St. Michael Medical Center RN - ULP Strike Authorization Vote Notice

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Your Bargaining Team met with Management on May 31 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement.

We focused our proposals on addressing the staffing crisis at St. Michael Medical Center, demanding that the Employer implement safe staffing standards on every unit and raise wages to help retain and recruit nurses. Management has failed to seriously address these issues, refusing to be held accountable for our chronic staffing issues.

The Employer has made matters worse by committing several unfair labor practices (ULPs) in an attempt to intimidate nurses from engaging in union activity. We have filed unfair labor practice charges against the Employer when Management (1) threatened discipline to nurses wearing union stickers, (2) prevented nurses from distributing strike pledge cards, and (3) threatened discipline to nurses leafleting to patients during the picket.

Given the Employer’s serious ongoing unfair labor practices that are negatively impacting the bargaining process, our Bargaining Team has announced a ULP 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 our Bargaining Team that Management will not listen unless we take serious action. Authorizing a strike will empower our Bargaining Team to call a ULP strike if the Employer continues to drag their feet at the bargaining table.

It's imperative that everyone participate in the vote to show management that we stand in solidarity for a fair contract and against their unfair labor practice charges.

Voting Process:
DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE
Links to the vote documents are now available and and will be emailed out to nurses who have an accurate email on file with the Union.

www.ufcw21.org/s/SMMC-RN-Strike-Vote-Highlight.pdf
www.ufcw21.org/s/SMMC-RN-22-25-Proposed-Contract-Redline.pdf

ONLINE MEETINGS
Wednesday June 8
9AM // 6PM // 8:30PM
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for details. Details will also be emailed.
The Bargaining Team will run through the vote documents, provide details about the progress of negotiations, talk about what it means to go on strike, and answer any questions. Voting will NOT occur during these meetings.

VOTE DAY
Thursday June 9
6AM-9AM // 12PM-2PM // 4PM-9PM
Best Western Plus Silverdale Beach Hotel 3073 NW Bucklin Hill Rd
Silverdale, WA 98383
The vote will be in-person and nurses will have the opportunity to speak to Bargaining Team members and Union staff before casting their ballot. Please arrive during the posted vote times as we cannot allow members to enter the vote room outside of the advertised times.

Jefferson HealthCare RNs - Tentative Agreement Reached!

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Our bargaining committee has reached a tentative agreement with Jefferson on a new three year contract. We are very excited to tell you that the agreement includes the following:

  • Sustainable Wages Increases for all RNs and LPNs 

  • Retro Pay from January 2 to Ratification

  • Contract Signing Bonus of $1300 (prorated)

  • Full Credit for relevant past experience (both new hires and current nurses!) 

  • Bonus Shift Pay Improvements

  • Double time for work beyond a scheduled shift on holidays

  • Fully defined floating language

  • Improved Scheduling Process

ONLINE VOTE SCHEDULED

The full contract offer will be available during the online vote on Tuesday, June 7 from 6AM - 8PM. You will receive an email from UFCW 3000 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.

You must be a member in good standing to vote.

Make sure your information is up to date!

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 and update your information. 

If you do not receive an email to vote on June 7, please reach out to Union Representative Ryan Degouveia at rdegouveia@ufcw21.org  or 360-662-1989 no later than 7PM the on the date of the vote to provide an updated email address.

Join the contract information meeting to review the full contract changes. One meeting will be held in-person at the hospital, and the other online through Zoom.

IN-PERSON

Friday, June 3 • 8AM - 8PM

Jefferson Health Care (Hospital)

834 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368

Cafeteria/Cafe

ONLINE

Monday, June 6
4PM - 8PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

It is important the union members attend one of the meetings to fully understand all of the changes to the contract and get your questions answered.


Providence St. Peter RN - PSPH RNs Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract!

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On May 25, the PSPH RN unit voted to approve the contract! RNs will receive their across-the-board increase on the first full pay period following May 25, which starts on June 5. Additionally all full-time and part-time RNs shall receive a $1,000 bonus (pro-rated to assigned FTE) on the first full pay period following ratification. 

