MFused - Strong start to bargaining our first contract

Our MFused Bargaining Team met with Management on May 30 for our second day of negotiations.

Our t-shirt and button action was a huge success! We stood together and demanded the day off and full sessions for each bargaining day and WON! We reached agreements around the ground rules regarding frequency and length of bargaining sessions, and we passed our initial non-economic contract proposals to each other.

Management is proposing to change everyone’s schedules to start and end later in the day.

They also want to eliminate the ability to have water bottles at our workstations. We discussed the hardships that these changes would cause to members. We look forward to their responses and to have productive sessions going forward.

Next Bargaining Dates:
June 13 and July 14

Questions? Reach out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Chris Arellano @ 360-409-0241.

Our Bargaining Team: Ariel Simmons, Kimberly Greenside, Jennifer Wade, Robert Elkins, and Diba Kamayo

UFCW 3000 2023 Officer Election Results

2023 Officer Election Results

The UFCW 3000 Officer Elections are completed.  As all positions were elected through acclamation there will not be a ballot election process.

The following members have been elected for the 2023-2026 term:

President:

• Faye Guenther, UFCW 3000

Secretary Treasurer:

• Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 3000

Recorder:

• Maria Milliron, UFCW 3000

Vice Presidents (48 positions)

Retail Grocery Division (20 positions)

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 1 - Amy Dayley Angell, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 2 - Enrique Romero, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 3 - James Perez, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 4 - Bryan Gilderoy, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 5 - Jeff Terpening, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 6 - Roger Yanez, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 7 - Sam Dancy, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 8 - Atsuko Koseki, PCC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 9 – No Candidate

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 10 - Judy Wick, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 11 - J’Nee Delancey, Town & Country

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 12 - No Candidate

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 1 - Kyong Barry, Albertsons

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 2 -Trent Wu, Metropolitan Market

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 3 - Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Robert Allen, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 2 - Vanessa Roessner, Rosauers

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 3 - Kim Bristlin, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / North Region*** Position 1 - Cliff Powers, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / Peninsula Region**** Position 1 - Yasmin Ashur, Albertsons

Retail General Merchandise Division (4 positions)

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 1 - Todd Heuer, Fred Meyer

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 2 - Emily Hunter, Macy’s

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 3 - Melissa Lozano, Fred Meyer

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 4 - Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer

Retail Meat Division (4 positions)

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 1 - Greg Brooks, PCC

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 2 - Scott Shiflett, PCC

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 3 - Kevin Flynn, Albertsons

• Retail Meat / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Josh Frans, Safeway

Healthcare Division (9 positions)

• Health Care / At Large Position 1 - Bryana Kolppa, Kaiser Permanente

• Health Care / At Large Position 2 - Monica Meloy, Central WA Hospital

• Health Care / At Large Position 3 - Patricia Brown, MultiCare

• Health Care / At Large Position 4 - Kaye Balk, Providence Sacred Heart

• Health Care / Central Region* Position 1 - Gregg Barney, MultiCare

• Health Care / Central Region* Position 2 - Monalisa Bauman, Planned Parenthood

• Health Care / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Derek Roybal, Providence Sacred Heart

• Health Care / North Region*** Position 1 - Ashley Price, Skagit Valley Hospital

• Health Care / Peninsula/South Region**** Position 1 - Rob Shauger, St. Michael Medical Center

RN Division (4 positions)

• RN / At Large Position 1 - Cindy Franck, St. Michael Medical Center

• RN / Central*/Eastern** Region Position 1 - Tami Ottenbreit, Trios

• RN / North Region*** Position 1 - Juan Stout, Providence Regional Medical Center

• RN / Peninsula/South Region**** Position 1 - Mike Nord, St. Michael Medical Center

Cannabis Division (1 position)

• Cannabis / At Large Position 1 - Zion Grae-El, Have-A-Heart

Food Processing Division (2 positions)

