Providence St. Peter Hospital Tech - Only economic issues to settle!

On August 12th, we met with Providence St. Peter’s management. During this session we focused on obtaining tentative agreements on the remaining non-economic issues. We were able to get three tentative agreements on seniority, leaves of absence, and definitions. Now the only issues that remain are union membership, hours of work/overtime, EIB/PTO, health insurance, retirement plan, education, and wages/premiums.

Our next bargaining session will be on August 23rd and Providence has agreed to bargaining all night in order to reach an agreement on the remaining issues.

Providence has rejected our proposals for daily overtime, education reimbursement funds, detailing the health insurance Employer contributions within the contract, keeping the retirement as is for the life of the contract, increasing premium/differential pay, reinstating EIB/PTO plan, and placing caregivers on the corresponding wage step for their years of service. To move Providence on all of these issues, we need to take action with Providence Centralia! We will be planning a joint action where we will be presenting strike pledge cards. We need you all to sign online!

Additionally, our unfair labor practice (ULP) regarding the changes to the PTO plan will go to hearing in November. The National Labor Relations Board has found merit in our ULP, but Providence is contesting the ULP so we must go to hearing. Also the NLRB has found merit in our ULP regarding the elimination of stand-by pay when you are called into work for the RTs. We are awaiting the remedy from the NLRB and believe affected caregivers will receive back-wages.

We were also able to win extra shift bonus pay for the RTs and have requested that the same incentive apply to the rest of the technical unit. Providence is looking into extending the bonus and we will continue to pressure them!

If you have any questions about bargaining or have workplace concerns please reach out to Erin McCoy

Providence St. Peter Tech - PSPH Proposes Union Wage Rates!

On July 22, we met with Providence St. Peter’s to discuss the open articles in our first contract: wages, hours of work, definitions, union membership, definitions, seniority, retirement, health insurance, EIB/PTO, leaves of absence, and employment education. 

In our last bargaining session on June 22, Providence proposed a wage scale on the second year of the contract and a 1.5% across the board wage increase (cost of living increase) for the first and third year of the contract. We have made a lot of progress around most of these issues except for EIB/PTO and wages. While this is progress, we believe this is still not enough! We believe that to retain and recruit workers we need higher annual across the board increases, a wage scale from year one, and for our experience to be recognized when we are placed onto the wage scale. 

Currently Providence is proposing that we would be placed onto the wage step which is closest to our current hourly rate. For example, a respiratory therapist currently earning $35.20 with ten years of experience would be placed onto their scale at Step 4. A newly hired respiratory therapist with eight years of experience would be place on Step 8 under their proposal which means that the current respiratory therapist with ten years of experience would be earning less than that newly hired employee who has eight years of experience. 

We told Providence that this is unfair and will worsen turnover. We are proposing that current employees have their years of experience in their job classification recognized! 

One big win we had during the session is that Providence agreed to our higher base rates! But the higher base rates would not go into effect until Year 2 of the contract. Additionally, Providence proposed to continue their current PTO plan and keep EIB frozen. 

We are getting closer to an agreement, but the major hurdles we are facing is wages, EIB/PTO, and keeping benefits as is for the life of the contract. 

In order to get passed these hurdles, we need you all to sign onto our strike pledge card to show Providence that we will strike over our PTO unfair labor practice and wages if we do not see improvements to their proposals. 

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

Sign the Pledge Card!

https://bit.ly/Prov-Strike-Pledge

Join our Contract Action Team meeting!

Tuesday, July 27 

6:00PM

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

Providence St. Peter Tech - Providence Makes Movement at the Bargaining Table but Not Enough!

After hundreds of members took action together this month to overwhelmingly authorize a strike, (Providence St. Peter’s Technical Unit, Centralia Support Service Unit/Technical Unit, and Providence Everett RNs) Providence proposes a wage scale and longevity wage increases at the bargaining table!

