centralia and a financial transparency petition, in order to hold Providence accountable for receiving COVID-19 relief money and not distributing that money to caregivers. If you have any questions or wish to participate in these actions, please contact your Union Rep, Erin McCoy: emccoy@ufcw21.org or 206-436-6598

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 - Providence Proposes Weak Contract Language!

On November 11, we bargained with Providence. We discussed several articles: union representation/access to the Hospital, union membership, unit layoffs, low census, and EIB/PTO. The Hospital continues to reject our proposals, which are similar to the current contract language of the RN unit at Centralia. The Hospital is intent on curtailing our union rights through our contract. Although we are a newly organized unit, we believe that our unit deserves the same benefits as the RNs.

The only way we will win those benefits is by showing the Hospital that we are united and willing to fight for our benefits, like EIB. In our last session, the Hospital stated they are going to move forward with the new EIB program as of January 1, 2021. We believe that they cannot move forward with that plan and they must maintain current policies until we have reached an agreement, according to the National Labor Relations Act. As so, we will be pursing every avenue to prevent this change from taking effect.

In our next bargaining session, the Hospital will be making a presentation around EIB/PTO and we expect this article to be contentious. In addition, we will be distributing a petition to request the Hospital be transparent about their finances, especially since Providence received COVID-19 relief money from the government.

If you need more car signs or stickers, please contact Erin McCoy—Union Rep, 206-436-6598—or your Bargaining Team. Our next contract action team meeting to discuss updates and next steps will be on November 19 @ 5:30 PM on Zoom.

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 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 St. Joseph Tech and Service Contract Vote

Providence St. Peter Hospital Technical update

Providence St. Peter Tech update

We have begun bargaining our first contract!

Your Technical Unit Bargaining Committee,
Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Josh Wood (CT), Colleen Castenada (CATH Lab), and Rae Lynn Korpi (RT)

We have had two bargaining sessions with Providence. We have proposed language that establishes our general working conditions. Providence countered with their own definitions which don’t reflect what we currently have in-place. This made it very clear to your bargaining team that Providence does not take us seriously. They have shown us they are willing to take whatever steps needed to prevent us from having a strong and effective contract.

We have decided that we need to take collective action. This action will show Providence that we are NOT afraid, we are NOT weak, and we will NOT be bullied.

Our landslide vote was just the beginning. We need to continue with this momentum.

Our next bargaining session is on July 28, 2020. As we move onto crucial proposals such as wages, PTO/EIB, and retirement we need to build our strength! Your bargaining team has decided, given with the current times, to show our solidarity by wearing face masks with the UFCW 21 logo. By wearing the face mask, we will show Providence that the Techs stand united and are willing to fight for our futures!

We will be passing out the masks prior to our Stand Up to Providence Action on August 4th & 5th, 2020. We have chosen those days because we will be bargaining with Providence on August 6, 2020. This action is crucial as it will influence how Providence responds to our proposals. Please remind your co-workers of the upcoming dates and to wear their masks! We will also be asking the RNs to stand in solidarity with us and wear UFCW 21 masks. The RNs are a large and powerful group and their support will show Providence that we are not alone!

In addition, Providence is currently regrouping from the contract fight last year. UFCW 21 represented nine nursing, professional, technical, and service bargaining units and authorized a strike in coalition with SEIU and WSNA against Providence. Because of this, they were able to win a strong contract! Recently Providence Centralia’s Technical and Service units have voted for UFCW 21 to represent them and will be in negotiations at the same time as us. This is good for us and Centralia. Also, Providence Everett RN contract will expire this year and they will be bargaining at the same time as us. We will have strength in numbers, strength in the desire to prevail, and strength in timing.

Please know that your bargaining team is working for you, but we can’t do this alone. Encourage your fellow coworkers! Anyone you see wearing the UFCW 21 face mask or UFCW 21 apparel, give them a nod or wave. Spread the word by posting on both the RN and Tech FB page, thank a nurse or anyone you see supporting us because this is truly just the beginning.

Sincerely, your Technical Unit Bargaining Committee,
Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Josh Wood (CT), Colleen Castenada (CATH Lab), and Rae Lynn Korpi (RT)

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact your bargaining team or Union Rep, Erin McCoy, 206-436-6598

Providence Centralia (Tech Unit and Support Services) - Register now to discuss your first UFCW 21 contract

Welcome to UFCW 21 Providence Centralia Tech Unit and Support Services Unit

Our next step is to fight and win a good collective bargaining agreement! We will be having a Zoom Webinar on Tuesday, July 21 from 5pm to 6:30pm to talk about contract bargaining and to answer any questions. In addition, a bargaining survey has been sent out via email to both units. We will compile survey results, comments from the Webinar, and your bargaining committee’s advice to create our first contract proposal. Please attend the Zoom meeting or fill-out the bargaining survey to have your voice heard!

