Providence Centralia Tech - No Deal Reached! Next Bargaining Session on September 8!

On August 25 we met with Providence Centralia. We were able to reach tentative agreements on union membership, leave of absence, and management rights. We spent the rest of the day working on a proposal around wages, EIB/PTO, premium pay, retirement, health insurance, hours of work/overtime, education fund, and employment practices. 

Providence provided us with a comprehensive proposal which included: 

• Wages—Placement onto the wage scale and 2.5% wage increase in Year 1; 2% wage increase in Year 2 and an anniversary wage increase; 2% wage increase in Year 3 and an anniversary wage increase 

• Elimination of EIB/ reduced PTO program which is currently in place

• Ability to change health insurance and retirement plan from time to time 

• Education funds of $400 or $300 depending on your FTE

• No daily overtime

Our proposal included:

• Wages—Placement onto a competitive wage scale and a guaranteed 3.5% wage increase in 2021; 3% wage increase, anniversary wage increase, and two-step progression increase if your years of experience do not reflect your wage step in 2022; 3% wage increase, anniversary wage increase, and two-step progression increase if your years of experience do not reflect your wage step in 2023

• Reinstatement of the 2019 EIB/PTO 

• Health insurance and retirement cannot be change for the life of the contract 

• Education fund of $400 or $300 depending on your FTE plus three days of time off

• Daily overtime for all caregivers

As you can see the biggest differences between our proposals are wages, EIB/PTO, daily overtime, health insurance, and retirement plan. Given these differences we were not able to reach a deal on August 25.  In order to win better wage scale placement, better wage increases, and a better PTO plan we need everyone to sign a strike pledge card. 

This past week the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found merit in our unfair labor practice (ULP) surrounding the changes to PTO! We will be going to hearing around this issue in November since Providence has taken the position that their changes were announced and therefore not illegal. We believe we have evidence which proves our point. This ULP would be our striking issue! 

Next step is to sign onto the strike pledge and we will be at the bargaining table again on September 8. If you have any questions, please contact the bargaining team or Erin McCoy. 

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

Providence St. Peter Hospital (Tech) - No Deal Reached

On August 23, we met with Providence St. Peter’s. The Union Bargaining Team started the day drafting a wage proposal. We had to rethink and cost-out our proposal which took about six hours. While Providence may say that we wasted their time and hardly made movement, the reality is that our wage proposal is quite modest and we take drafting proposals very seriously.

Our proposal places everyone onto the wage scale depending on half your years of experience and a guarantee of a

6% wage increase upon ratification,

3% wage increase/ anniversary step increases/two-step progression for employees whose years of service do not match their wage step in 2021, and a 3% wage increase/ anniversary step increases/placement on the appropriate wage step dependent on your years of experience in 2022.

Our wage proposal takes into consideration the market and the two years of wage increases we have not received. Additionally, we have held that our EIB/PTO plan from 2019 must be reinstated. Our ULP around the PTO plan has moved to hearing since Providence believes there is no violation.

Meanwhile, Providence continues to propose eliminating EIB/a reduced PTO plan for employees with 10 years or more of service; a 4% guaranteed wage increase in 2021 and a two-step progression for employees whose years of service do not match their wage step, 1.5% wage increase in 2022,

1.5% wage increase in 2023; no increases to premiums; the ability to increase health insurance premiums; the ability to change the retirement plan;

$300 to $400 in education fund depending on your FTE.

Although we are getting closer to a deal you can see that wages and EIB/PTO are the biggest hurdles we are facing. During our session we had more than 10 community leaders join us and tell Providence that we need a fair contract now! We believe this action has shown Providence that we have the support of our community and patients.

We hope that we will get closer to a deal at our next session on Monday, August 30.

If you have any questions, please contact our Bargaining Team or Union Rep Erin McCoy @ 206-436-6598.

