Swain's General Store Negotiations Continue!

Our Union Negotiations Team (left to right): Mike Nichols, Floor Clerk (Shoes); Robert Sommers, Receiving Clerk; Richard Drake, Receiving Clerk/Warehouse Contact; Shawn Price, Cashier/Person In Charge (not pictured)

On Tuesday January 23 and Wednesday January 24 our Union Bargaining Team met with Management to continue contract negotiations. By the end of two long days, we were able to come to tentative agreements on almost all our proposals. We exchanged multiple wage scale proposals, however, and at the end of Wednesday evening Management asked us to consider their last proposal of the day for consideration as part of a fully recommended offer. We made the decision to talk to our coworkers about it first to see how we all feel.

Contract Action Team Meeting!

We will be holding a Contract Action Team meeting at the Teamsters 589 office on Sunday, February 4 at 6:30PM to get your input! Please arrive promptly so that we can discuss this as a group. The address is 1293 S C St, Port Angeles, WA 98363.

Downtown Dog Lounge Another week another tough negotiation session

Our Downtown Dog Lounge Bargaining Team met with Elise, Kelly and their lawyer again this Wednesday and had another long session. Progress was made on multiple important issues, such as workplace safety and standards for employee rest areas. However, DDL is still holding out on their unreasonable proposals on union’s staff ability to support workers onsite and be present in the worksites.

More negotiation sessions to come in February! As always the best information on negotiations is from your coworker at the table. Talk to a Team member today if you have any questions.

Northwest Center Early Supports TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED Contract VOTE SCHEDULED

After almost 9 months of bargaining, we have reached a tentative agreement on our first union contract and will hold an in-person meeting during work hours on Wednesday, February 14 to review the details and approve by a democratic vote. 

We organized our Early Supports Union to address pay inequity, the rising costs of living in our region, and the goal of retaining staff and not having the high turnover that we were experiencing. This is historic- we are the first Early Supports Agency to unionize in Washington and one of the first private agencies to organize in the country!

Our Union Bargaining Team is unanimously recommending a YES vote. 

Highlights of the tentative agreement include:

  • Compassion Leave improvements for all employees at NWC

  • Establishment of a weighted caseload system

  • Transparent wage scale with wage increases each year of the contract on our employment anniversary date and anniversary of contract ratification

  • Maximum Capacity and Over Capacity Bonuses

  • Increased PTO accruals

  • Access to meetings via zoom and limits on in-person requirements 

  • Health and Safety rights/protections 

  • Increased Breaks/Time off Work

  • Continuing Education

  • Wage differentials for skills: multilingual, CHERISH, medically complex feeding

  • Wage differentials for: education levels/degrees, previous job experience, tenure with Northwest Center for current employees 

  • New Employee Orientation process

  • Labor Management Committee

  • Definition of Service Teams and process for allocating new families outside your Team

  • Protection from unjust discipline

  • Fair process for layoff and reduction in overall hours

  • Reimbursement of up to $500 for accident or damage to vehicle 

  • Remote and in-person positions

  • Overtime for all employees 

  • and more!

In-Person CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED: Wednesday, February 14 from 11:00am – 3:00pm @ Northwest Center South Park Office: 7272 W Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98108

Voting will only be conducted in-person. If you cannot attend because of remote work or are sick, please email kvaldez@ufcw3000.org. A zoom option will be available to answer questions and review the vote documents.
Questions? Please contact the Bargaining Team or Union Representative Ian Jacobson, 206-436-6550.
Facebook: Early Supports Union, Instagram: @earlysupportsunion

PCC Friday Contract Vote and Strike Authorization Vote

Friday Strike Vote: Our UFCW 3000 PCC Bargaining Team Unanimously Recommends a NO Vote on the Contract Offer and a YES Vote to Authorize a STRIKE! 

Yesterday, after having six weeks to prepare a fair proposal, PCC came to our bargaining session only willing to propose a move of 10 cents for the Grocery contract and 20 cents for the Meat contract at the top of our scales. PCC then left the session without even responding to our counter proposals. PCC has clearly decided that our wages should be lower than our region’s grocery store standards. They think we deserve less than the grocery store worker across the street.

Our Member Bargaining Team thinks our work is worth more than that. We are ready to stand up for a fair contract.