• Food Processing / At Large Position 1 - Carmen Velasquez, Twin City Foods

• Food Processing / At Large Position 2 - Ana Alvarez, Washington Beef

Miscellaneous Division (2 positions)

• Miscellaneous / At Large Position 1 - Mohamed Muhidin, Hudson News

• Miscellaneous / At Large Position 2 - Sia Tinoisamoa, Aramark

Membership-At-Large (2 positions)

• Membership at Large / At Large Position 1 - Mike McDonald, Providence Sacred Heart

• Membership at Large / At Large Position 2 - Kinzie Michael, United Way of Spokane

UFCW 3000 Press Release: Essential Workers Organizing Academy

UFCW 3000 Launches Essential Workers Organizing Academy:

Inaugural Class Already Enrolled

Des Moines, WA -- At large corporations like Starbucks and Amazon and smaller companies like Crossroads Trading Co. and Storyville Coffee, a new labor movement is being born in front of our eyes, frequently led by young workers and people of color. Its inclusive vision has space for all essential workers—anyone with the courage to stand up and say: “I am essential.” 

To meet this historic organizing moment, UFCW 3000 is excited to announce the creation of the Essential Workers Organizing Academy, a new initiative to develop the next generation of worker-leaders in our communities. UFCW 3000 will dedicate resources to train new worker-organizers, assist in organizing their workplaces, and collaboratively develop innovative new organizing campaigns that blaze a trail for essential workers everywhere. 

“Participating in the Essential Workers Organizing Academy has already been a transformative experience for me,” says Louis Garcia, a former barista at Storyville. “I am gaining invaluable insights into the power behind organized labor and collective action.”

For too long, the labor movement has not adequately invested in successful strategies to organize workers who want a union but do not yet have one. Record lows are being set for national union membership, yet Gallup polling shows 71 percent of Americans approve of unions, the highest approval numbers since 1965. The labor movement on a national level has an existential choice at hand: either make a massive investment in the working class to build a new movement or remain stagnant and watch this historical moment pass us by. UFCW 3000 and the Essential Workers Organizing Academy are firmly on the side of investing in the working class to rebuild the labor movement into a force for economic and political democracy. 

“I never learned about unions or the labor movement in school, so working with UFCW 3000 has been eye-opening,” says Chloe Galer, a former retail worker who now attends the Essential Worker Organizing Academy. “The brilliant and passionate workers and organizers I’ve met through this experience and their unique stories have made it that much more impactful."  

Participants of the Essential Workers Organizing Academy will adopt an apprenticeship-style learning model and collaborate regularly with workplace leaders and veterans of organizing campaigns. The program will combine formal training, readings, and instruction with hands-on organizing experience to help build the next generation of the labor movement. 

"As an elected member of our Executive Board, and as an essential grocery store worker for many years, I believe it is both crucial and compassionate to invest in new worker organizing. And the only way we'll get that done is to train more people to be organizers at places like the Essential Workers Organizing Academy," said Kyong Barry, a long-time grocery store worker at Albertsons and workplace leader of UFCW 3000.

UFCW 3000 calls on all unions and workers’ organizations to rise up and meet this moment with every resource at their disposal. That is why we are proud to launch the Essential Workers Organizing Academy. We hope you will join us. 

PRMCE RNs - We have NOT reached a tentative agreement

Our last bargaining session with PRMCE was on May 11. Since that session we have not received a response from PRMCE for new bargaining dates. We are committed to continuing negotiations as soon as possible! Every day our staffing assignments get harder due to nurses resigning and hundreds of vacancies. Since the start of bargaining we have told the Hospital that we need to resolve this staffing crisis through competitive wages and better staffing language. The contract that our Union Bargaining Team proposed attempts to address retention and recruitment of nurses. We recognize the staffing issues we face at PRMCE need to be addressed with a comprehensive multi-action approach.