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center RNs

Bargaining Team: Cory Larsen, Caroline Bellinger, Kathleen Vukelich

Our member Bargaining Team met with management on August 3 and 24 to kick-off negotiations.

We are frustrated that it took so long to get the employer to agree to these initial dates, which meant negotiations began only a few days before our contract was set to expire. We have signed an extension agreement to ensure that our contract remains in place, but we shouldn’t have had to wait so long to get this process started.

We presented our first proposal to the Employer on August 3, which included proposals to improve our existing language on issues regarding staffing, charge nurse assignments, accepting extra shifts, floating, and more. We also made a proposal to add the spot bonus incentive program to our contract.

The Employer provided a response to most of our proposals on August 24. While they did agree to some proposals that were already settled during the technical bargain, they pushed back on most everything else. For example, they wanted to strip out most of language that allows for members to report staffing concerns to administration without going through the staffing committee. While the staffing committing is a strong tool, we need to preserve alternative avenues for members who are not on the committee to have their concerns addressed.

Afterwards, we gave the Employer a comprehensive economic proposal. As we were crafting this proposal, we reviewed neighboring facilities such as Valley Medical Center who are direct competitors in the labor pool. Our proposal reflects the need to increase wages enough to ensure that management can easily attract and retain high quality staff at Auburn Medical Center.

We eagerly await the Employer’s response.

Our Bargaining Team will meet with management on August 24, then again September 8, 14, 22 and 29.

Planned Parenthood - Information Requested

We met with Management on Monday, August 16 for further contract negotiations. Even with the overwhelming support on the petitions we circulated, we are still far apart on economics. Our Bargaining Team has proposed both across the board and longevity increases as well as other economic improvements. Management has stated that giving more than small cost of living increases could have dire consequences for the Affiliate.

We have requested financial and other information from Management to substantiate these claims. Our Bargaining Team will review the information before we make a counter proposal. Our next bargaining date is scheduled for September 3.

“We need more information to assess the financial status of the Affiliate before we can make a comprehensive proposal.”

—Your Bargaining Team

Charlie King, PAC Rep - Tacoma; Monalisa Baumann, MA - Federal Way; Jennifer Morgan, PCC - Tacoma; Sage Alixander, Insurance Biller - Seattle; Mollie Overby, Community Outreach Educator

Join us for a virtual Contract Action Meeting to discuss our next steps at the bargaining table!

Monday, August 23 • 5:30 PM

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

Superior Linen - Tentative Agreement Reached!

After three bargaining sessions, we have reached a tentative agreement with Superior Linen. We were able to win competitive wage increases which will bring us to $15/ hour or more in 2021. 

We also won improvements to funeral leave, sick time, seniority while on layoff, and extended leave of absence if you are on worker’s compensation. 

Our Bargaining Team fully recommends a “YES” vote on Wednesday, September 1. We will be voting from 11am to 1:30pm by the Soil Department. 

If you have questions please contact Union Representative Monica Smith @ 206-436-6524.

---

Emos Llegado a un Acuerdo Tentativo
Voto el 1ro de Septiembre

Después de tres sesiones de negociación, hemos llegado a un acuerdo tentativo con Superior Linen. Fuimos capaces de ganar incrementos salariales competitivos que nos llevarán a $15/ hora o más en 2021.

También ganamos más tiempo para los días de luto, tiempo para enfermedad, antigüedad mientras está en despido, y licencia prolongada de ausencia si se lastimo en el trabajo.

Su comité de negociación recomienda un voto de “SÍ” el Miércoles primero de Septiembre de 2021. Estaremos votando de 11am a 1:30pm por el Departamento de “Soil.”

Si tiene preguntas, por favor de comunicarse con Monica Smith, Representante de la Unión

@ 206-436-6524.

