On May 13 and 14, our RN Bargaining Team met with Providence St. Peter Hospital management for an eventful series of negotiations. These back-to-back sessions began with management presenting their initial economic counteroffer and concluded with our team making our final new proposals on retirement and healthcare.
Read MoreWe’re excited to announce that RN contract negotiations with Multicare will begin at the end of this month!
Read MoreOn Thursday, May 8, our bargaining team returned to negotiations with the hospital and presented a comprehensive set of both economic and non-economic proposals. We are still apart on elements of our proposed workplace safety language. That said, we were able to tentatively agree on items such as:
Enhanced new hire orientation language to better support incoming staff
A shortened review window for per diems—from six months to three months—to assess eligibility for an FTE position
Clearer language on paycheck errors, ensuring timely resolution
Refined staffing committee language to align more closely with the staffing law SB 5236
Our economic package proposal was met with some familiar objections, particularly to our pension proposal, which management claimed would strain their ability to provide more significant wage increases. We reiterated that whether we're talking about a pension, a longevity bonus based on years of service, or staffing ratios with associated premium pay, all of these are designed to encourage retention of experienced RNs at SMMC.
We asked management directly: What do you propose to retain RNs?
In response to our proposal allowing RNs to access EIB after eight hours (instead of the current sixteen), management countered with language from the SMMC Professional and Technical Workers' contract that would significantly reduce the total amount of PTO we currently accrue. Their justification? It would allow for first-day use of all sick leave. This is not the trade-off we were looking for.
We're asking everyone to start wearing gold and blue UFCW 3000 swag on bargaining days! We'll be distributing bandanas and other items to show unity and solidarity.
May 15
May 21
Sign our Strike Pledge Card >>
May 15
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Virtual via Zoom
"We need EVERYONE to sign the dang strike pledge cards to show management we are serious about getting the BEST contract possible!"
— Tammy Olson (ICU)
Bargaining Team: Kim Fraser, Pre-Op; Janice Brown, FBC; Tammy Olson, ICU; Lindsey Gearllach, Obs; Meredith Francisco, Med Surg
On May 8, we're heading back to the bargaining table to present our counterproposal in response to the hospital's comprehensive economic and non-economic offer. Unfortunately, the hospital's proposal showed little movement—especially on our staffing priorities. In our response, we'll reinforce the urgent need for real staffing guardrails to protect both nurses and patients.
While we haven't been at the table the past few weeks, we've kept the momentum going in the community. Just recently, the Kitsap Sun reported on our ongoing efforts to win a strong contract.
As we continue bargaining, we need your support to show the hospital that we are united and serious about achieving meaningful change. That's why we're asking everyone to wear UFCW 3000 gear or yellow and blue scrubs to work on May 8. A strong visual message of unity helps build power at the table.
After the May 8 bargaining session, we'll hold a Contract Action Team (CAT) and bargaining update meeting. Please join us to hear the latest and find out how you can stay involved in the fight for better staffing and a fair contract.
We presented two major economic proposals today: a revised wage scale, and a comprehensive staffing article—both crafted to raise standards at PSPH and recognize the skill, experience, and dedication of our nurses.
Read More“After intense negotiations we have reached a tentative agreement pending a vote by the Union members. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but positive changes to come!”
Read MoreOn April 16, we met with the SMMC management team and received a full counterproposal. While we appreciate that they responded to all of our proposals, the movement they made was minimal—and their responses fall far short of addressing the real priorities nurses have raised.
Our proposals focused on what we know is needed to recruit and retain nurses: safe staffing, competitive wages, and meaningful benefits. Despite the time we've spent explaining the urgent issues we face, the hospital's proposal was disappointing and, in some cases, proposed takeaways.
What SMMC Proposed:
EIB usage only after two full shifts (our current contract states after 16 hours)
Health insurance cost split for dependents to be determined solely by the employer
Break relief coverage assigned to existing staff—not additional hires
Wage increases: Year 1: 4.5%, Year 2: 2%, Year 3: 2.5%
At the table, management said they value nurses as highly skilled and highly valuable—but their proposals don't reflect that. We made it clear: SMMC is dealing with chronic staffing issues, missed meal breaks, and nurses regularly working above the staffing plan. That's why we proposed stronger staffing committee language and premiums when nurses are forced to work above the plan.
Management questioned the need for additional staffing language and extra pay under these circumstances. But we know why they're necessary: to hold SMMC accountable and ensure safe staffing for patients and nurses.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for May 8, and we're working thoughtfully on our next counterproposal. We need every nurse's voice and strength at the table—and throughout the hospital hallways!
If you haven't already, sign the strike pledge card. This doesn't mean we're going on strike, but it does send a powerful message that you are willing to authorize the bargaining team to take that step if needed to win a fair contract and protect patient care.
Encourage your coworkers to sign as well. The more nurses who stand together, the louder our message becomes.