PCC has historically led the grocery store industry and now they have fallen far behind. PCC is behind Town and Country, Saar's, Safeway, and every other union grocery store in this region.

We are sending a clear message: We will no longer allow our wages to lag behind and we are ready to strike.

PCC is the largest food co-op in the United States. When they were doing well, PCC was to happy to spend money on fancy executive offices, or big payouts to recruit Kroger and Starbucks management, or to expand beyond PCC's ability to operate, or to install, then uninstall, then install again U-SCAN machines. PCC has spent money in ways that did not benefit workers or improve the customer experience, over the objections of workers and our union. Now, after years of poor executive decision-making, PCC wants to balance their books on the backs of workers.

We will not tolerate a grocery store that claims to care about the community and its members while undercutting community standards.

PCC Management has lost its way. And the only way for them to find their way again is to have workers involved in their decisions. Workers know better than anyone what works in our stores. Workers know our customers. Workers' voices will make PCC successful.

If we must strike, it will be a strike to protect PCC from itself.

Contract Votes and Strike Authorization Meetings: Friday, January 26

Tomorrow, Friday, January 26, we will be holding Strike Authorization votes at all 15 PCC store locations. All members in good standing are eligible to vote. Copies of the PCC contract offer highlight sheet will be available for review at each vote location. Our Union Bargaining Team is recommending a NO vote to reject PCC's latest contract proposal and YES vote to authorize a strike.

Morning Votes 8:00AM — 12:00PM

West Seattle PCC: 2749 California Ave SW. Seattle, WA 98116  

Burien PCC: 15840 1st Ave. South, Burien, WA 98148  

Green Lake Village PCC: 450 NE 71st St. Seattle, WA 98115  

Bothell PCC: 22621 Bothell Everett Highway, Bothell, WA 98021  

Fremont PCC: 600 North 34th St. Seattle, WA 98103  

Bellevue PCC: 11615 NE 4th St. Bellevue, WA 98004  

Ballard PCC: 1451 NW 46th St. Seattle, WA 98107  

View Ridge PCC: 6514 40th Ave NE. Seattle, WA 98115  

Afternoon Votes 2:00PM — 6:00PM  

Columbia City PCC: 3610 South Edmunds St. Seattle, WA 98118  

Central District PCC: 2230 E Union St. Seattle, WA 98122  

Redmond PCC: 11435 Avondale Rd NE. Redmond, WA 98052  

Edmonds PCC: 9803 Edmonds Wy. Edmonds, WA 98020  

Issaquah PCC: 1810 12th Ave NW. Issaquah, WA 98027  

Kirkland PCC: 430 Kirkland Wy. Kirkland, WA 98033  

Greenlake PCC: 7504 Aurora Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98103  

Resources

Strike Frequently Asked Questions document >>
Make sure you have filled-out and submitted a W9 form for union strike benefits during a strike >>


Our Union Bargaining Comittee: 

Atsuko Koseki – PCC Edmonds – Deli
Scott Shiflett – PCC Redmond – Meat
Greg Brooks – PCC Burien – Meat
Allison Smith – PCC Kirkland – Meat
Ebrahimi – PCC View Ridge – Grocery
Yasab Pfister – PCC Burien – Front End
Keith Allery – GLV – Night Crew Deli
Emily Weisenburger – HBC – Issaquah
Arlo Bender-Simon – Bothell – Grocery  
Marlin Hathaway –  GLV – Grocery
Jordan Young – View Ridge – Grocery

Macy's Contract Votes Scheduled! Bargaining team recommends a YES vote

After not one but two powerful strikes in the middle of winter, our union bargaining team has reached a fully recommended tentative agreement with Macy’s that goes a long way toward respecting our work and protecting our wages and benefits. While we didn’t win everything we wanted, we were able to achieve the best Macy’s contract in the nation, with agreement on items that were at the top of our priorities list, including: 

  • The largest ratification bonus in the country, 20% higher than where Macy’s offer was pre-strike 

  • Protection of the MLK Day paid holiday for all current employees that Macy’s had threatened to take away with no replacement 

  • Increased safety protections, including the right for workers to bring up safety issues or call for help without fear of discipline or retaliation 

  • Not just protecting but increasing our wage escalators that guarantee wages stay above minimum wage even as it rises to keep up with inflation 

This was a long fight for all of us, and your bargaining team is excited to review the full offer with all members at our vote meetings. The most important thing you can do now is show up to a vote meeting near you so you can get all your questions answered and cast your vote on the contract!