On June 22, our committee spent the morning identifying our priorities in order to advance our bargain to win a first and fair contract. Our team has presented a proposal which includes:

• Wage scale with longevity wage increases and cost-of-living increases all three years of the contract

• Reinstatement of our original PTO/EIB program which will ensure we receive wage replacement while we are on medical leave for ourselves and our family 

• 100% Employer paid healthcare and contract language which would prevent premium increases

• Securing our current retirement plan and contract language which would prevent reductions to contributions

• Daily overtime and overtime for hours above our FTE 

• Increase to lead pay 

Providence presented a package proposal which requires us to agree to the entirety of the proposal. Providence proposed: 

• 1.5% wage increase in Year 1 and Year 2 of a three year contract 

• Wage scale with longevity step increases in Year 2 and Year 3 of the contract 

• Current PTO plan with PTO reductions to employees with 10 years or more of service

• Preceptor pay

• Voluntary union membership

• Same insurance benefits as non-union employees and the ability to bargain over material changes

• A retirement plan that would allow Providence the ability to reduce the benefits without bargaining with the union 

Providence’s wage scale proposal was a significant win, but there is still more work to do! Our strike authorization and other actions are the reasons why we were able to obtain this proposal! We now need to fight for our EIB/PTO, a wage scale for all three years of the contract, and wage equity between new hires and senior employees. 

Striking is always our last option and our team is committed to bargaining in good faith to find solutions at the bargaining table. 

We will be at the bargaining table on July 21 and July 22. Remember if you didn’t vote please take a minute to sign a strike pledge card and attend a strike education meeting so you can better understand what it means to strike! 

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

Providence Everett RNs and Providence St. Peter’s Techs Vote to Authorize a Strike

On June 2 and 4, Providence Everett RNs and Providence St. Peter’s Techs overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. Both units have been at the bargaining table since 2020 with little progress around economic issues and Providence has committed unfair labor practices along the way.

Providence Everett is negotiating a successor agreement while Providence St. Peter’s is negotiating their first contract. Along with these two units, Providence Centralia Techs and Support Services are also at the bargaining table negotiating their first contract. Providence Centralia will also be holding a strike vote on June 16 to show Providence that all three units stand united and a fight with one unit is a fight with the rest! 

At all three hospitals, Providence is proposing to eliminate EIB, reduce PTO, and move everyone onto a short-term disability program which does not give caregivers wage replacement if they are out on medical leave for a family member. In addition, at all three tables they have committed ULPs by 1) PSPH and PCH: changing the PTO plan while in negotiations 2) PRMCE: implementing bonuses and incentives without bargaining with the Union and diverting close to a quarter of a million dollars away from the bargaining table. 

We believe if we were to call for a strike, it would be a ULP strike since we are striking over the ULPs and economic issues. We intend to continue bargaining with Providence, but we need to prepare for a strike if things do not progress. 

We are calling for everyone to sign onto the “strike pledge” card! By signing this card, you are saying that you will go out on strike and stand alongside your coworkers! Please share this card and strike manual with your co-workers. 

In addition, we will be holding strike education meetings every Tuesday at 8 PM, June 8 at 6 PM (Fort Borst Park), June 10 at 1 PM (Fort Borst Park), June 15 at 6PM. If you have questions, please reach out to the bargaining teams and your union rep, Erin McCoy (PSPH and PCH) and Anthony Cantu (PRMCE). 

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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 St. Peter Hospital Tech - Hands off our PTO!

After hundreds of us marched on the picket line including nurses, techs and support services at Everett and Centralia 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 13, we discussed management’s proposals regarding PTO and daily/weekly overtime, stand-by pay, low census stand-by pay, and rest between shifts. 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 filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board and they found merit in our case! This means that Providence must reinstate the original PTO plan. Although Providence can still challenge the charge, 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 has not moved away from their merit increase/ “minimum, midpoint, maximum” pay scale. 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. We will be holding a contract action team meeting to discuss bargaining and next steps on May 26.

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

PSPH Contract Action Meeting 

Wednesday, May 26

6:30 PM

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

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!