Below are a few of the proposals the RN team made in our last session. Some of these proposals the Hospital agreed to or proposed a lesser version of:

1. Hazard pay of $12 for emergent circumstances (like declared state of emergency)

2. Staffing: if a unit is staffed less than 90% of the unit’s staffing plan, the nurses on that unit will receive $5/hour premium

3. Break relief nurses for every unit

4. Internal equity: if a new employee is hired into a pay level greater than the  employee’s experience the entire pay range will be adjusted to reflect the placement of the new hire. Example: if the new hire should be on Step 4, but is placed on Step 8, Step 8 will become the new Step 4 and all nurses will have their wages increased to reflect the adjustment.

5. $3.00 Evening shift differential and $6.50 Night shift differential

6. For night shift nurses: after working on night shift for 24 months nurses would receive an additional $5.00 on top of the night shift differential. This is proposal is to recognize the longevity of night shift nurses.

7. $7 Standby pay

8. Increased premium for preceptors to $2.00 to train the nurses we desperately need.

9. Double time for standby on holidays

10. Added Veteran’s Day, Juneteenth, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to holiday list. PRMCE proposed cutting Presidents Day to allow Juneteenth.

11. Expanded holiday pay for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for night shift nurses. Consistent with other contracts in the area we proposed expanded hours for holiday pay on Christmas eve and Christmas day from 7pm on 12/23 to 7AM on 12/26.

12. $800 Standby Bonus for nurses who work more than 500 standby hours each calendar year, $1100 standby bonus for nurses who work more than 800 standby hours in a half year, $1250 for nurses who work more than 1100 standby hours in a half year.

13. Proposed improvements to health insurance by reducing out of pocket cost.

14. Allowing union rep into employee lounges and to remain member of staffing committee

15. 40 hours (pro-rated by FTE) for education hours and increased education money

16. Additional PTO to honor longevity of nurses over 15 years

17. Wages

• Step increments between steps would be an average of 2.5%. Currently the step increments vary between step

• Increase base to Swedish’s base rate of $42.22 on June 1, 2023. The new wage table would range from $42.22 (Base)  80.55 (Step 35)

• November 1, 2023 8.25% increase

• 2024 5% increase

• 2025 6.5% increase

To clarify, we do NOT have a tentative agreement. These proposals have not been fully agreed to by the Hospital! As you can see, there are some areas that we have some agreement on, but differ drastically on wages, staffing, and other contract language. We need Providence to come back to the bargaining table immediately! Nurses deserve better NOW!

Planned Parenthood - Bargaining Begins

Planned Parenthood
Bargaining Begins

“Hopefully Planned Parenthood still cares about their employees No Matter What.”

– Monalisa Bauman, Medical Assistant, Bargaining Team

Bargaining has kicked off with Planned Parenthood! On day one of bargaining, we talked about non-economics (language pieces that have no monetary value) and will get into economics (pay, benefits, etc.) in future bargaining sessions.

We discussed the following language:

• We proposed non-discrimination language, including ensuring the contract is gender neutral, access to all-gender bathrooms, respect for pronouns, chosen names on badges and emails.

• We proposed language that ensures you do not have to give 30 days’ notice of resignation, yet the Employer wants to only be able to give you 7 days’ notice of termination. We want to ensure all job positions have the same requirements for resigning or facing termination.

• The Employer proposed a one-year contract and cited that they are worried about funding through the election-cycle, but we are holding strong to a three-year agreement to ensure you are protected throughout the upcoming election cycle when Planned Parenthood is in the news even more and your safety and patient safety is at higher risk.

• The Employer proposed language in the contract stating if an emergency happens whether it be a natural disaster, pandemic or as they stated “Acts of God” that the contract would be suspended. We wholeheartedly REJECT that proposal. You deserve to be protected through all cases of emergency including the offensive language they proposed “Acts of God”.

Bargaining Team: Michel Avery, Alison Deboise, Melissa Grindstaff, Monalisa Bauman, Mollie Overby

Ray's Meats Contract Ratified!