Contract Votes: Monday, January 29, 8AM—11AM & 3PM—6PM

ALDERWOOD: Residence Inn by Marriott Seattle North/Lynnwood Everett, 18200 Alderwood Mall Pkwy, Lynnwood, WA 98037 (Olympic Room) 
SOUTHCENTER: Doubletree Suites by Hilton Hotel, 16500 Southcenter Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98188 (Summit Ballroom) 
BELLINGHAM: Four Points by Sheraton, Mt. Baker Room 714 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229 
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! 
OUR BARGAINING TEAM UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A YES VOTE!

Mason Health RN Bargaining Update

“We feel that we have fulfilled our full workload for yesterday and today.” -Megan Corbin

Today we delivered an economic package proposal to management including significant increases to wages and premiums including Resource RN Differential, and BSN/MSN Premium. We are trying to find ways to make the wage scale more competitive with other nearby hospitals.

We have also proposed changes to the definition for full time and part time to be inclusive of 12 hour shifts (so three twelves per week equals full-time.) Management continues to fight us on this.

Other changes include redefining the clarification of longevity increases and Report Pay process, and a significant overhaul of Earned Time. We meet again with Management on January 29.

​For additional information reach out to a Bargaining Team Member. Our Union Bargaining Team: Tori Willis, Megan Corbin, Nancy Ownby.

National Press Conference on Opposition to Kroger and Albertsons’ Proposed Mega-Merger

For Immediate Release – Wednesday January 24th, 2024

PRESS ADVISORY for Friday, January 26th, 2024 (9AM PST, 12 noon EST)

Virtual Press Conference. Register HERE in advance

Grocery Store Workers and their UFCW Local Unions Hold National Press Conference on Ongoing Efforts to Oppose Kroger and Albertsons’ Proposed Mega-Merger

What: A national press conference to update media and expose many of the troubling details underlying the proposed merger as well as debunking the claims being made by the companies about themselves, the reasons for the proposed merger in the 1st place, the troubling picture of C&S as the proposed divestiture company, and more. Short informational session will be followed by a Q and A session for the media.

Who: 

  • Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 3000 (WA)

  • Tom Olson, Grocery store worker and UFCW 7 member (CO)

  • John Marshall, CFA, Capital Strategies Director, UFCW 324 (CA) and UFCW 3000 (WA)

Upon request, post event interviews can be arranged for media with local grocery store workers in Washington State. And interviews with grocery store members at UFCW locals in CA, WA, CO and the Washington DC/surrounding states areas can also be arranged.

When: Friday January 26, 2024: 9 AM PST, 12 Noon EST

Where: Pre-register here in advance of the press conference HERE >>

Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

Macy's Update: Strike Ends, Fully Recommended Tentative Agreement Reached!

Union Siblings,

Your Union Bargaining Team is happy to announce that our STRIKE AGAINST MACY’S IS OVER!

We have reached a Tentative Agreement with Macy’s management for a BEST IN THE NATION union contract, addressing members’ top issues and protecting our rights. The Bargaining Team unanimously recommends a yes vote to ratify this historic contract.

We won a deal like this because UFCW 3000 members took bold action by going on strike! First we struck over the busy Black Friday weekend, forcing Macy’s to slash their holiday shopping hours at the peak of the season and calling attention to the way our work is essential to the company’s success. When that wasn’t enough, union workers at the Alderwood location took further action and went out on strike for the past 9 days in freezing winter weather, vowing to strike for as long as it takes and publicly calling for a Macy’s boycott.

We are ending the strike at Alderwood effective immediately and informing Macy’s of our unconditional offer to return to work beginning Thursday, January 25.

Details will come shortly regarding the ratification votes for the fully recommended agreement. We are working to get the vote documents ready for your review as quickly as possible and members will have the opportunity to review the agreement and get any questions answered before voting.

For Alderwood strikers and those respecting the line: 

  • Work with your manager to get back on the schedule. Reach out to your union stewards, Rep, or UFCW 3000 Member Resource Center (1-866-210-3000) if you experience any issues.