Providence - Info Picket on May 5!

We have been at the bargaining table with Providence Everett, Centralia, and St. Peter’s Hospital for several months now and all we have seen from Providence is TAKEAWAYS and subpar contract language. It is time that we take our contract fight to the street and show the community and our patients how Providence treats its FRONTLINE WORKERS. 

At Providence Centralia, the Hospital proposed a 2% merit increase outside of contract negotiations for the Techs and Support Services units. We did not ask for a merit increase at the bargaining table, but as a team we agreed to the increase and view it as a recognition of our work during the pandemic. We still plan to fight for longevity step wage increases, annual wage increases, and competitive hourly wage rates! On top of that, Providence continues to propose language which would allow them to change policies during the life of the contract and has rejected some core standards we have in all union contracts like “just cause.” 

At Providence St. Peter’s, we asked the Hospital why they offered Centralia a 2% increase. The Hospital’s response was that Centralia has received a merit increase every year and St. Peter’s has not, therefore Centralia’s “status quo” is to receive a merit increase. This is statement is misleading! We have received merit increases every year except in 2020. While we are in contract negotiations, the Hospital cannot change policies or procedures and must continue all current practices, this is the “status quo,” but they can offer merit increases if they ask the Union. Their claim that their hands are tied is false! If they wanted to give us a merit increase like Centralia they could do so! On top of that, we have made a lot of movement at the table, but they continue proposing contract language which allows them to change policies during the life of the contract. We cannot agree to this weak contract language! 

At Providence Everett, we will have our next mediation sessions on April 12 and 16. We expect Providence to continue pushing back on our improvements to contract language and competitive wage increases. In addition, the Hospital continues to propose the elimination of EIB, reductions to PTO, mandatory paid parking, below market wage increases, and no increases to premium pay.

It is clear to all the bargaining teams that to win a good contract we need to pressure them with workplace actions! They need to see that we are willing to fight and will not agree to their bad deal! We will be holding an informational picket on May 5th at all three hospitals, including both campuses in Everett. You are allowed under the National Labor Relations Act to take collective action and not be retaliated against! We are asking that you stand on the picket line during your free time, meaning before/after your shift, during your lunch break, or on your day off. If you cannot attend because you are working, please have your family/friends attend the picket on your behalf! Family, friends, and the community are welcome to our picket! 

Please RSVP and share the RSVP link with your coworkers, including the nurses at PSPH and PCH! If you would like to distribute picket RSVP cards, please reach out to your Union Rep Erin McCoy 206-436-6598 (PCH/PSPH) or Anthony Cantu 206-436-6566 (PRMCE). 

In Solidarity, PCH Support Services and Tech Bargaining Team, PSPH Tech Bargaining Team, and PRMCE RN Bargaining Team

• Providence St. Peter’s (Olympia)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 2-5pm
  413 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506

• Providence Everett (Colby Campus)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 3-5pm
  1700 13th St, Everett, WA 98201

• Providence Everett (Pacific Campus)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 3-5pm
  916 Pacific Ave, Everett, WA 98201

• Providence Centralia Hospital (Centralia)
  Wednesday, May 5 @ 2-5pm 
  914 S Scheuber Rd, Centralia, WA 98531

Providence - Moving Towards an Info Picket!

On March 16 we met with Providence Centralia Hospital (PCH) and on March 19 we met with Providence St. Peter’s Hospital (PSPH) to continue bargaining for a first contract. Throughout the bargaining process, both bargaining committees have been making proposals that are very similar to one another. Both PCH and PSPH are facing the same workplace issues and are dealing with the same kind of pushback at the bargaining table. This is the reason why PSPH and PCH workers must stand UNITED! 