Please register with the following link and an email with the Zoom Webinar link will be sent to your email: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ev5wvrSNQJqvsO_dFE667w
OR
If you do not have a computer/smartphone, you may call in
Phone: (253) 215-8782
Webinar ID: 824 2705 5245 (no password required)
 
If you have questions please contact your Union Rep, Erin McCoy (206) 436-6598

Forks Community Hospital Tech / Service - Bargaining Continues

We received Management’s economic proposals Wednesday. While we appreciate the effort they’ve made towards making sure our wages are comparable to surrounding hospitals, there are still areas for improvement.

We have proposed improvements to our Rest Between Shift language. We’d like to see Management value the rest and safety of all employees equally

Management is also evaluating our proposal to fully acknowledge and value our employees that work non-traditional hours. We hope they agree that evening and night shift workers make significant adjustments to family life, sleep schedules, and more.

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Once we reach an agreement, we will be voting our contract by mail

Please update your information with us here.

St. Joseph Tech - Contract Ratified

Our new contract was ratified on May 28 by an overwhelming “YES” vote! Our Bargaining Team worked hard to reach an agreement with substantial wage increases, maintenance of benefits, a commitment to discuss staffing concerns, and no take-aways. Talk to one of your Bargaining Team members or Union Representative for more information about our new contract.

St. Joseph Tech Update - Bargaining Continues

Our Bargaining Team has had several bargaining sessions with Management. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the most recent was held via telecommunications.

We are working on core issues around staffing and wages. We need the employer to come to the table with a fair offer that meets the needs of our membership.

COVID-19 INFORMATION
Keep your family, workplace, and community safe. Find coronavirus updates and resources on our website.

PETITION ACTION

Check the UFCW21 website for future bargaining updates and please sign the petition demanding safe and fair working conditions!

UFCW 21 Providence Workers’ Votes Announced

For Immediate Release:
January 15, 2020
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421 

UFCW 21 Providence Workers’ Votes Announced

 “We showed that through unity, and a commitment to our patients and each other that we could win a fair contract that is better for patient care and safety, better for staffing and better for the future of our hospitals.”

*The changes are reflective of wins across our union’s Providence bargaining units. Specifics may vary by location.                                                                      

The Tentative Agreement reached held the line on every one of the employer’s takeaways including: 

• NO cuts to our paid time off/sick leave that would have taken millions of dollars from years of our earned benefits

• ONLY accepting the new leave system after significant improvements and where it benefits us—at Holy Family and St. Mary’s

• NO changes to our health care

We fought for and won: 

• Improved safety standards for workers so we can be safe at work

• Improved staffing levels so we can take care of our patients with enough co-workers on shift

• Significant wage increases for every scale so we can better recruit and retain high quality staff at all our hospitals 

• Ratification bonus payments  

• Many market adjustments and increases to premiums to make sure we are fairly compensated and our workplaces remain competitive

• Better language in our contract to increase our power as unionized workers so we can stand up to Providence in the future and push back against their attempts to intimidate

• Lines up contract expirations in a way that will allow us to take action together in greater numbers in the next round of negotiations

Now the time has come for members at each location to vote. At their vote meeting, members will review the full details of the proposed new contract, get questions answered and vote.

Pro-Tech in Everett

DATE: 01/21/20

TIMES: 6:00am – 9:00am, 11:00am – 2:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

LOCATION: Colby Campus  Olympic, Conference Room, 1700 13th St, Everett, WA 98201

DATE: 01/21/20

TIMES: 6:00am – 9:00am, 11:00am – 2:00pm

LOCATION: Everett Labor Temple Room 106, 2810 Lombard Ave Everett, WA 98201

Centralia RN

DATE: 01/22/20

TIMES: 6:00am – 9:00am, 11:00am – 2:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

LOCATION: Koreski Conference Room 914, S Scheuber Rd, Centralia, WA 98531

St. Peter’s RN

DATE: 01/23/20

TIMES: 6:00am – 9:00am, 11:00am – 2:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

LOCATION: Nisqually Conference Room, 413 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506

St. Mary’s RN

DATE: 01/23/20

TIME: 5:30pm – 8:30pm

LOCATION: Mother Joseph Room A & B, 401 W Poplar St, Walla Walla, WA 99362

DATE: 01/24/20

TIME: 11:00am – 2:00pm, 4:00pm-6:00pm

LOCATION: Mother Joseph Room A & B, 401 W Poplar St, Walla Walla, WA 99362

BACKGROUND:

We started out as nine different negotiations across our one union. For months we got essentially nowhere and we were suffering from an increasing number of Unfair Labor Practices. Then we started to turn that around. We coordinated actions across our union, took strike authorization votes and developed a Unity commitment with SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW and WSNA. We worked together and ramped up the pressure on Providence to change. They still didn’t move. And then just hours before we collectively would have issued our 10-day notices to strike, we had a breakthrough. Together. This was followed by around the clock negotiations and ongoing unity that resulted in historic Tentative Agreements being reached across all of our bargaining units. We did it together. We remain committed to supporting SEIU healthcare 1199 NW until they reach a Tentative Agreement. And we are committed to keeping up with this collective spirit to enforce our contracts and negotiate together again in years ahead.

Covington Hospital Contracts Ratified

PRMCE PRO TECH Bargaining Update

Mason General Hospital Tech Vote

Capital Medical Center Service and Technical - Members Ratify New Agreement