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.