SIGN HERE >>
May 8
7:00 PM
Virtual Meeting via Zoom >>
We'll be holding a Contract Action Team meeting to provide updates and answer any questions.
Stay strong, stay informed, and stay united—we're in this together!
"SMMC management is out of touch with the reality we face at the bedside every day."
— Kim Fraser
Our Union bargaining team: Lindsey Gearllach (Obs), Meredith Francisco (Med Surg), Kim Fraser (Pre-Op), Janice Brown (FBC). Not Pictured: Tammy Olson (ICU).
Our Union Bargaining Team met with management again on April 10 to continue negotiations for our next contract. During this session management presented their first comprehensive economic counterproposal.
Read MoreFollowing our next-scheduled bargaining date on April 16 with Providence, join us at our next in-person Contract Action Team meeting to discuss strategies to build collective power and solidarity in pursuit of improving recruitment and retention, winning better working conditions, and strengthening benefits for Providence healthcare workers across Washington State.
Read MoreOur Team feels that the tone of negotiations so far seems much more productive than our 2022 bargain! It has been a bit slow as both our team and Management’s take each proposal into careful consideration, but this is not a bad thing.
Read MoreOn Monday, March 17 our union bargaining team for the RNs at St. Peter Hospital met with Providence to kick-off 2025 negotiations. To start our day, we focused primarily on the “non-economic” sections of our contract, encompassing Articles which don’t directly relate to wages, premiums, or benefits, and presented management with our initial proposals on items like
Read MoreOur Union Negotiating Committee held its first bargaining session with St. Michael Medical Center management on March 6. In preparation, our team spent several days analyzing bargaining surveys, reviewing regional union contracts, and thoroughly assessing our current contract for areas needing improvement.
Read MoreFollowing highly attended vote meetings throughout Tuesday, February 18, our Mary Bridge RN union bargaining team are thrilled to announce that our 2024 – 2027 Collective Bargaining Agreement has been overwhelmingly ratified!
Read MoreTri-Cities Community Health has proposed a temporary memorandum of understanding to address the RN staffing challenges in Behavior Health.
Read More
Following eleven bargaining dates over the course of nearly six months, our Case Manager RN bargaining team at Auburn Medical Center are overjoyed to announce that we have reached a fully recommended tentative agreement outlining our proposed entry into the RN union contract.
At our last scheduled session on January 22, we met MultiCare at the table, and proudly announced that we’d secured a supermajority of strike pledge card signatures in our unit. Pairing this with discussions around our continued priorities in these negotiations—MultiCare requested an emergency bargaining session on Monday, January 27 to get back to the table as soon as possible and continue working towards a deal.
Considering the many challenges we’ve faced throughout bargaining, our solidarity and resolve have led to what we strongly believe is a groundbreaking agreement for Case Manager RNs at Auburn Medical Center, including:
Experience credit towards placement on the RN wage scale
Access to premiums, differentials, daily overtime, and all of the union protections contained in the RN contract
Protections around Case Manager RNs floating into other clinical areas of the hospital
A specific wage differential for Senior Case Manager RNs
RATIFICATION BONUS!
To read the full agreement and cast your ballot, we encourage all newly-organized Case Manager RNs to drop-by our vote meetings!
Monday, February 10
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
Cascade Training Room
7:30 AM – 9:30 AM
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Your AMC Bargaining Team: Sarah Murry, RN; Amber Hamilton, Case Manager RN; Nicole Joseph, Case Manager RN; Cory Larsen, RN; Nick White, RN; Mary Lou Gustafson, RN.
Following our bargaining date on Wednesday, January 22, and our announcement to MultiCare that the RNs at Auburn Medical Center had reached a majority of Strike Pledge Card signatures in less than a week’s time—management requested that we meet again at the table as soon as possible to continue negotiations on our successor bargaining agreement.
Our team recognized that this was an extremely important moment in our ongoing fight for a strong contract—in the sense that nurses were standing up and ready to take action, and that we may finally have MultiCare’s full attention.
As a result of this momentum, our union bargaining team are proud to announce that we have secured a fully recommended tentative agreement on our new contract, which includes highlights such as:
An all-new wage scale that places AMC RNs pay above many of our top competitors at nearly all steps
Increased Continuing Education funds
Ratification bonus as well as bonuses for our coworkers at the top of the wage scale each year of the contract!
ALL NEW safe staffing language, including a premium for RNs who care for a higher number of patients than the state-submitted staffing plan outlines!
To read the full agreement and check-out all of the additional wins we secured, we encourage all AMC Nurses in good standing to drop-by our vote meetings and cast your ballot.
Tuesday, February 11
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
MOB Classroom (1st Floor)
6:00 AM – 9:00 AM
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
“These negotiations have been incredibly challenging- but our bargaining team heard you all, and continued to listen throughout this process. The power that we’ve built together resulted in a contract that we’re confident will really start to fix the many issues RNs at AMC have faced, and keep AMC safe for patients and for nurses.”