More Information on COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Workers in Washington

The Department of Health has issued a document with more information and Frequently Asked Questions about the state proclamation requiring health care workers and public employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We maintain our right to bargain over the impacts of this proclamation on health care workers and we continue to support vaccination as a key tool in fighting the spread of COVID-19 which is once again stressing our health care system to the limit. If you have any questions about how this proclamation affects you that aren’t answered by these documents, contact your Shop Steward or Union Rep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find the full FAQ document from the Washington State Department of Health here.

What documentation do I need to provide to prove my vaccination status?

If you work in a health care setting, you must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to the operator of that health care setting. Acceptable proof includes one of the following:

• CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or photo of the card

• Documentation of vaccination from a health care provider or electronic health record

• State Immunization Information System record

• WA State Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination from MyIRmobile.com

Can I attest to being vaccinated in lieu of showing proof?

No. Personal attestation is not an acceptable form of verification of COVID-19 vaccination.

Is there any way to opt out of vaccination?

If you are entitled under applicable law to a disability-related reasonable accommodation or sincerely held religious belief accommodation, then you are exempt from the proclamation. If you are not entitled to an accommodation, then there is no way for a Health Care Provider to opt out of the vaccination requirement in the proclamation.

What happens if I can’t get the vaccine because I was infected with COVID-19 just prior to starting work?

If you are unable to comply with the requirement to be fully vaccinated by October 18 because (a) you were infected with COVID-19 in the weeks immediately preceding the deadline or (b) you had an adverse reaction to the first dose of the vaccine, talk the operator of the health care setting where you are working about their reasonable accommodation process.

Do private employers have to bargain with their unions since this is a government requirement?

Affected employers with workers represented by a union are to address the impacts of this proclamation in accordance with the provisions of any collective bargaining agreement between the parties.

NW Administrators - Vote Scheduled

After over a year of negotiations with Northwest Administrators, Management has given the Union an offer to send to a vote. Despite significant process made in recent weeks, our Bargaining Team is recommending a “NO” vote. 

Healthcare is one of the primary reasons we cannot recommend this offer. The current cost of our healthcare plan to the Employer is $4.65/hr, and in their latest offer, the Employer is only willing to pay for increases up to $4.86/hr. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that healthcare costs will exceed the Employer’s cap, which means you’ll pay for the difference. 

This is frustrating since in 2019, the Employer absorbed a $0.21/hr savings on healthcare and now they are unwilling to protect their Employees from a possible increase? Our Bargaining Team could not recommend an offer that places so much liability onto employees, with a high chance of healthcare costs chipping away at our wages.

Our Bargaining Team have other concerns with the offer that will be shared during the online meeting next week. Show the Employer what you think about their offer by VOTING NO!

The full details of the offer will be made available during our online vote meeting on Wednesday, August 25.

It’s extremely important that members attend the Zoom meeting to get a full understanding of the employer’s offer and have your questions answered. However, voting will not take place at this meeting.

We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Friday, August 27 from 6:00AM to 8:00PM. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information. 

In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, please visit  ufcw21.org/update-your-information. If you do not receive an email to vote on Friday, August 27, then please reach out to Union Representative Rhonda Fisher-Ivie at (206) 436-6584 no later than 5PM on the day of the vote to provide an updated email address. 

MultiCare Contracts Ratified!

We are excited to announce that UFCW 21 members at MultiCare voted to ratify their new contracts on Monday August 16!

Our new contract includes historic wage increases, significant wage scale restructure that puts more money in member’s pockets, protections against major increases to our health care costs, improved staffing language, and so much more. You should expect to see your new wage in the next few pay periods, but remember that they are effective back to May 23, which means you should expect to receive a sizable retro check as well.

Our Bargaining Team would like to thank the community who showed management that they will ALWAYS support health care workers. Community leaders showed up in numbers at our actions, speaking out against management’s behavior throughout this campaign and demanding a fair contract.

They will be happy to hear that MultiCare workers have just ratified one of our best contracts in years.