Kennewick Winco Meat Contract Ratified!

Highlights Include:

• Above area standard wage increases

• Added Retirement Security

• Affordable Health & Welfare

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Rob Roundy at 509-943-8923.

Olympic Medical Home Health - Tentative Agreement Reached!

Olympic Medical Home Health
Tentative Agreement Reached!

Our Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement on a new three year contract and recommends a YES vote!

We are excited to announce that the new agreement includes:

• Wage scale increases totaling 18.5% for all positions over three years

• Additional market increases of 2.0-26.0%

• $1500 bonus prorated by FTE

• Weekend differential increased to $4 per hour

• On-call pay increased to $75 per night

Join your coworkers and vote on the new contract!

Port Angeles
Tuesday, June 6 @ 1—4pm
Olympic Medical Home Health - Conference Room
801 Front St. Suite D
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Sequim
Tuesday, June 6 @ 8—11am
Sequim Medical Plaza - Conference Room
777 N. 5th Ave, Suite 102
Sequim, WA 98382

MHS Covington Medical Center Bargaining Continues

After seven months of bargaining and mediation we finally met with Management in person. This really allowed us to have productive dialog regarding our proposals. We hope Management will now listen and take our concerns seriously.

Due to Management’s lack of respect and movement we were forced to bring a mediator into bargaining. She has been helpful in bringing us closer to a fair deal, but Management says we are still pretty far apart. If Management actually listened and respected the concerns of their workers we wouldn’t be so far apart. It is time for Management to Respect us, Pay us and Protect us!

In order to keep the hospital running well and efficient, people have to have joy in their work! That joy comes from the service we provide to patients. However, if our service is not valued or recognized by management the joy we get from our service to our patients dies out... in healthcare we can refer to it as burnout. What we are asking for is not a lot, if the hospital is small and not growing administrators should look at themselves - it doesn't fall on employees! If they want to retain staff then they need to value people, if they are in the process of growing they need to value the great staff they currently have, so that when the growth comes we all provide excellent care. It almost feels like we are begging for safety nets just to fulfill our FTEs. Management constantly low census us and many of us lose out on pay. The cost of living is way to high for people to not be able to meet their FTEs and get a full pay check. We have proposed language to limit Low Census and to help us secure our pay checks and Management continues to ignore our needs. It was great having dialog but its time for Management to take action and give us what we need! They say they want to recruit and retain workers but they don’t want to make the actions to make it happen. Wages are only one part of retention working conditions and the ability to work to make the wages are the other part of retention.

“Meeting in person allowed for a freer flow of bargaining ideas across the table. We still haven’t reached a deal but we had great discussion.” — Ken Ferrell

“Today we were able to express that union members are as valuable as nonunion workers and we are entitled to guaranteed FTEs and full paychecks just like travelers and system float!” — Faith Soriano-Miller

“Management said that float pool is the future of staffing, but we know Core staff are the present, future and backbone of staffing.” — Luz Martinez

Join us our Contract Action Team meeting via zoom!
Thursday, May 25 @ 1pm-2pm or 6pm-7pm

If you have any questions, please contact our Rep Ian Jacobson 206-436-6550.

EvergreenHealth Hospital - Fighting for changes in our workplace

EvergreenHealth Hospital
Fighting for changes in our workplace

We had four full days of bargaining and made countless proposals. Management finally responded to some of our proposals but were unwilling to accept many that are important to us:

• STAFFING: We proposed staffing language which would empower workers to collaboratively address the big staffing issues we face every day. Management failed to address the obvious need for a dialogue on this urgent issue.

• EQUITY: We proposed contract language that promoted equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. Management responded that they see no need to exceed the minimum protections required by law.

Our next bargaining date with Management is Wednesday, May 31. We anticipate Management will respond to our economic proposals at the next session.

We are ready to have an extensive conversation with them about what is important to workers at Evergreen.

For additional information, contact a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Jack Crow @ 206-436-6614.