Our next step is to finalize the agreement and for both parties to sign the contract. Once the contract is signed we will post the contract onto our website. This process can take between four to six months. In the meantime, please reference the redline vote document. 

If you have any questions about the contract or issues with your pay, please reach out to your union rep Erin McCoy emccoy@ufcw21.org . 

PSPH RN Bargaining Team: Mike Staley, Andy Dusablon Jacob Kostecka, Darlett Holm, Holly Wallace, Marcia Chinnick, Julia Douglas

St. Michael Medical Center RN Management is unresponsive — Time to take action!

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St. Michael Medical Center RN

Management is unresponsive — Time to take action!

Our Bargaining Team will be meeting with Management today and tomorrow with a Federal Mediator, continuing contract negotiations for St. Michael Medical Center nurses.

We haven’t met with the Employer since May 6 and, except for a small package proposal, haven’t received a substantive proposal from Management since our last bargaining date in April. We continue to be frustrated with the lack of progress from the Employer but have hope that the Federal Mediator will be able to help during this week’s bargaining sessions.

As of Monday morning, everything is in the Employer’s court. Our Bargaining Team is looking forward to seeing the proposal they’ve had weeks to work on.

It is imperative that nurses make a strong statement of solidarity at this week’s informational picket, showing Management we are serious about winning a fair contract. Nothing will move the employer more than a high turnout by nurses and the community at the informational picket.

We invite nurses to attend our next Contract Action Team meeting on Wednesday May 25 at 9AM & 6PM, where your bargaining team will share the latest news from negotiations and talk about the logistics of Thursday’s picket.

Informational Picket: Thursday, May 26

3:00PM – 5:00PM

@ St. Michael Medical Center

1800 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale, WA 98383

RSVP and Join the Informational Picket!

go to: bit.ly/smmc-info-22

Join the Contract Action Team Meeting

May 25, 2022 @ 9:00AM & 6:00PM via Zoom

Providence St. Peter RN - Online Contract Ratification Vote! Your Bargaining Committee Recommends a YES Vote!

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On May 3, we reached an agreement with Providence St. Peter’s Hospital! We will be voting online on Wednesday, May 25 from 6:00AM to 8:00PM. The entire vote document shall be available for review 24 hours prior to the start of the online vote. 

We will be holding virtual vote meetings on Monday May 23 and Tuesday May 24 8:00AM to 9:00AM and 8:00PM to 9:00PM. During these meetings, we will be going over the vote documents and answering questions.

In order to vote, you must be a union member in good standing prior to the start of the vote. You will be receiving an online vote link from “SimplyVote” at 6:00AM on May 25. If you do not receive a link to the vote, please email your union representative Erin McCoy emccoy@ufcw21.org. Additionally we ask that you provide us with a non-Providence email address. We have noticed in the past that Providence’s email system blocks emails from “SimplyVote” and UFCW. 

If you do not receive UFCW emails, please check your junk/spam folder or update your contact information by May 20, 2022 at https://www.ufcw21.org/update-your-information. If you have any questions, please contact your bargaining team or union representative. 

PSPH RN Vote Meetings

  • Monday, May 23 • 8:00 AM

  • Monday, May 23 • 8:00 PM

  • Tuesday, May 24 • 8:00 AM

  • Tuesday, May 24 • 8:00 PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

PSPH RN Bargaining Team: Mike Staley, Andy Dusablon Jacob Kostecka, Darlett Holm, Holly Wallace, Marcia Chinnick, Julia Douglas

Mid Valley Hospital and Clinic - Tentative Agreement Reached in Record Time

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“Our team worked to let management know wages were a priority, they listened! We are excited to share this experience with you all at the upcoming vote.”

Bargaining Team Top Left: Cheryl Pfeifer, RN; Karen Sanders, CAN; Teresa Cutchie, RN; Maureen Hatton, Union Rep 

Bottom Left: Juanita De La Cerda, Rad Tech; and Shawn Well, PAR 

Join Our Vote Meeting!