  • UFCW 3000 staff will still be onsite at Alderwood Macy’s this Friday, January 26, distributing strike benefits to eligible members who have been on strike.

We also want to thank the 20,000+ customers and hundreds if not thousands of union allies and community supporters who stood in solidarity with us, vowing not to cross our picket lines, showing up to march alongside us, and providing a clear message to Macy’s management that our customers and our community value our work. The dignity and respect we get from a fair union contract is hard-won, and we look forward to getting back to what we do best: serving our loyal customers and making Macy’s a great place to shop.

PRMCE RN Negotiations & Upcoming Action

During our meeting with PRMCE on January 22, we presented a comprehensive proposal based on the thorough feedback from nurses. This proposal encompasses retroactive pay dating back to December 15, 2023, across-the-board wage increases scheduled for 2025, heightened step increment percentages for steps 26 to 35, stronger staffing language, and clarifications addressing ambiguous language. We were encouraged that PRMCE came to the table willing to listen and even accepted some of our language proposals.

Highlights of our proposals:

  • Clarified that charge nurse assignments are always voluntary

  • Extra shift incentive for all vacant shifts - a full-time or part-time nurse will receive double-time pay when picking up an extra shift beyond their FTE, and per diem nurses will receive 1.5 times pay for picking up more than two shifts in a pay period and double time if they work above a 0.5 FTE

  • Clarified Christmas day pay for night shift nurses

  • Clarified holiday substitute pay

  • Twelve break relief nurse positions will be posted within 21 days of ratification, and there will be a mandatory discussion about break relief nurses in closed units

  • Market analysis will include Level 2 trauma centers in Western WA, and a mandatory market adjustment if PRMCE RN wages fall below the market average

  • Boarder premium pay for ED nurses, along with limitations on border assignment makeup

  • Clarified EIB can be used on the first day of any illness or injury

  • Increased wage increments for Steps 26 through 35, given their overall across-the-board increases were below less senior RNs

  • Bonus for RNs who have been employed with PRMCE since December 31, 2001

  • Retro pay from December 15, 2023

  • $5/hour staffing premium for each nurse working two hours or more below the staffing plan

  • Increased the across-the-board increase in 2025 to 6%

  • January 1, 2026 contract reopener

  • Innovative staffing model like co-caring pilot must reach a consensus in the Hospital Staffing Committee prior to implementation

Meal Waiver Information:

Our recommendation is that RNs DECLINE both questions on the meal waiver. If you receive a late first meal period or carry a phone with you during your meal period, you should receive 30 additional minutes of pay. These 30 minutes of additional pay may place you into overtime depending on the length of your shift. Additionally, we requested information several weeks ago about PRMCE’s meal period scheduling to determine if shifts will be extended or remain the same. We expect to have more information about shift lengths next week.

Upcoming actions:

  • January 26 Ambulance Wait Times Bill In-person Capitol Meeting at 8am (see below)

  • January 28 Update Meeting 5pm-6pm - Click here to join >>

    • Update/Next Steps

    • Legislative Bills

    • Information on Meal Periods/Meal Waiver

    • Need Volunteers for Community/Media update

  • January 30 10am-2pm Olympia Lobby Day at the State Capitol (meet at Pritchard Building)

  • Early February Media Engagement

  • February 5- 9 Yellow and Blue Scrubs Week

  • February 9 Mediation with PRMCE

  • February 12 Mediation with PRMCE

Take Legislative Action for Ambulance Waiting Times and Unemployment Benefits for Striking Workers

In response to community concerns, particularly from firefighters and nurses, Rep. Mary Fosse (D-Everett) introduced HB 2466to address ambulance waiting times. The legislation would require a hospital accept a patient transferred by ambulance within 30 minutes of arrival or be responsible for reimbursing the ambulance service for costs over 30 minutes. Exceptions include extended patient surge and ER capacity due to damages (water damage or system outages) but NOT for staffing. We think this is a great bill to weigh in on.

The bill will be heard this Friday morning, January 26, in the House Health Care & Wellness Committee at the Capitol (Olympia) at 8AM. If you are interested in giving testimony in person, please email Tom Lambro, tlbambro@ufcw3000.org. It will be available online live on TVW's website and a recording will be available afterward.