STAY IN THE LOOP! It is very important that your personal contact information is correct with your Union to be sure you receive updates on bargaining with your Employer, union benefits, bargaining surveys, as well as contract vote information.
https://ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Macy’s Furniture - It’s Time to Take Action

Bargaining Team: Azia Domingo, Curtisy Bryant, Emily Hunter, Liisa Luick

Our Union Bargaining Team met with management again on May 11 to continue negotiations for our next contract. After winning stronger safety language earlier in the week, our Bargaining Team decided it was finally time to submit our initial economic proposal.

Workers at the furniture galleries have reported concerns about the effect of minimum wage on sales associates draws, longer operating hours during times when customers are not shopping, and frustration with the current deficit wipe off process.

In response, our Bargaining Team proposed:

New language that establishes a cap on sales associates draw rate, regardless of the actual wage rate.

• ...A significant wage scale revamp for non-sales associates that ensures wages keep up with the cost of living and honors our years of service,

• ...Commission increases to each tier (i.e. standard, premier, elite),

• ...Bimonthly deficit wipe-offs for all sales associates,

• ...and a new high-quality and affordable Union healthcare option.

We know that Macy’s will not give into any of our demands without a serious fight, but we are willing to do what it takes to earn the respect that we deserve from our employer.

Show Macy’s that you are willing to join the fight and do whatever it takes to win a fair contract by SIGNING THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD!

We, the workers at Macy’s, demand that Management agrees to a fair contract that offers:

• Fair wage increases that keep up with skyrocketing inflation,

• High quality affordable healthcare,

• Significant safety improvements for both workers and customers.

Macy’s - It’s Time to Take Action

Bargaining Team: Azia Domingo, Curtisy Bryant, Emily Hunter, Liisa Luick

Our Union Bargaining Team met with management again on May 11 to continue negotiations for our next contract. After winning stronger safety language earlier in the week, our Bargaining Team decided it was finally time to submit our initial economic proposal.

Workers reported on the bargaining survey that new hires are being paid nearly the same as long term employees, draw vs. commission deficits are pilling up, and our current healthcare options are eating away at our paychecks.

In response, our Bargaining Team proposed:

• A significant wage scale revamp that ensures our wages keep up with the cost of living and honors our years of service,

• ...Increases to all commissions,

• ...Bimonthly deficit wipe-offs for all draw vs. commission associates,

• ...and a new high-quality and affordable Union healthcare option.

We know that Macy’s will not give into any of our demands without a serious fight, but we are willing to do what it takes to earn the respect that we deserve from our employer.

Show Macy’s that you are willing to join the fight and do whatever it takes to win a fair contract by SIGNING THE STRIKE PLEDGE CARD!

We, the workers at Macy’s, demand that Management agrees to a fair contract that offers:

• Fair wage increases that keep up with skyrocketing inflation,

• High quality affordable healthcare,

• Significant safety improvements for both workers and customers.

Northwest Center - in the Right Direction

Northwest Center
Steps in the Right Direction

We spent the bargaining session on May 17 discussing in depth some of the most important priorities of early supports: caseloads, the right to remote work, geographic location assignments, and onboarding and mentorship.

Northwest Center struck down our language around remote work and geographic assignments and we highlighted that this is a major priority for Union members. The back-and-forth conversation showed us that we do have some shared interests with Northwest Center, but to win the language we want around these topics, we are going to need to show solidarity and take action together.

Our Bargaining Team pushed for clarity around the financial future of Northwest Center. Early Supports Leadership assured us that they are NOT for sale and have no plans to sell in the future. They were not willing to provide any details regarding the purpose of the meeting on Wednesday, May 24. We requested that our Union Rep Ian Jacobson be included in the meeting.

Bargaining resumes in June and we will continue conversations about caseloads and remote work. Our team will be meeting with SEIU Early Learning Union members to support one another in our fights for fair first contracts. Stay tuned for information on next steps and solidarity actions!