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

Albertsons / Safeway Meat Warehouse - We Need Wages that Keep-Up But Management Falls Short

Your Union bargaining committee met with Albertsons/Safeway Management on August 10 & 11, to end the delay in bargaining due to changes in the pension.

We started out by letting Management know that since we last met, things have changed:

There is a nationwide shortage of workers due to the pandemic which is driving wages up,

Other union workers in the DC have settled their contracts with substantial wage increases. 

We were clear that we need to keep up with wages in our DC.

While there was some positive movement on some important items, our core issue of equal wages to other workers doing similar work, Management’s wage proposal fell short of what is a fair contract. We moved closer but aren’t there yet.

“Management’s wage proposal fell short, so we need to take action to show them that we are all serious about getting a fair contract before we bargain again on September 7!”

— Jimbo

It’s time to take action! Management needs to see and hear from you all that what they are proposing is unacceptable and needs to change. We will have UFCW 21 masks in the workplace soon! Mask-up and show your support for a fair contract.   

We will also be having online Zoom meeting with members of the committee and the union spokesperson.

Online Meetings

Monday, August 23 • 6PM
Tuesday, August 23 • 11AM

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

PCC - Sign Up For Union Training!

PCC workers have been standing up to bring PCC back to its roots as PCC has continued to expand and change over the past years - whether this was fighting to nominate and then elect two PCC workers onto the PCC Board of Trustees or fighting to win new Worker Caucus Committee language in our contract that will allow for more worker input on store and Co-op operations.

Our union contract also has language that allows for workers to have input into the Board of Trustees’ search for a new CEO.

With the resignation of PCC CEO Suzy Munford on August 7, PCC has an opportunity to bring a CEO in that holds Co-op values dear. We have reached out to PCC leadership for information about their timelines for interviews and how they plan to incorporate worker input.

>> Want to get more involved? Sign up for a union training here! <<

Providence Centralia - Union wage rates and benefits differ from Management's proposal

On August 5, we bargained with Providence Centralia. Although we have not met in more than a month, we were able to take the wins from the Providence Centralia Technical and Providence St. Peter’s Hospital bargaining tables and apply them to our unit’s bargain. Therefore, it is so important that we stand UNITED with our coworkers at PCH and PSPH. We were able to reach tentative agreements on Management rights, Union representation, Union membership, definitions, and leaves of absence.

The remaining articles are hours of work/overtime, rates of pay, premium pay, EIB/PTO, health programs, employment status, retirement plan, and duration of the agreement.

These articles are mostly all economic. Although we are close on a few issues within these articles the biggest differences between our proposals and Providence’s proposal are the following:

Hours of Work/Overtime

• UNION
  If you work beyond your scheduled work day or more than 40 hours in a week, you would receive daily and weekly overtime

• You will receive 1 ½ your rate of pay for hours worked beyond your FTE

• Caregivers will have two out of four weekends off in a month. Caregivers who usually have weekends off or who usually work weekends should not be affected

• PROVIDENCE
  Overtime only applies if you work more than 40 hours in a week

Rates of Pay

• UNION
  Year 1: Wage scale with 26 steps; everyone receives a 4.5% increase and in some cases caregivers will receive up to a 15% increase because their wage rates are below market
  Year 2 and Year 3: Everyone receives a 3% across the board increase (cost-of-living increase) and anniversary increase

• PROVIDENCE
  Year 1: 1.5% wage increase
  Year 2: wage scale with an increase to “minimum, midpoint, maximum” ranges
  Year 3: 1.5% wage increase and anniversary increase
  Year 4: 1.5% wage increase and anniversary increase

Premium Pay

• UNION
  Increases to all differentials

• PROVIDENCE
  No increases to any differentials

EIB/PTO

• UNION
  100% Employer-covered Employee only health insurance

• PROVIDENCE
  Continuing reduced PTO plan and will not bring back EIB

Health Programs

• UNION
  Continuation of current retirement plan

• PROVIDENCE
  Will not spell out the terms of the current plan and can change the plan from time to time