At the PCH table, we were able to obtain one tentative agreement on the “Labor Management Committee” article. The labor-management committee provides a space for workers and management to come together and try to solve workplace issues like job assignments and staffing. We also made our economic proposal, which included competitive wage increases, premium pay, a retirement plan, and health insurance coverage. We expect the Hospital will respond in the same manner as they did with PSPH Techs. They offered the PSPH Techs no guaranteed wage increases (only merit increases) and no longevity steps. In all our union contracts with Providence, we have annual wage increases plus longevity step increases which are dependent on your years of service. We believe that if Providence responds this way, we should take their proposal to a vote just like PSPH! This will show Providence that we stand UNITED against their lackluster economic proposal. 

At the PSPH table, we spent most of the time on two articles: leaves of absence and seniority. We have moved away from some of our previous positions to show Providence we are prioritizing other articles like compensation and PTO/EIB. We also presented our financial transparency petition at the table and Providence was outraged by our show of solidarity! The point of our petition is to demand transparency on how they spend their money to better understand the resources they are devoting to us and how much more they can spend on wages! Providence may say that they provided “extra shift bonuses” to us, but this was only available to respiratory therapists (RTs). Also, they provided “pandemic pay,” but this pay has been inaccessible for most workers and it was only offered for a short period of time. 

We need to take public action to bring light to Providence’s treatment of frontline workers and move Providence at the bargaining table! Our next step is to have an informational picket at Providence St. Peter’s, Centralia, and Everett. We will be holding this informational picket on May 5. We will be holding picket training meetings on April 7 and 28. Please attend one of these meetings to learn your rights! If you have any questions, please contact your Union Representative Erin McCoy (206) 436-6598.

Picket Training  

Wednesday, April 7 @ 6:30 PM
Wednesday, April 28 @ 6:30 PM

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

Providence Everett RNs // Providence St. Peter’s Techs - 99% Vote to Reject Providence’s latest proposal!

On March 11 and 12, the Nurses at Providence Everett and the Technical Workers at Providence St. Peter’s overwhelmingly voted to reject Providence’s latest proposal! While Providence Everett RNs are fighting for improvements to an existing contract, Providence St. Peter’s is fighting for a first contract for the Technical unit.

Providence is proposing to retire the EIB program, reduce PTO for more senior employees, and offering below market wage increases at both bargaining tables. We have notified Providence that both units are not interested in their latest proposal. Providence Centralia is also bargaining a first contract for the Service and Technical units and will be prepared to vote down if they receive the same proposals.

Back in 2019, the Providence units all stood together and fought to keep their EIB/PTO by taking workplace actions together and a strike authorization vote across the state. It is clear to our four bargaining teams that we need to take UNITED action once again!

We will be bargaining with Providence St. Peter’s on March 19 and April 6 and will be going to mediation with Providence Everett on April 12 and April 16.

Please join one of our meetings to find out more and hear about our next steps. Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep, Anthony Cantu (PRMCE) and Erin McCoy (PSPH), for call-in details. Details will also be emailed out.

PSPH Techs
Contract Action Team Meeting
March 22 @ 6:30 PM

Picket Captain Training
April 7 @ 6:30 PM

Picket Captain Training
April 28 @ 6:30 PM

PRMCE RNs
Picket Captain Training
April 6 and April 13 @ 8 PM

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Bargaining Committee Recommends a “No” Vote on March 12!

Since the beginning of bargaining in June 2020, Providence has made it clear that they are not willing to give the technical unit the same benefits or contract language that the RNs have in their contract. Currently we have several tentative agreements around non-economic contract language, but are still far apart on economic topics.

In one of our last sessions, Providence proposed no longevity wage increases and no guaranteed annual wage increases. All UFCW 21 contracts with Providence have longevity wage increases and annual across-the-board increases. We believe that we deserve the same!

It is now time to tell Providence that we are not interested in their wage scale proposal or subpar contract language! We deserve a fair contract which will help retain our current workforce and help us recruit skilled technical workers.

The committee is recommending a “NO” vote on Providence’s latest proposal!

We will be voting online via “Simply Vote” on Friday, March 12 from 12 AM to 11:59 PM.

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 11, please update your information online.

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

We will have vote meetings on March 10 @ 7:30PM and March 11 @ 7:30 AM via Zoom to go over Providence’s last proposal.