“We are excited about the progress we made with Onboarding, Orientation, and Mentorship Program. Our team spent a lot of time crafting these proposals and Management responded positively to our ideas. There is still more work to be done, but language is moving in the right direction.”

- Our Northwest Center
UFCW 3000 Bargaining Team
Jenica Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Cassie Villarreal, Speech Language Pathologist; Kimmy Burns, Physical Therapist; Julia Szilard, Physical Therapist (not pictured)

Join your coworkers for the next Contract Action Team meeting on Zoom!
Monday, May 22 @ 12:30—1:30pm

Contact Bargaining Team or Union Rep for meeting details

Read our Join Solidarity Statement with SEIU 925 at:
bit.ly/NWC-Solidarity23

For questions or to get more involved, contact your Bargaining Team Stewards or Union Rep Ian Jacobson, 206-436-6550.

Tri-Cities Community Health RNs Bargaining Continues

Our Union Bargaining Team has finished an additional three sessions since last week. We have been able to get tentative agreements on most of our new contract which include; a grievance process, seniority language, improved working conditions secure union representation and membership but will continue to work on compensation and protect the benefits we currently have.

“We continue to work hard on behalf of our co-workers to make sure that we secure a contract that will be a solid foundation for building on in the future.” — Karen Engel RN, Auburn campus

“We are securing and locking in language in many areas, but we still have to work hard to come to an agreement on wages.” — Hilda Torres RN, 515 Court St. campus.

Our next bargaining session will be June 6, 2023. Please reach out to one of our Bargaining Team Members or our Union Rep. Juanita Quezada at 509-340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Sunrise Dental TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED!

Our Union Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract and are recommending a yes vote! We are excited to announce that the new agreement includes:

• Wage increases each year of the agreement

• $900 Bonus

• One additional Personal Holiday

• Increased Employer 401K contribution

Full details of the contract offer will be available during the online vote:

Online Contract Vote: May 31 from 5am-5pm

You will receive an email from UFCW 3000 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information. All members in good standing are eligible to vote.

TO VOTE ONLINE Make sure your information is up to date!

In order to vote on proposals, make sure your personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email please visit: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information to update your email or us.

If you do not receive an email to vote on May 31, please reach out to your Union Representative to provide an updated email address.

• Charlie King (Bonney Lake, Olympia, Puyallup, Tacoma, Federal Way, Lakewood) 206-436-6518

• Christie Harris (Auburn, Covington, Kent, Maple Valley, Renton, Seatac/Seattle, Tukwila/Southcenter, Bothell/Mill Creek, Everett, Marysville, Monroe, Shoreline, Ballard, Bellevue, Carnation, Issaquah, Redmond) 206-436-6606

• Naomi Oligario (Gig Harbor, Sequim, Poulsbo, Silverdale) 360-662-1989

• Celia Ponce-Sanchez (Lynnwood, Arlington) 360-419-4678

JOIN THE VOTE INFORMATION MEETING! May 30 Drop in 11am-1pm or 4-6pm.

It is so important that members attend the Zoom Meeting to get a full understanding of the Employer’s offer and have your questions answered. 1-253-215-8782 use Meeting ID: 876 4159 3675 Passcode: 899349 Or scan the QR Code to go to the zoom meeting.

UFCW 3000 & SEIU 925: Solidarity with Northwest Center Union Members!

Early Supports union members with UFCW 3000 bargained yesterday with local nonprofit employer Northwest Center (NWC), and the Early Learning workers at NWC who recently organized with SEIU 925 are standing in support and solidarity for a fair contract!

Workers at Northwest Center, whose “Big Blue Trucks” have been seen around the Northwest for more than 50 years, offer therapy, early education, employment services, and advocacy opportunities for people of all ages with disabilities. At Northwest Center Kids, Early Supports workers provide birth to three therapy services, and Early Learning workers run two inclusive childcare centers in Seattle. In both departments, organizing a union is about more than wages and benefits—it’s also about ensuring the best possible environment for all kiddos and clients.