Please attend one of these meetings times to get the details. 

Full agreement for review will be available at the vote meeting. UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend a meeting, ask questions, and vote on the contract. Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Representative for any questions.

Thursday, May 12

12:00 pm - 2:00pm

6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 

Conference Room G 

St. Michael Medical Center RN - SAVE THE DATE – INFORMATIONAL PICKET

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“The Employer made very little movement and has requested federal mediation. RSVP to our May 26 Informational Picket to show management that we stand in solidarity for a fair contract!”

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Our Bargaining Team met with management again on May 3 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract. 

Your Bargaining Team worked hours on crafting a comprehensive proposal for the employer on wages, staffing, and other important issues. However, the Employer only responded with a small package proposal regarding charge nurses and holiday call but nothing else. They failed to even provide an economic counteroffer!

Then at the end of our bargaining session the employer surprised the Bargaining Team by requesting that the parties bring in a federal mediator to help work through the remaining issues on the table.

We are very disappointed with the progress of negotiations and the lack of proposals from the employer at this session only furthered the Bargaining Team’s frustration. Therefore, we have agreed to begin the process of federal mediation.

Unfortunately, we must also report that we believe the employer has violated nurses’ rights on at least two occasions, forcing the Union to file Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the employer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). 

These incidents occurred when management asked for members to remove their “Hello Staffing Crisis” stickers in early April, then again when nurses handing out strike pledge cards at an employee entrance were told they were in violation of company policy and must leave. In addition to filing charges, we are reviewing other actions that we can take to ensure the employer will cease violating the rights of bargaining unit nurses. 

We are scheduled to meet with the Employer again on May 6, which will be our first session with the federal mediator. We’ve also signed a contract extension agreement through the end of the month, meaning that all protections of your contract remain fully intact.  

What is mediation? 

When the Union and Employer have reached a point when little progress is being made, the parties have the option to bring in a neutral third-party mediator to help move things along. The federal government provides a free mediation service (Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service) that works exclusively on union-employer disputes and has assigned a mediator to help us reach a deal with management. The role of the mediator is to help the parties better understand the other’s point of view and to push both sides towards an agreement. However, the mediator has no power to force either side to make any changes to their proposals.

RSVP to the Info Picket!

After months of bargaining, our Bargaining Team has announced that nurses at St. Michael Medical Center will be holding an informational picket on Thursday May 26 from 3:00PM to 5:00PM. We invite bargaining unit nurses who are off-the-clock, their families, and any member of the community to RSVP for the event. RSVP through the code or link below!

Thursday, May 26 • 3PM - 5PM
1800 NW Myhre Road, Silverdale, WA 98383

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Bargaining update

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On April 20, we had our third bargaining session with Management. We presented our proposals which address retention, safety, staffing, and compensation. Throughout these sessions Management appears to be listening to our requests for creative solutions to our staffing and retention issues. They recognize there is a staffing issue and wish to resolve it collaboratively. We expect Management to make a proposal which takes our requests into consideration. Our next bargaining sessions will be on April 25 and 26.

PSPH RN Bargaining Team: Mike Staley, Andy Dusablon Jacob Kostecka, Darlett Holm, Holly Wallace, Marcia Chinnick, Julia Douglas

St. Michael Medical Center RN - SIGN THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD

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“Stand in solidarity with your co-workers for a fair contract by signing the strike pledge card TODAY!”

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Our Bargaining Team met with management again on April 11 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract.

At this meeting the Employer did not provide an updated economic offer, sticking with their last offer of 15% over the next three years. Your Bargaining team finds it difficult to be excited about the Employer’s offer, which would still place us about 6.50% behind the base wage rate at St. Joseph Medical Center after their 2022 raise in November.

The Employer’s last bargaining update claimed their proposal would be “on average, at least” (whatever that means) 20% over the life of the contract. Make no mistake, all nurses will NOT receive at least a 20% wage increase throughout the life of the contract with the Employer’s proposal. After working through a global pandemic, our bargaining team refuses to let management’s creative math pressure us into a mediocre agreement.