Retirement Plan

• UNION
  Continuation of current retirement plan

• PROVIDENCE
  Will not spell out the terms of the current plan and can change the plan from time to time

Duration

• UNION
  Contract expires in three years. Typically, Union contracts are three year agreements

• PROVIDENCE
  Contract expires in 2025

We have another bargaining session on August 10 where we will be digging deep on the remaining articles to come to an agreement. Providence has indicated that they wish to finalize the PCH Tech and PSPH Tech contracts this month but has not indicated that for our unit. It is important that we are not left behind and we get a similar contract to PCH Tech and PSPH Techs.

To show our UNITED power, please sign onto the strike pledge card which we will be presenting to Providence later on in August!

>> CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD >>

Union statement on vaccination requirement for health care workers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mon., Aug. 9, 2021

CONTACT:

Amy Clark,
SEIU Healthcare 1199NW
amyc@seiu1199nw.org
425-306-2061

Ruth Schubert
Washington State Nurses Association
rschubert@wsna.org 
206-713-7884

Anna Minard
UFCW 21
aminard@ufcw21.org
206-436-6587

Seattle, Wash.— The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 21 issued the following joint statement on COVID-19 vaccination requirements for health care workers:

“As unions representing nurses and health care workers in Washington state, the Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW21 support science-based public health directives on COVID-19 vaccination requirements for frontline health care workers, with medical and religious exemptions. We stand firmly behind vaccination as the best way to save the lives of patients, family members and members of our communities.

At the same time, we fully expect employers to bargain with us over this change to working conditions.

We are facing an extraordinary staffing crisis in our hospitals and continue to advocate for reasonable deadlines and options for frequent testing as well as masking, as required in all health care facilities, for those who are unvaccinated. These provisions mirror those included in mandates in other states that allow health care workers to stay on the job caring for all of us through this ongoing crisis.

We also know that while the vaccines are incredibly effective, they do not replace PPE, universal masking or other infection control measures. We will continue to demand universal access to N95 masks and push employers to improve ventilation in facilities where needed.”

###

About SEIU Healthcare 1199NW
SEIU Healthcare 1199NW is a union of nurses and healthcare workers with over 30,000 caregivers throughout hospitals, clinics, mental health, skilled home health and hospice programs in Washington state and Montana. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW’s mission is to advocate for quality care and good jobs for all.

About WSNA
WSNA is the leading voice and advocate for nurses in Washington state, providing representation, education and resources that allow nurses to reach their full professional potential and focus on caring

Northwest Administrators out of state — out of touch

Northwest Administrators out of state — out of touch

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on Friday, July 23. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach an agreement as management continues to demand that the Union accept 0.00% wage increases for 2020 and 2021.

Management’s proposal would leave us behind the out of this world cost-of-living, which has only been accelerated by historic inflation rates. For the subsequent years management is offering only a combined 3.5% wage increase by 2023.

Management has tried to use out-of-state agreements to justify their proposal while simultaneously rejecting the Union’s Seattle area market data, which shows how out of touch with reality management proposal is. We reminded the employer that we’re bargaining in Seattle and the Union is not interested in reviewing out-of-state data.

We are meeting with the employer next on August 13.

Planned Parenthood Respect Petition Launched

King’s Command Foods - Contract Offer Rejected

King’s Command members voted on August 4 to reject the recommended contract offer. We will return to the bargaining table to continue negotiations. 

First, we need to hear from you! Join us at a contract meeting on Tuesday, August 10 @ 6AM in the break room to talk about next steps for our contract.

Jefferson County: Unprepared or Unwilling?

Unfortunately, our negotiations with Management today were short, as they did not have “the authority” to go beyond their first proposal offered to us 13 days ago.