“We both value the care we’re providing to children, and speaking up collectively about the changes that need to be made is powerful! The challenges we face span across our departments and so we’re excited to stand together in solidarity as we both fight towards first contracts that meet our needs and the needs of the families we serve!”

– UFCW 3000 Bargaining Team: Jenica Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Cassie Villarreal, Speech Language Pathologist; Kimmy Burns, Physical Therapist; Julia Szilard, Physical Therapist

NWC Early Supports became the first agency of its kind in Washington State to unionize, and one of the first in the country. Since few workplaces like theirs are unionized, these new members—physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, infant mental health therapists, family resource coordinators, dietitians, special educators, and administrative staff—are excited to help set historic workplace standards. The early childhood educators, custodians, kitchen staff, and specialists at NWC Early Learning just won their union this month, and can’t wait to get started on the process of coming together to bargain with the employer for their contract as well.

Working together, our two unions comprise more than 67,000 workers across the region, with members in early learning, health care, nonprofits, education, and many other industries. We bring the experience, solidarity, and power of all our members to the bargaining table and look forward to working together for equitable contracts at NWC!

LabCorp Bargaining Begins!

LabCorp Bargaining Begins

Earlier this week, our Union Dynacare/LabCorp Bargaining Committee met to continue preparing for upcoming negotiations. Our bargaining team has been working hard red-lining the contract, addressing departmental concerns, drafting proposals to resolve issues with scheduling and staffing, and collecting wage comps to ensure fair compensation for us all. We're confident in our strong position and are eagerly awaiting Management's readiness to meet. Get ready for an exciting win as we fight to secure the contract we all deserve!

We’re collecting stories to share about who we are, why we’re committed to improving our working conditions, and continuing to provide vital—outstanding patient care. If you have a story you think Management or our communities need to hear, reach out to a Steward, our Union Rep, or a member of our Union Bargaining Committee.

Update your contact information and make sure you’ve opted in to email and text communications! ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Join our first Contract Action Team meeting next week!

Wednesday, May 24 at 7pm via Zoom

Keep up the Slack!

Join our Union Slack channel, Lab Force 3000, for bargaining updates, office hours with your Rep, training and education resources, and more!

If you have any questions, you can contact our Union Rep Christie Harris at 206-436-6606 or you can call the MRC at 1-800-219-3000.

Planned Parenthood: Bargaining Starts Soon - Get Involved Now!

You're likely already aware that our current contract was set to expire on June 1. We agreed to extend the contract by one month to the end of June to allow more time for negotiations. Your bargaining team will meet with PPGNHAIK leadership to bargain on May 24 and then again on June 6. As with bargaining sessions in the last decade, HR has been slow to agree to the many dates we have proposed. Their stalling tactics have only emboldened our team to become more united in our demands.  We look forward to getting these negotiations started and fighting for the contract we all deserve!

Meet Your Bargaining Team!

L to R: Michel Avery, Clinical Trainer - Monalisa Bauman, MA Certified - Alison DeBoise, Insurance Biller - Melissa Grindstaff, Patient Access Rep - Mollie Overby, Capacity Building Specialist

Get Involved

How can you help us win the contract we all deserve?​

1. Fill out the bargaining survey. Thank you to those who have already made your voice heard.

2. If you prefer to spell out concerns by phone or email, please reach out to Charlie at (206) 436-6518 or a union Shop Steward or Bargaining Team member.

3. Join a Thursday night Zoom check-in at 7pm and let us know what’s important to you.

4. PP Leadership has posted the GAHC Coordinator position, but is still vague on the timeline of the return of new patients.  If you have not already signed the petition demanding transparency on the GAH pause, please do so here.

5. Finally, let’s cheer on our fellow Planned Parenthood and UFCW Local 324 on filing for an election to unionize!