—Cory Larsen, RN @ AMC
Your AMC bargaining team (L-R): Sarah Murry, RN; Amber Hamilton, Case Manager RN; Nicole Joseph, Case Manager RN; Cory Larsen, RN; Nick White, RN; Mary Lou Gustafson, RN.
On Wednesday, January 22, our Auburn Medical Center RN & Case Manager RN bargaining team met with MultiCare for our tenth bargaining session of this contract cycle.
During this session, we felt a significant shift in the balance of power. The energy and solidarity from our well-attended Informational Picket just days prior were still palpable. When we met with MultiCare in the afternoon to present our counter proposals- we also shared that in just six days' time more than 180 nurses had signed our strike pledge...
52%!
This turnout is nothing short of extraordinary, and even at the time this update is being written, that number continues to grow.
Sharing this with MultiCare sent a powerful message: Auburn Medical Center nurses are fed up, and ready to take action. For far too long, our concerns have been ignored, dismissed, or brushed aside- and paired with five months of rejected proposals aimed at addressing the severe staffing shortages and improving recruitment and retention- we are demanding the respect and attention we deserve.
In response to our renewed strength and resolve, management responded with urgency, and requested that we schedule additional bargaining sessions as soon as available. Our bargaining team agree that this next session will determine our path forward. We are hopeful that MultiCare show up ready to work, and ready to bargain in good faith to get RNs and RN Case Managers at AMC the fair contract we deserve.
STRIKE PLEDGE CARD
If you have not yet signed our strike pledge, please do so through here! >>
Update Your Information >>
After two sessions of bargaining and countless hours of hard work and dedication put in by our bargaining team, we were able to recommend and ratify our new contract which included competitive wages, increases to many premiums with additional premiums for those that go above the minimum requirements which we believe will help recruit and retain qualified Nurses.
We look forward to building on the foundation that we have strengthened and unified during these negotiations. We are calling on all nurses to get involved and share the responsibility in building a strong union within our facilities and show Samaritan Health that we will not be divided in our fight for a fair contract that recognizes and respects all of our hard work and dedication.
Please contact your bargaining team or Union Rep Amy Radcliff at (509) 340-7370 with any questions or concerns.
Your Bargaining Team:
Babette Donnelly, RN ER
Kina Treiber, RN Mother Baby
Ruth Cammack, RN Mother Baby
Teresa Erickson, RN ICU
Russell Roden, RN Clinic
Following negotiations with MultiCare at our previous bargaining session on December 15, our Mary Bridge RN Bargaining Team was looking forward to getting back to the table on January 7 to continue our work on achieving a 2025 successor union contract. Unfortunately, Tuesday session was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Read More
Our bargaining team for Auburn Medical Center RNs and RN Case Managers met with MultiCare on Thursday, January 2, marking the eighth day of negotiations this cycle.
Following our previous session with management on December 11, and a highly attended Contract Action Team meeting on December 16, our team was empowered and eager to continue pushing for a strong contract that reflects the hard work and dedication of Auburn Medical Center nurses.
After much anticipation spent awaiting management’s responses, our team was presented with an economic offer from MultiCare that we feel continues to undervalue our nurses by raising their previous proposal by a mere half of one percent—bringing the new total to 7.50%.
Even more concerning, MultiCare’s proposals for across-the-board wage increases in Years 2 and 3 of our contract (3.00% and 2.75%, respectively) are not only well below current market standards but could further widen the gap between the wages of Auburn Medical Center nurses and those at competing King County hospitals.
Another major point of frustration is MultiCare’s continued rejection of our proposal for a Staffing Premium—contract language that mirrors agreements in place at two other MultiCare hospitals. Despite extensive discussion, MultiCare claims they are “unsure how to implement and track” the premium at Auburn Medical Center... puzzling, considering they have successfully implemented similar provisions at their other worksites.
Overall, we feel MultiCare is not acknowledging the realities of the nursing wage market in King County. As a result, we spent the rest of the day on January 2 planning the next steps to stand together and demand change, including holding an Informational Picket at the Medical Center.
If MultiCare doesn’t see our value, then we will make sure they see OUR SOLIDARITY!
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
Thursday, January 16, 2025
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
RSVP Here >>
& Join our Picket-Making-Party on January 13 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM:
UFCW 3000 Office
23040 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198
Join us for a 30-minute drop-in meeting before each day of negotiations from 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Click Here to Join >>
Update your contact information now to stay up to date!
Update Your Information >>
Your Bargaining Team:
Nick White, RN
Nicole Joseph, Case Manager RN
Sandy Hegg, Case Manager RN
Cory Larsen, RN
Sarah Murry, RN
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
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