On June 16 & 17, our union bargaining team representing the Professional workers at Prov. Everett met with management for two full days of back-to-back contract negotiations: marking our sixth and seventh sessions in this contract cycle.
On Monday, Providence presented its first official counter to our wage scale proposal. While their offer still falls short of what workers at nearby medical centers are earning, our team noted significant movement towards changes to our wage scale structure that our team highlighted in our initial proposal, back on May 5, for instance, Providence's proposal:
Eliminates all ghost steps in the wage scale
Raises the step increases between each level on the wage scale and reduces the number of steps on our scale- with no loss of overall wage growth (which results in more money, sooner!)
While this was a meaningful first step, a closer look at the proposed rates confirmed there is more work ahead. Our bargaining team got to work immediately, drafting a new wage scale counter, which we returned to Providence the morning of Tuesday, June 17—holding strong to our position that the Professional workers at PRMCE shouldn't earn lower wages than surrounding Medical Centers bargained with their union three years ago...
Tuesday the 17: Building Momentum
Following our second wage scale proposal, our team noted a shift in the momentum at the table from the Employer- and the next few proposal exchanges brought positive movement from Providence, and even resulted in agreements on several important items, including:
An increase to the premium in-lieu-of benefits for Per Diem employees and Professionals with an FTE of less than .49 at PRMCE
A new Inclement Weather Article, outlining a clear process for approved time off when weather prevents safe travel to the Medical Center
Expanded Bereavement Leave protections, providing more flexibility for time to grieve and heal—including extending these benefits to Per Diem employees
On the afternoon of Tuesday the 17th, Providence returned to the table with their second wage scale proposal, which included increased rates of pay compared to their initial offer. While this movement was a positive sign, our bargaining team noted that the proposed wages would still leave us trailing behind our largest competitor—a gap that must be closed.
This is shaping up to be a critical moment for Union Professionals at Providence Everett, that this is going to take all our collective strength, unity, and solidarity to push Providence to offer the wages we rightfully deserve. If you haven't yet signed our Strike Pledge Card, take a moment now to add your name before our next-scheduled bargaining day on June 30, and mark your calendar to attend our next Contract Action Team meeting:
"This week showed real movement from Providence—but their wages still aren't cutting it. The fight's not over, and it's going to take all of us standing together to win what we're worth."
— Sara Dillon, Sr. Discharge Planner (Case Manager)
Bargaining Team: Taylor Widener, Sr. Dietician; Holly Gramse, Physical Therapist; Sara Dillon, Sr. Discharge Planner (Case Manager)
CAT Meeting
June 25, Wednesday at 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
2810 Lombard Ave
Everett WA 98201
Sign the strike pledge card: We need to show Providence we're ready to do what it takes to get what we deserve. Sign the strike pledge card or ask a fellow member to sign it if they haven't already.
Step up! We need department leaders to keep members engaged in the fight >>
Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join a union? Send them here >>