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Heated discussion over EIB and PTO!

On February 2, we met with Providence and discussed EIB/PTO, retirement plan, health insurance, seniority, lay-offs, and leaves of absence. We are getting close to an agreement on seniority and leaves of absence. Seniority is the years of service you have within a bargaining unit job classification and is specific to union contracts. “Seniority” is an example of the UNION DIFFERENCE!

Union contracts often times memorialize current workplace practices, but they also have better benefits than those non-represented/non-union employees receive. Also when benefits and workplace conditions are spelled out in a union contract, Providence cannot make changes without first bargaining with the Union. This is the UNION DIFFERENCE! As a non-represented employee, Providence can change all workplace conditions without any employee input.

We organized to keep our EIB/PTO, to better workplace conditions, and to stop Providence from changing policies. We have been making proposals with this in mind. Providence lost their cool in the last session and showed us that they are not interested in our need for stability and want to continue changing policies like EIB/PTO. They want to take away our ability to “demand to bargain.” We will continue to demand better contract language and better workplace conditions, but we need your support!

We are circulating a financial transparency petition, which demands that Providence share financial information with us.

We ask that everyone sign this petition, which will pressure Providence to give us more financial information and will show that we are united! You can sign this petition online or sign in-person with one of the Bargaining Team members.

Our next bargaining date is February 11 and we have a couple of dates in March. If you have bargaining questions or workplace issues, please contact Erin McCoy (union representative) emccoy@ufcw21.org.

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

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Providence, We Want to Improve PTO/EIB, Not Reduce It! Shame on PSPH!

On December 15 and 16, we met with Providence and discussed EIB, leaves of absence, and union access. We were able to reach a tentative agreement on union access. This allows for a union representative to visit the Hospital in public areas and allows a union shop steward to attend new employee orientation in order to introduce members to the union.

Management is moving forward with the retirement of EIB and a new PTO plan which results in a lesser PTO accrual. We have demanded at the table that they hold off on this plan until we have an agreement at the table, but they have refused. We are taking legal action and will be informing the community about Providence’s plan to decrease time-off and extended illness time during a pandemic.

So far, we have agreements on about half of the contract and are starting to discuss economic issues like EIB/PTO, wages, and other benefits. We know that these articles will be very contentious! We must take action! We will be planning more public facing actions and involving the community and political groups around the Olympia area. Also we are working in coalition with other healthcare unions to hold Providence accountable for their lack of financial transparency around COVID-19 relief money.

Our next bargaining sessions are on January 19, 22, and 26. We will have a contract action team meeting with a bargaining update on January 4 @ 6:30 PM via Zoom and will discuss public facing actions.

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

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Providence Proposes to Retire EIB

On December 2, we met with Providence and discussed in depth EIB/PTO. Providence told us that they have been retiring EIB at other hospitals, but amongst hospitals that are represented by UFCW 21 only one in Eastern Washington has agreed to a similar plan.

The Hospital’s proposed EIB/PTO plan would decrease the overall hours of PTO and freeze EIB indefinitely. In addition, the Hospital would supplement Washington State’s Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) to ensure all workers receive 100% wage replacement for 8 weeks while on a medical leave. WA State PFML is a state run program which provides wage replacement to workers while on medical leave. Funds for this program come from workers and employers. Currently all techs are being deducted a couple of dollars from each paycheck for this program. UFCW 21 helped draft and advocated to pass this law in order to provide wage replacement to workers who did not have a short-term disability plan or extended illness bank. This program was not supposed to replace EIB, but nonetheless employers like Providence have taken the position that they no longer want to provide EIB since WA PFML provides a similar benefit.

As so, we are comparing the current EIB/PTO plan to Providence’s proposal in order to see the differences between both plans. We asked several questions about the proposed plan, but it is clear that Providence still is figuring out the framework and procedures of the new plan. Given this, we need to ensure we understand this plan before we even consider retiring EIB.