Our Bargaining Committee has already offered a counterproposal to the Employer and we didn’t want to bargain against ourselves; so instead, we used the time to draft proposals for the County’s “Telecommuting Policy” and issues with FMLA leaves, which we will be presenting to them at our next bargaining session. When that is depends on when the Employer’s representatives have "the authority" to make us a counter offer beyond what they initially put on the table.

In the meantime, we are preparing to take action so stay tuned for the next bargaining update!

“We all have jobs to do, and it is surprising that the employer came to the table today unprepared to bargain with us.  What they gave us could have been delivered in an email!” —Susan O’Brien, Jefferson County Nurse Practitioner

PRMCE RN - Providence Everett RNs Overwhelmingly Ratify the Contract!

On July 23rd, the RN unit overwhelmingly voted to ratify the contract! We were able to win the highest pay increases since we organized! We will be working with Providence to finalize the agreement so both parties can sign the contract and we can post it onto our UFCW 21 website. In the meantime, you can access the “redline” agreement through the link below: 

Here are the details/ important dates of the new agreement: 

• On the August 20, 2021 paycheck: Effective the first full pay period following ratification, nurses will receive a three percent (3%) across the board increase. 

• September 2021: The Hospital will pay all bargaining unit nurses, pro-rated by their assigned FTE, a one-time bonus of $1,500 (minus applicable withholdings) effective the second full pay period following the date of ratification. Per diems will receive a pro-rated .25 FTE bonus.

• December 2021: Pandemic Appreciation Bonus-  The Hospital will provide a one-time bonus of $2,000 (pro-rated by assigned FTE) effective the first full pay period in December of 2021.

• January 2022: Effective the first full pay period six (6) months following ratification, nurses will receive a two percent (2%) across the board increase.

• February 2022: On the second pay period in February, 2022, an additional targeted increase of four and a half percent (4.5%) will be applied to Steps “Base” through “Step 20”. Nurses on Step 21 through 35 will receive a step increment increase of at least 2.5%. 

• December 2022: Legacy Bonus- An additional one-time bonus of $1,500 will, pro-rated by assigned FTE, be paid on the first full pay period in December of 2022 for all PRMCE RNs who are at that time on progression Steps 21 through 35.

• July 1, 2022: Third shift differential will increase to $5/hour 

• January 2023: Effective the first full pay one and one-half (1 ½) years following ratification, nurses will receive a two and three-quarter percent (2.75%) across the board increase. 

• April 2023: Effective the first full pay period following April 30, 2023, all employees on the active payroll will receive a (two and three-quarter percent) 2.75% increase.

• Immediately in effect: 

  • Per diem differential and pay in lieu of PTO and EIB has increased to 15%. 

  • Stand-by On Call pay has increased to $4.25

  • Float Pool/Resource Team pay has increased to $3/hour for Skill Level 1 and $4/hour for Skill Level 2 

  • Education Funds have increased to: FTE 0.8-1.0 $650; FTE 0.6-0.79 $450; FTE 0.3-0.59 $250; FTE 0.0-0.29 $200

Additionally we are still negotiating an “Extra Shift Bonus” (ESB) Letter of Understanding (LOU) with Providence. We have requested that Providence pay the bonus plus time and a half for each extra shift, provide retroactive pay to nurses from March 31, 2021 through present with the new LOU rates, include per diems, and count PTO hours towards nurses’ eligibility for the bonus. We have not signed an LOU which means if you pick up an extra shift please request that your manager put in writing that you will get 1.5 and the new bonus amount. We cannot grieve the extra shift bonuses since we do not have an LOU in place. 

We are also bargaining over Providence’s COVID-19 vaccination policy. It is our position that no one should wear stickers identifying whether they received the vaccine or not, caregivers who have not received the vaccine should not have their hours reduced, and caregivers who have not received the vaccine should go through regular COVID-19 testing. 

If you have any questions or believe Providence is not following the new collective bargaining agreement, please reach out to Anthony Cantu acantu@ufcw21.org. 