You can do two things now:

  1. Sign in PRO on the legislation so legislators know where constituents stand on HB 2466 >>

  2. If you'd be interested in writing written testimony so it's in the legislative record you can do that here >>

UFCW 3000 is also prioritizing a bill to ensure workers who go on strike are able to file for Unemployment benefits. HB 1893 in the House and SB 5777 in the Senate are both quickly moving.The Senate bill passed the Labor Committee on January 16 and the House bill is scheduled to pass the House Labor Committee January 24 after which it will go to the full House. Weighing in directly with your own legislators will go a long way in ensuring we pass this in 2024. There are two quick ways you can do this:

  1. Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and let the person who answers the phone know you are in strong support of SB 5777 and HB 1893.

  2. You can also write to your own legislators directly! If you are not sure which district you live in you can find that here: https://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/. After you fill in this form it will provide you with phone number and email to your legislators. If you are writing to your senator mention SB 5777 and to your two state representatives mention HB 1893.

EB Management Company - First Hill Trust Tentative Agreement Reached!

EB Management Company - First Hill Trust
Tentative agreement reached!

On Friday, January 12, our Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with First Hill Trust on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new three-year contract (once ratified by a vote of our three UFCW 3000 members) will maintain the high-quality healthcare and retirement benefits we have won in previous contract cycles. It will also provide 2% raises to two of our members retroactive to January 1 of this year.

ONLINE VOTE

Given that this is a very small bargaining unit, we will hold the contract ratification vote online.

Thursday, February 1 @ 9am—4pm

Please inform Bargaining Team member Thao Palmer or leave Union Negotiator Daniel Cobb a message at 206-436-6577 if you believe UFCW 3000 needs an updated personal email address for you to receive the link to access the online vote.

Macy's Strike Update: Workers Continue ULP Strike as Boycott Gains Strength

Macy’s workers, community partners and customers have been joining our picket lines. We plan to maintain our strike and expand our boycott until we win a fair contract. We continue to prepare the Bellingham and Southcenter Mall stores to join the strike, so sign up for your strike shift and keep warm clothes and waterproof shoes in your car.

The Mediator for FMCS has circulated potential bargaining dates for Macy’s and our union to get back to the bargaining table. No date is set at this moment. We remain willing to bargain with Macy’s at any time.

As a reminder, Macy’s most recent “Last Best and Final” offer just isn’t enough: 

  • The elimination of our personal day in honor of MLK day, reducing our amount of paid time off and disrespecting an important holiday. (Which they left off their last update, and store managers indicated that MLK was not being taken away. This dishonesty about their own proposal is likely a violation of labor law.)

  • Eliminating our hard-won wage scale—and without any guarantee that experienced workers will maintain wages above the applicable minimum wage.

  • A rejection of our proposed safety language that would protect workers from discipline if we call mall security or the police in response to a violent situation.

  • Just $0.50 per year in General Wage Increases (GWI) to current workers, with lower ratification bonuses than previously offered of $300 for part-time workers and $600 for full-time workers.

  • Check out management’s Last Best and Final offer here >>

Macy’s can afford to do better. This offer was made by a company that has recorded more than a billion-dollar annual profit margin, a company made profitable off the work of the people now walking the strike line.

Our rank-and-file worker-led Executive Board approved more comprehensive strike benefits of:

  • $500/week for striking members who work 20 hours on the strike line.

  • $800/week for striking members who work 32+ hours on the strike line.

  • $200/week Respect the Line Benefit for striking members who cannot join their coworkers on the strike line but respect the strike line and do not cross (for a maximum of 4 weeks). 

To receive your strike benefit, sign in and out of your shift on the strike line, or if you are respecting the line, email Strike@UFCW3000.org to notify our union that you will be respecting the line but not walking the line. All members receiving any type of Strike Benefit must have a completed W-9 on file.

See you on the strike line soon, stay warm!

EvergreenHealth - CONTRACT RATIFIED!

The Union contract for EvergreenHealth has been ratified by both Union Members and the Board of Commissioners.