We also continue to fight for several important non-economic improvements such as implementing safe staffing standards in every department, permanent pandemic language that prepares the hospital for the next public health emergency, and new language about the refusal of hazardous assignments.

Despite our frustration, significant progress was made on several other issues such as holiday pay, charge nurse language improvements, notice of resignation, low census, and union steward access to disciplinary meetings. We were only able to make such progress after nurses showed solidarity during last week’s sticker action, which made clear to management that we are not satisfied with the progress of negotiations.

Our next bargaining session with the Employer is scheduled for April 27, which will be our last meeting before our contract is set to expire on May 1. Management has signaled that they want to reach an agreement this month, however, we remain far apart on many important issues.

Stand with our bargaining team and show management that nurses at St. Michael Medical Center are willing to do whatever is necessary to win a fair contract by SIGNING THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD and send a strong message that management’s failure to reach a fair agreement is unacceptable.

To sign please scan the QR code or follow the link below.

You’re Invited!

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved.

Wednesday, May 4

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

Emergency Department Meeting: Meeting focused on discussing the serious issues faced by nurses in the Emergency Department and working on solutions that can be achieved through contract negotiations.

Tuesday, May 10

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

CHI St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Continues

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“Management’s initial economic offer misses the mark, failing to come close to St. Joseph Medical Center’s recent wage increase.”

-Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Our Bargaining Team met with Management again on April 5 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract.

Before sending over their economic offer, Management gave our Bargaining Team a speech about the financial health of the medical center. Management outlined that the medical center is $45 million behind budget this year because of issues with patient length of stay, non-emergent procedure moratoriums, and the high number of travelers.

We countered by pointing out that if they agree to competitive wage increases for bargaining unit nurses, then they could retain and attract staff nurses and significantly cut down on the number of expensive travelers. We also noticed that they never mentioned that they are going into debt just not making as much money as they anticipated, which does not really concern our Bargaining Team. Management even admitted that they’ve noticed positive financial trends in March as the pandemic continues to abate.

Management’s Economic Proposal
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
8.00% 3.50% 3.50%

While we would have likely been excited about their initial offer in previous contract cycles, we are now in different times with historic inflation and a hyper-competitive labor market. In fact, their proposal is far behind the 11% wage increase that nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center recently won, even worse when you consider that they will receive an additional 4% increase later this year.

We also reminded Management that St. Michael Medical Center is in a unique geographic location, meaning that we need to pay a higher wage to attract nurses into Silverdale or, more importantly, stop nurses from commuting into Seattle.

Management also continued to REJECT our enhanced charge nurse language, guarantees that nurses won’t be responsible for EVS or billing work, permanent pandemic language that ensures nurses will be protected during the next public health emergency, and our addition of staffing ratios into the contract.

We are scheduled to meet with the employer on Monday, April 11 and then again on Wednesday, April 27.

Next Steps:

Our Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations at: facebook.com/SMMCNURSES

Contract Action Team Meeting: Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure Management, and learn how to get our co-workers involved. We’ve also started holding a separate Emergency Department meeting focused on discussing the serious issues faced by nurses working in the department.

Sticker Action! Reach out to our workplace leader or Union Rep Aimee Oien to get a stack of our “Hello Staffing Crisis” or “Hello Missed Breaks” stickers to wear in the workplace. The stickers are launching on April 7, so make sure to get yours soon!

QUESTIONS? Join your coworkers and hear from the Bargaining Team! Zoom links are in the text below.

Wednesday, April 6 @ 6 PM
Contract Action Team (CAT) Meeting

Tuesday, April 12 @ 6 PM
Emergency Department Meeting

Lourdes Medical Center RN - New Three-Year Contract Ratified with Super Majority Vote effective January 1, 2022 through January 1, 2025

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After countless hours of hard work and dedication put in by your bargaining team, we were able to recommend and ratify our new contract with competitive wage increases that will be retroactive to January 1, 2022, increase to max accrual bank and secure better membership language.

We look forward to building strength and unity within our facility so that we can show LifePoint that we will not be divided in our desire to be treated with respect and equity.