We will be holding a Contract Action Team meeting via Zoom on December 16 at 6:30 PM to discuss Providence’s EIB/PTO proposal. In addition, we will be launching our financial transparency petition in December which mirrors the legislation we are advocating for in Olympia. Also we will be launching a social media campaign to inform the public about our contract negotiations and we will have a banner action on December 11. If you have any questions about bargaining or want to participate actions please contact the Bargaining Team or Erin McCoy emccoy@ufcw21.org.

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

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Providence Won’t Let Us Sit At The “Adult Table!”

On November 10, we bargained with Providence. We discussed several articles: leave of absence, union representation/access to the Hospital, union membership, retirement, health insurance, and EIB/PTO. The Hospital continues to reject our proposals, which are similar to the current contract language of the RN unit at St Peter’s. 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, we will be discussing EIB/PTO at length and 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 17 @ 6:30 PM on Zoom.

In solidarity,

Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Colleen Castenada (Cath Lab), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT)

Providence St. Peter Hospital - We Are Moving Onto Economic Issues!

On October 12 the Bargaining Team and Providence met and bargained. We were able to reach agreements on just cause, Management’s rights, grievance procedure, no strike/no lockout, successorship, and safety language. These are core articles in all union contracts and now we will be moving onto leaves of absence and economic articles like the definition of a full-time and part-time worker, EIB/PTO, and premium pay.

We anticipate Providence will push back on our economic proposals, so we must organize! We will have a car sign action on October 28 to show Providence we are united and ready to fight to keep EIB and obtain competitive wage increases. Providence Everett and Centralia and community groups will take part in our car sign action. If you are interested in distributing car signs, please contact your Union Rep—Erin McCoy @ (206)436-6598—or reach out to the Bargaining Team. 

We will be having a Contract Action Team meeting on Monday, October 19 at 6:30 PM via Zoom, please join us to learn more about your union rights and contract bargaining.

“Since the PTO/EIB hours has become a threatened benefit, it has been made clear that WE needed to unionize and fight together for solidarity for one another within this tech group.”

— Rae Lynn Korpi, Bargaining Team member

OUR TECH BARGAINING TEAM:
Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Colleen Castenada (Cath Lab), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT) 

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Join our Contract Action Team Meeting!

Monday, October 19
6:30 PM

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

Providence St. Peter - Making Progress on Core Articles!

It is clear that our workplace actions are working and Management is interested in a deal. But we must prepare to fight for our EIB and wage increases. Because of this impending fight, we sent out a letter to several community groups informing them about our contract negotiations and asking for their support! We will be having meetings with them to discuss how they can help us obtain a good first contract and keep our EIB!

On September 23 and 24, we met with Hospital Management and worked on five articles which cover Management’s right to change working conditions, disciplinary standard of “just cause,” grievance timelines, health and safety language, no striking during the life of the contract, and notification to the Union in case of a change in ownership.

These are core articles in all Union contracts. It is important that we have an agreement on these articles before we move onto economics, like wages, premium pay, health insurance, etc. 

We will be holding a Zoom contract action team meeting/townhall to discuss bargaining in greater detail. In addition, please share the community letter which is posted on our PSPH Tech Facebook group.

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In the spirit of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

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

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Join our online townhall meeting! 

Tuesday, September 29

6:30 PM

https://zoom.us/join 

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

Providence St. Peter Hospital Technical update

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

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

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“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)

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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.

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

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)

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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.

Health care stories from the front lines

UFCW 21 Members on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Western Washington 

Members of our union have been providing quality care to COVID-19 patients since the first case arrived in Washington. We are asking our fellow union members to stay strong, asking the public to support public health guidelines like staying home, and asking our employers and the government for safety and support. Here are a few of our stories. 

Health care workers need safety equipment to protect ourselves on the front lines of the COVID19 outbreak. It's time to get this equipment into our hands. Send a message to congress here.

Do you work at or own a construction company, medical or dental office, or other organization with an inventory of potentially life-saving personal protective equipment? Donate these much needed supplies here.