Highlights of the agreement include:

  • 6.75% Wage Increase, 2024
  • 5.75% Wage Increase, 2025
  • 3%-10% additional Market Adjustments for many positions
  • New Position: Advanced Procedures Mammography Tech
  • $625-$1250 Ratification Bonus, effective the payroll period beginning February 4, 2024
  • Shift Differential: Evening $2.75 per hour, Night $4.50 per hour
  • Standby Pay: $4.25 per hour, $6.00 per hour for all hours after 50 hours of standby per pay period
  • Paid Education Leave: New language allows for up to $600 to be carried over.

For additional information, contact our Union Representative Jack Crow at (206) 436-6614.

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Emma Perdomo

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Emma Perdomo

Emma Perdomo received her Bachelor of Science from Southern New Hampshire University in Health Information Management. She moved to Washington with her husband and applied at North Valley Hospital in Tonasket Washington. Emma got the job and was placed on the union-bargained wage scale but suspected it wasn’t the correct step.

Read More

Macy's Workers Continue Strike and Launch Boycott

Despite the cold and rain, Macy’s workers, community partners and customers have been joining our picket lines. More than 20,000 customers have pledged to shop elsewhere while workers are on strike at Macy’s. The strike and boycott will continue to expand until we win a fair contract. 
If you are in the Bellingham or Southcenter Mall locations, sign up for your strike shift and keep warm clothes and water proof shoes in your car as we continue to prepare for your stores to join the strike. 

We have informed Macy’s we are ready and willing to bargain at any time.

As a reminder, Macy’s most recent Last Best and Final offer just isn’t enough: 

  • The elimination of our personal day in honor of MLK day, reducing our amount of paid time off and disrespecting an important holiday. (Which they left off their last update and store managers indicated that MLK was not being taken away. We are filing a new Unfair Labor Practice). 

  • Eliminating our hard-won wage scale—and eliminating the guarantee that experienced workers will be paid a certain amount above the minimum wage.

  • A rejection of our proposed safety language that would protect workers from discipline if we call mall security or the police in response to a violent situation. 

  • Just $0.50 per year in General Wage Increases (GWI) to current workers, with low ratification bonuses of $300 for part-time workers and $600 for full-time workers. 

  • Check out management’s Last Best and Final offer here >>

This insulting offer was made by a company that has recorded more than a billion-dollar annual profit margin

We must continue to prepare to go on strike at the other Macy’s locations, Bellis Fair Mall, Southcenter Mall and the Alderwood and Tukwila Furniture Galleries. Workers could strike any day at any of these locations, joining workers at Alderwood ON STRIKE!
 
In anticipation of a longer strike, our rank-and-file worker-led Executive Board approved more comprehensive strike benefits of:

  • $500/week for striking members who work 20 hours on the strike line.

  • $800/week for striking members who work 32+ hours on the strike.

  • $200/week Respect the Line Benefit for striking members who cannot join their coworkers on the strike line but respect the strike line and do not cross (for a maximum of 4 weeks). 

To receive your strike benefit, sign in and out of your shift on the strike line, or if you are respecting the line, please email Strike@UFCW3000.org to notify our union that you will be respecting the line but not walking the line. All members receiving any type of Strike Benefit must have a completed W9 on file. If you haven’t already done so, please sign a W9 here >>


BALLOONS AND BBQ!

Join your coworkers on the Strike Line this Saturday, January 20, 2024 to pass out balloons to customers. There will be BBQ sliders and sides for lunch around 1:30pm.

Check out the Strike FAQ for some basic information >>
 
Please share the pledge to boycott with your friends and family >>

 See you on the strike line soon, stay warm!

Deep Roots Stay Threaded Together!

Today we came prepared to negotiate all day but shortened our session due to health reasons of the Deep Roots bargaining team. Nevertheless, we made meaningful progress on bereavement, inclement weather, and seniority! We won the inclusion of close friends, people residing with the employee, and pets in bereavement leave, and are continuing to push for more paid time. We also are proud to have reached a tentative agreement today on our Grievance Procedure which will allow us to have a process to challenge unfair discipline, pay discrepancies, and other violations of our Union contract.

Our team has reached tentative agreements on many articles of our first Union contract:

  • Definition of who is included in our Union and protections in the event that Deep Roots were to sell in the future

  • Recognition of Union stewards at each studio, access for our Union Rep to visit us at work, and Union bulletin boards to share information with each other

  • Protections against discrimination, recognition of our gender identities, fair process for job postings and awarding new positions, standards of practice for covering shifts at other studios

  • Just Cause! This is the heart of a Union contract. This protects us from unequal treatment and misapplication of company policies and discipline.