Please contact your bargaining team or Union Rep Maureen Hatton 509-340-7370 with any questions or concerns.

Your Bargaining Team, Left to Right: Holly Kelly, Jennifer Powell and Jessica Leon

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Continues

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“We proposed competitive increases to wages and differentials that take into account both today’s competitive labor market as well as everything we’ve been through over the last few years. Management said they were disappointed with our aggressive proposal, but we made clear that we refuse to settle for a mediocre contract.” 

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on March 9 to continue negotiations for the St. Michael Medical Center RN contract.  

At this session we finally presented our initial economic proposal to management, which was written to ensure that our wage scale will become (and stay) competitive with neighboring hospitals. We believe that “neighboring hospitals” is not just limited to Tacoma but should also include Seattle competitors that easily recruit nurses to commute across the water.  

We also recognize that St. Joseph Medical Center recently reached an agreement with their employer for an 11% raise, with another 4% in November, plus the removal of multiple ghost steps (years with 0% wage increases). Your Bargaining Team’s proposal was significantly higher than the SJMC agreement and also included the removal of our ghost steps. 

In addition to wage increases, your Bargaining Team proposed a new retention bonus program, increases to various differentials, and new language that would ensure equitable and timely incentive pay.

Our proposal shocked management, who said they were extremely disappointed and “taken aback.” They complained that our proposed increases would make St. Michael Medical Center nurses the highest paid in the entire state. While management is likely right, we believe that serious action is needed to attract and retain nurses.  

We expect to see a counter economic proposal from management during our next bargaining date on April 5. 

Your Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations.

You’re Invited! 

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, April 6 @ 6:00PM

Wednesday, April 6

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

Lourdes Medical Center RN - Tentative Agreement Reached

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After a marathon bargain session on March 1 we are pleased to announce that we have a fully recommended tentative agreement that consists of NO TAKEAWAYS.

Although we did not get everything that we were asking for, we did make huge progress is gaining ground to become more competitive in wages within our region. We were also able to improve some other areas within our contract.

Please join us in voting YES on this new three year agreement on Monday, March 21.

You must be present and a member in good standing to vote.

A full version of the contract will be available at the vote for your viewing and your team will be present to answer any questions you may have on the proposal.

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

Join your coworkers and vote on your new contract!

Monday, March 21
11 AM - 1 PM
5 PM - 8 PM
Carondelet Room (next to cafeteria)

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Cautious Optimism

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“While we still have a long way to go, we are cautiously optimistic with the progress that was made today.”

Your Bargaining Team: Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson, and Janice Jones.

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on February 17, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center.

While we have yet to receive a comprehensive response to all our proposals, management seemed to have taken note of the Bargaining Team’s frustration at our last session. Noting that safety was clearly a major priority of the Union’s proposals, management made a counter proposal that focused on responses to our safety concerns. 

We were surprised by the amount of thought and consideration that went into crafting their proposal, with actual responses instead of the outright rejection we were expecting. For example, the employer’s response agreed to some of our demands such as:

  • Enhanced training when preforming hazardous duties, 

  • Language that ensures changes to the staffing matrix shall be voted on by the staffing committee,

  • Withdrew their demands for more control over our committees,

  • New language that will reduce the amount of committee meeting cancelations, 

  • Employer paid training on conducting effective committee meetings.

We also reached a tentative agreement on rewriting our preceptor pay language, which has been notoriously hard to understand. Our new language makes it unmistakably clear when nurses shall qualify for preceptor pay, removing the loopholes and inconsistences that plague our current language. 

While we were pleased with the progress, it’s important to remember that we are very far from reaching an agreement on a new contract. Even with the progress we made today, the employer has still failed to address most of our safety and safety concerns. We also haven’t begun talks about wages and differentials, which we expect to be very contentious as we fight for significant increases. 

Your Bargaining Team invites you to join our official Facebook page to get the latest news regarding contract negotiations. We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on Thursday March 3 with dates scheduled through April.  

You’re Invited! 