In solidarity, Your RN Bargaining Team: Juan Stout, ER; Kimball Conlon, ER; Betsy Bourg, Glasgow; Julie Bynum, Float Pool; Jenney Gannon, L&D; Madison Hamilton

Providence Centralia Tech - Economics and Benefit Language Remains Unsettled!

On August 2, we met with Providence Centralia. As a team, we worked hard in the morning to analyze surrounding area hospital wages and determine if our wage proposal is reasonable. We determined that our proposed wage rates were slightly below other unionized hospitals, but above non-union hospitals. Given that, we did not change our wage scale, but made modifications in other parts of our proposal. 

We presented to Providence the following wage proposal: 

Year 1—Caregivers will be placed onto a 26 step wage scale based on their current hourly rate, with a guarantee that all caregivers would receive at least a 3.5% wage increase. Any caregiver whose years of service in their job classification at Providence does not correspond to their step placement will receive a two-step progression each year of the contract, until their years of service and step matches. 

Year 2 and 3—Caregivers would receive a 3% across-the-board increase and a 2% longevity step increase on their anniversary date. Any caregiver with 26 years of experience or more will receive a 3% across the board increase each year but will not receive a longevity step increase. 

Under Providence’s proposal, caregivers would receive a 1.5% increase in Year 1, an average of a 2% increase in Year 2, a 1.5% across-the-board increase and longevity step increase in Year 3, and a 1.5% across-the-board increase and longevity step increase in Year 4. Providence will also give two-step progression to caregivers whose years of service and step do not correspond starting in Year 2 of the contract. Also their wage scale stops at step 20 which means caregivers would top out faster under their wage scale. 

The difference between our proposal and Providence’s proposal is our wage table and annual wage increases. In most classifications, we are proposing base rates that are $2 to $5 more than their base rates. Additionally, their wage proposal is tied to accepting the elimination of EIB/reduction of PTO..

In order to move Providence to accepting our wage scale, we need to take action! We will be presenting strike pledge cards to Providence later in August to show them that we are willing to strike if they continue making the same PTO and wage proposal! 

Please sign a strike pledge card online and join us for an in-person meeting on August 9 from 6:30AM to 8:30AM and August 12 from 4PM to 6PM outside of the North Entrance at PCH near the physical therapy building to sign a strike pledge card and get a bargaining update! 

If you have any question please contact your union rep Erin McCoy. Our next bargaining session is on August 25. 

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

MultiCare - Tentative Agreement Reached! Contract Vote Scheduled

After seven months of bargaining, we have reached a tentative agreement with MultiCare! The Bargaining Team unanimously recommends a “YES” vote on this agreement.

Highlights of the agreement include:

• Three-year contract,

• Historic wage increases at ratification with partial retro,

• Significant wage scale restructure that puts more money in member’s pockets,

• Increases to several wage premiums,

• No healthcare premium increases in 2022 with caps on future years,

• Improved schedule posting language,

• Streamlined process to report staffing issues to administration,

• And so much more!

The full details of the agreement will be made available during our vote meetings on August 11 via Zoom. Vote meetings are a great opportunity to learn more about the agreement and have your questions answered, however, voting will not take place at these meetings.

MultiCare Vote Meeting
Wednesday, August 11
7 AM - 9 AM
12 PM - 2 PM
6 PM - 8 PM
Contact your Bargaining Team for the Zoom link to join this meeting

Online Contract Vote
Monday, August 16
6 AM - 9 PM
You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.

In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, please click HERE to update your information. If you do not receive an email by 6:00AM on Monday August 16, then please reach out to Union Representative Judi Shoesmith @ 206-436-6518 or Kent Tse @ 206-436-6512.

INFORMATIONAL PICKET CANCELED: Now that we have an agreement, the informational picket that was scheduled for August 6 @ Tacoma General Hospital has been CANCELED.