  • Rights to leaves of absence under state and federal law, Union leave up to 3 days per year for Union stewards, leave for occupational injury up to 12 months

  • Grievance Procedure with 30 day timeline to file grievances

We return to the bargaining table on January 29 to push towards the finish line! We expect at our next session a full economic response from Deep Roots that will include wages, commission, holidays, vacation, sick leave, healthcare, and retirement.

As we organize together, remember that we currently have the right to Union Representation if we are called into a meeting with HQ or management that could result in discipline. This is called our Weingarten right. We also have the right to wear our stickers at work- it is an unfair labor practice for Deep Roots to ask us to remove them if we are allowed to wear other buttons and stickers. Please reach out to our Union Rep Dominick Ojeda, 206-436-6586, if you have questions or need to request that he join you at a meeting.

“We are so close- let’s stay Threaded Together and show our solidarity! Please wear your stickers every day and share with your clients, friends, and other supporters of Deep Roots workers.”- Our Union Bargaining Team, Cy Manning & Lexi Otway

PRMCE RN Back to the table on January 22

On January 22 we will be mediating with PRMCE and a federal mediator. We have drafted a proposal based on the bargaining unit’s responses and feedback on the December survey. Our hope is that PRMCE will respond in a meaningful way to our proposal.

To keep everyone informed, we'll be hosting a Zoom meeting on January 22 at 2pm. During this session, we'll provide updates from the bargaining table and collectively brainstorm proposal concepts.
 
Meal  Waiver Update:We recommend that you DECLINE the two questions on PRMCE’s meal waiver. If you do not receive your meal period or receive a late meal period, you are supposed to be paid 30 minutes for every missed or late meal period. If you believe you have not been paid appropriately, please contact your union representative, Anthony Cantu. 

Downtown Dog Lounge - Another Tough Negotiation Session...

Our DDL worker union team met with Elise and her lawyer on Thursday for negotiations. We moved closer to management on multiple issues, but they continue to hold out. We do have tentative agreements on the need for just cause in any discipline or termination of workers, as well as non-discrimination language. However, management is still playing hardball with important subjects. Talk to a member of our bargaining team today to get the full details.

Cascade Valley Hospital MSWs & Security Officers Bargaining Update

Our Union Bargaining team: Lisa Warriax – MSW, Carl Ramirez – Security Officer

“With every session we are one step closer. MSWs and Security Officers stand united in our proposals, and together we are making progress. There’s no such thing a s snow day for our Bargaining Team!”

On January 4 the newly accreted Security Officers and MSW’s Bargaining Team at Cascade Valley Hospital met for the second bargaining session with the Employer. During this session, we gave compelling testimony about working conditions, we firmly pushed back on the Employer’s proposals around uninterrupted meal breaks and daily overtime, and the Employer made significant movement on wages for Security Officers.

We met for our third bargaining session on January 18, despite the challenges due to inclement weather. While the Employer continued to reject our proposal to give everyone an initial wage increase upon being placed onto a wage scale, the Employer did agree to audit past job experience to ensure we are being paid commensurate to our past job experience. We also made considerable progress with our protective gear proposal for Security Officers. The Employer told us they will be looking for a vendor to supply protective vest for each security officer.

We must continue standing united for pay which is commensurate to our experience and will retain and recruit Security Officers and MSWs. We will meet the Employer again in mid-February.

Mason General RN Contract - BARGAINING UPDATE

We met with Mason General management on January 17 to continue negotiations on our contract!

Your Bargaining Team:

  • Is getting close to reaching an agreement on Extra Shifts language (which we feel very good about!)
  • Anticipates getting the employer a counter proposal on wages early next week!
  • Is awaiting some additional and important information from the employer in order to make a strong counter!

If you have questions about bargaining, reach out to our bargaining team!

If you have questions about anything else, please reach out to our union representative Naomi Oligario at (360) 662-1989.

Our Bargaining Team, Left to Right: Nancy Ownby (RN), Megan Corbin (RN), Tori Willis (RN))