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, March 9 @ 6:00PM

Wednesday, March 9

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

Emergency Department Meeting: Meeting focused on discussing the serious issues faced by nurses in the Emergency Department and working on solutions that can be achieved through contract negotiations.

Tuesday, March 15

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

Providence Everett RN Pro Tech update Reduced ESBs means more staffing problems!

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Providence Everett RN, Pro & Tech

Reduced ESBs will result in more staffing problems!

In January, Providence Everett Management proposed to reduce the February extra shift bonus (ESB) stating that the current bonus amounts are extremely costly which has resulted in going over budget. They also mentioned they want to align their ESB amounts to better match the lesser bonus amounts of other Providence hospitals.

We told Providence that we did not agree with their proposal and proposed we wait until mid-February to evaluate March bonus amounts for each unit. We believe reduced ESBs will result in less staff volunteering for extra shifts, which will increase caregivers’ workload and will lead to more burnout/resignations. If there is less staff, then there will be less caregivers to provide care. We are deeply concerned about the well-being of caregivers and the quality of care the community will receive if there is less staff.

We also asked Management on January 28 to provide information regarding vacancies, labor expenses on agency/travel staff, recruitment and retention plans, and monthly labor expenses since 2019. This information is needed to better understand their claims. We still have not received a response to our information request.

We are disappointed that Management has chosen to implement the reduced rates and will be asking them to reconsider their position for the sake of patient care and the well-being of UFCW 21 members.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to your union representative, Anthony Cantu.

St. Michael Medical Center RN Bargaining Continues

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St. Michael Medical Center RN Bargaining Continues

“Management showed they are out of touch by trying to increase our work instead of finding solutions on recruitment and retention.” -Anne Burns, RN

Our Bargaining Team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson

Our Bargaining Team met with management again on February 8, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center. Our meeting was not very productive, with management failing to have a comprehensive response to our recent proposals, citing the need for additional research. The only proposal they had was a package, which offered an increase to the per diem premium so long as we agreed to larger work commitments for per diems in exchange.

Our bargaining team had already proposed an increase to the per diem premium in the hopes to recruit and retain employees, but adding more work commitments in exchange will only push more nurses to leave. We are not interested in their package proposal and intend to reject the change at our next session.

We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on February 15, which we hope will be more productive than our last meeting.

You’re Invited! March 9 @ 6:00PM

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Wednesday, March 9 @ 6:00PM

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Continues

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“We were disappointed when management’s first proposal focused more on enhancing their contractual rights instead of working to address our concerns.”

Your Bargaining Team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on February 3, continuing contract negotiations for nurses at St. Michael Medical Center.

We began our session by passing additional proposals to the employer for their consideration, including:  

  • Changes to how we recognize the past experience of new hires when placing them on the wage scale,

  • Increases to both our Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual rates and the maximum allowed in your bank,

  • Easier access to your Extended Illness Bank (EIB),

  • Improvements to our language regarding paid holidays and bereavement leave, 

  • And much more!

We also proposed an entirely new article titled “Health, Safety and Staffing,” all of which was identified as a major concern in the bargaining survey. When writing this new article, we researched union contracts up and down the west coast in search of solutions, using what we found to write language that would best address the unique problems at St. Michael Medical Center. This includes staffing ratios requirements, strong pandemic language (not just COVID-19), hazard pay, language regarding the refusal of hazardous assignments, and an improved process to report staffing concerns. 

The employer also provided your Bargaining Team with a proposal. Unfortunately, almost everything in their proposal was a power grab, only enhancing their own authority while failing to address any of the issues we brought to their attention. 

Management’s proposal included an increase to the resignation period (28-days instead of current 21 days), additional access restrictions for Union Representatives visiting the medical center, stripping per diems’ access to the grievance procedure, a broad and overreaching management’s rights clause, and more. 

The only benefit that management did propose was a B.S.N/M.S.N differential of one dollar per hour. While they were proud to offer this new premium, we have been asking for this differential for years and, after many neighboring hospitals already added the benefit to their contracts, they’re finally relenting. While we will certainly accept the addition of a B.S.N/M.S.N differential, we have a long ways to go until we reach a complete agreement with the Employer.  