Stories collected by UFCW 21 member Wil Peterson

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“If we remember our training, we’ll get through this.” 

Kimball Conlon, RN, Everett 

Kimball Conlon, a registered nurse in Providence Regional Medical Center-Everett's Emergency Department, was literally a first responder when the country's first coronavirus case was identified in Washington. As part of the Biological Evaluation Safety Team that faced a mysterious, rapidly unfolding crisis in January, she quickly learned the importance of remaining cool under unimaginable pressure. 

Her primary goal is ensuring that she protects her patients and colleagues. "If we remember our training, we’ll get through this," she said. "I will do everything I can to prevent the spread of transmission.” 

Union intervention, she added, has been a valuable resource. "The Union is sort of being the vigilant ones for the membership – making sure that hospitals and grocery stores are doing everything they need to do to protect workers," Kimball said. "They've been good at disseminating information and expressing support for members." 

"I know that people are frustrated by what they see as a lack of support from the hospital," Kimball said of hospital employers. "But they can only do what they can do with the information that's given from our government." Fortunately, she said, the Centers for Disease Control is helping matters by releasing new details about the coronavirus. This information, which repeatedly recommends precautionary measures, provides guidelines that Kimball strongly endorses. 

"I think that if people who feel sick can stay home, stay home. Use good hand sanitation," Kimball said. "Don’t add to confusion by spreading misinformation. I think we need to rely on what we know." 

Despite current fears and concerns generated by the pandemic, Kimball remains cautiously optimistic about lessons that can be learned for dealing with future crises. "We need to allow ourselves grace, and the powers that be grace," she said. "Let's try to get through this, and then say, 'What can we do better?'" 

“All we can do is our best.” 

Jacob Kostecka, RN, Olympia 

Dealing with the coronavirus is a new experience for UFCW 21 member Jacob Kostecka, too, a registered nurse at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. He said his county – Thurston – reported its first case earlier this week. “There is no treatment for this, other than supportive care. So if people come in, all we can do is our best. In some ways, we just have to accept that it’s here and live our lives.” 

But prior to the first case, social panic was already evident at the hospital. Masks and toilet paper are in short supply, he said, in some cases because of theft. Remaining items are now locked up. “It’s devastating to us because we’re in desperate need of them. It’s a challenge for care providers to get what we need,” Jacob said. “The shortage will only get worse as the pandemic continues.” Further complicating matters, Jacob added, is receiving confusing and conflicting information from the Federal Government about how best to deal with the pandemic. 

Another challenge is trying to provide quality care while dealing with inadequate staffing, said Jacob, who compared the crisis to a slow-moving train wreck. “We’re all gonna get hit. This is not going away.” 

Jacob said he believes the Union’s role is to push for meetings with Gov. Jay Inslee and to ask Providence to cover any healthcare insurance and pay shortages of healthcare workers who lose wages because of the crisis. “The Union and the administration need to work cooperatively together for the best possible outcome for our staff and our patients,” he said. “And I believe we can do that.” 

“One thing we, as professionals, can do is care for patients under any circumstances – that’s just what we do.” 

Matthew Skews, RN, Everett 

As a registered nurse who works in Interventional Radiology Services at Providence Regional Medical Center-Everett, Matthew Skews has limited contact with patients. But he’s well aware of the challenges faced by other nurses in higher-volume areas during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Staffing is an issue, Matthew said, which is increasing as the nurse-patient ratio escalates. “One thing we, as professionals, can do is care for patients under any circumstances – that’s just what we do. But don’t make us do it short-staffed,” said Matthew, who referenced state legislation designed to protect nurses from experiencing fatigue. “That’s where we need the help.” Masks, gloves and other supplies necessary to help protect nurses and patient also are in short supply, he added. "We’re not sure if what’s there is enough." 

The cumulative effect of these shortages creates both frustration and exhaustion for Matthew. “Frequently we’re finding ourselves trying to keep up and catch up with what’s happening,” he said.