We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on February 8 with additional dates scheduled through March. 

You’re Invited! 

Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually Monday, February 7 @6:00PM 

St. Michael’s Medical Center (RN) February CAT Meeting

Monday, February 7

6:00PM

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

St. Michael Medical Center RN - You’re Invited!

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What is a Contract Action Team?

It’s a group of bargaining unit members who regularly gather (usually monthly) to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management into a fair contract, and learn how to get their co-workers involved. Commonly referred to as CAT meetings, they are a great opportunity to stay involved and provide feedback to your bargaining team as they work to negotiate your contract.

Who is invited to CAT meetings? 

Any St. Michael Medical Center nurse who is part of the UFCW Local 21 bargaining unit is welcome to join CAT meetings! Having high involvement within your Contract Action Team is crucial in winning a strong contract, so we encourage everyone to attend if your schedule permits. Because of the sensitive nature about what we discuss, non-union management is not permitted to join our meetings.

See you there!

Your bargaining team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson

St. Michael’s Medical Center (RN) February CAT Meeting

Monday, February 7

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

St. Michael’s Medical Center (RN) March CAT Meeting

Wednesday, March 9 

6:00PM

https://zoom.us/join

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

St. Michael Medical Center RN - Bargaining Begins!

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Your bargaining team met with management for the first time on January 19, kicking-off negotiations at St. Michael Medical Center! While our contract isn’t scheduled to expire until May, getting an early start on negotiations will increase the chances of reaching an agreement before expiration. 

Our initial proposal, which primarily focused on non-economic items, included:   

  • Improved language regarding Charge Nurses, 

  • Broader application of preceptor pay,

  • Modifications to CEDO, including fixes to low census standby,

  • Stronger protections for Per Diem nurses,

  • And much more!

Your Bargaining Team was also working to support House Bill 1868, which would implement new safe staffing standards across the state. A member of your team briefly stepped away from negotiations to testify in support of the proposed legislation, sharing with legislators the dangerous conditions that persist at St. Michael Medical Center. 

In addition to implementing safe staffing standards that protect you from dangerously high patient loads, the law would close loopholes to the existing overtime and rest break law and add additional enforcement mechanisms to ensure hospitals comply with the laws.

We are excited about the opportunities to improve our contract through negotiations; however, it is imperative that we simultaneously fight to improve the laws that will hold the hospital accountable for their failure to provide a safe working environment. You can help support HB 1868 by sending a letter of support to your legislator though this link: 

We are scheduled to meet with the employer again on February 3 with additional dates scheduled through March.

“As negotiations begin it is imperative that we support House Bill 1868, which would implement new safe staffing standards across the state.”

Your bargaining team: Anne Burns, Brett Moore, Cindy Franck, Kimberly Fraser McMillan, Michael Nord, Tammy Olson


MultiCare Covington Medical Center Service & Technical & RN - Emergency Wage Increases—Vote Scheduled

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We are pleased to announce that we’ve come to a tentative agreement with MultiCare on emergency wage increases for all UFCW Local 21 members at Covington Medical Center! The proposed increases would align our wages with the union contracts recently negotiated at Auburn Medical Center.

It is also important to note that this is considered a mid-cycle increase, meaning that it is occurring outside of normally scheduled contract negotiations. Therefore, we are still scheduled to renegotiate your contract later this year, which will be another opportunity to further increase wages and make other changes to your contract. 

However, the proposed wage increase must first be approved by a vote of membership before they can be implemented. We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Thursday, January 13 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 and update your information. If you do not receive an email to vote on Thursday, January 13, then please reach out to Union Representative Kent Tse at ktse@ufcw21.org no later than 5PM on the day of the vote to provide an updated email address. 

Have Questions? 

There will be virtual meetings on the day of the vote to explain the details of the offer and answer any questions. Drop-in anytime during the scheduled meeting times.

Thursday, January 13

6AM – 8AM & 5PM – 7PM

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