Kraken (Retail) - Tentative Agreement Reached

/

Kraken (Retail)
Tentative Agreement Reached
Our Bargaining Team recommends a “YES” Vote!

After months of bargaining, our Bargaining Team has reached a new tentative settlement agreement with BDA. The outstanding result of the final agreement reflects everyone’s hard work and commitment. Our union is driven by members coming together to fight for better working conditions and here are some of the things in our tentative agreement:

  • *NEW* Ratification Bonus of $125

  • Retroactive pay for workers making under $21/hr and for Keyholder premiums starting September 25, 2023

  • Increased base wage for all workers and guaranteed retention bonus

  • ORCA and parking benefits

  • Workplace protections including just cause for disciplines

  • Meals provided at every game

  • Improvement on merch options for members

  • Increased tuition assistance

  • And more!

Members will be able to review the full collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and cast a vote on whether to approve it at our vote meeting.

Vote Details

Workers may only vote during the designated vote window and must attend in person. Complete a union application, review the agreement, ask questions, and cast your ballot!

Tuesday, April 9 @ 3pm—5pm
Climate Pledge Arena - Kraken Team Store, 334 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Questions? Contact Union Rep Dominick Ojeda @ 206-436-6586.

Update on Ongoing Efforts to Stop Mega Merger as We Build Collective Strength to Protect and Improve Grocery Store Workers' Jobs

/

Good News on Stopping the Proposed Mega-Merger

As you may have heard, on February 26, after a massive 16-month effort by our collective of UFCW Local unions and others, we accomplished an important goal of getting the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to officially file a lawsuit to stop the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons. Nine states’ Attorneys General joined that FTC legal challenge. The Attorneys General of the states of Washington and Colorado also filed separate lawsuits on January 15 and February 14, respectively.

This is very good news in our campaign to protect workers, shoppers, and the community from the negative impacts that would result if this proposed merger were allowed. But the effort to stop the merger still has a way to go.

What's Next in This Legal Process?

The legal process will likely continue for some time until one of two things happens:

  1. The Federal Judge in Portland, OR, has set a date for August 26, 2024, for the trial to begin on the FTC case. The WA and CO trials can move ahead separately, but they could be coordinated with others as well. Those trials could continue until an outcome is determined.

Or:

  1. The Merger Agreement of Kroger and Albertsons has an “outside date” of mid-October 2024 (two years after when it was announced) after which the companies can simply abandon the deal without paying any financial penalty to the other party, so it is also possible that Kroger and Albertsons will simply withdraw their proposed merger.

What’s Next for Our Grocery Store Companies?

It’s time for Kroger and Albertsons to invest in grocery store workers, our customers, and our communities instead of wasting years and billions of dollars on a failed merger proposal. These companies have been doing very well and have made billions of dollars in profit in recent years. They should be making more investments in better-staffed stores, in higher retention of workers with better pay, benefits, and training, and in lower food prices for shoppers. These investments will result in Kroger and Albertsons becoming stronger companies.

UFCW Local Members Taking Action Together for Stronger Contracts

In addition to fighting the proposed mega-merger that would cause harm to thousands of grocery store workers and millions of customers, our collective group of local UFCWs is also taking action to affirmatively improve our contracts, organize more unionized grocery stores, and more.

FAQ - Does Albertsons Need to Sell? No!

After the merger is stopped, some have said that Albertsons will just be sold to some other company. That’s just not true. Before the merger proposal, a super-majority of Albertsons’ stock was owned by six massive private equity investors who wanted to sell their shares to a single buyer. But during the past 24 months, those large investors have sold the majority of their shares in Albertsons, and we expect they will continue to sell their remaining shares on the NY Stock Exchange after the merger is blocked.

The alternative—trying to sell Albertsons in whole or in part to a different buyer—would be very unlikely. Court documents show that in the summer of 2022, there were no other bidders aside from Kroger, so a new buyer would likely offer a significantly lower value for the company. Based on Albertsons’ current stock price (which is still significantly below the Kroger buyout price), the company’s total enterprise value is approximately $20 billion, or nearly $9 million per store. To put that in perspective, the current divestiture plan to C&S Wholesale proposes to pay about half of that amount. So, selling to C&S or to anyone else at that price would destroy significant value for Albertsons shareholders. And again, the company is doing well financially, and there is no need to sell. Recent quarterly reports show Albertsons is doing even better than Kroger.

Providence Meal Waiver and Shift Length Changes

/

UFCW 3000 has filed an unfair labor practice charge against all Providence hospitals for implementing shift length changes and not bargaining to an impasse with us over the meal waiver. Additionally, we have filed grievances since Providence changed work schedules without the caregivers' consent and have not been paying members for missed or late second meal periods.

Given Providence's decision to proceed with extending shift lengths, we advise 10-hour and 12-hour shift workers to carefully consider their options. You may choose to accept an extended shift with two meal periods or opt to waive the second meal period and retain your current shift length. If you opt to waive the second meal period, you retain the right to revoke this decision at any time through your core leader. However, we strongly advise against waiving the timing of your meal period, as you are entitled to 30 minutes of pay for late meal periods.

*"Question 1) I am voluntarily requesting to waive my second unpaid meal period if I am entitled to one." *

Recommendation: ACCEPT means your shift length will remain the same or DECLINE means your shift will be extended, and you will receive two meal periods as a 10-hour and 12-hour shift worker.

*"Question 2) I am voluntarily requesting to take my unpaid meal periods at a time that may not be within a two-to-five-hour block of work." *

Recommendation: DECLINE means if your meal period is not within the two-to-five-hour block, then you should receive 30 minutes of pay. You can file a complaint with L&I if you are not paid accordingly.

>> Track your late meal periods here!

>> If you feel that you have been coerced into signing the meal waiver by Providence, we strongly encourage you to file a complaint with L&I.

Swains General Store - Contract Ratified!

/

Swains General Store
Contract Ratified!

The votes have been counted and UFCW Local 3000 members at Swains General Store have voted to ratify our new 3-year contract! Our new contract includes:

  • $1.30/hr wage increase paid retroactively back to January 1, 2024

  • Significantly reduces the number of hours required to attain Journey status

  • Maintains our FREE quality healthcare through throughout the term of our 3-year contract

  • A new personal day, and much more

If you have any questions please reach out to a workplace steward or Union Rep Naomi Oligario @ 360-662-1989.

Ashley House - Contract Ratifed

/

Ashley House members overwhelmingly voted this week to approve a new Union Contract!

Voting took place at each of the seven houses, where we had great conversations with Union Members about the new contract and our plans for upcoming bargaining.

Highlights of the contract include:

  • 3% Wage Increase Effective January 2024
  • Updating the Benefits/Health and Welfare section including the Education Fund language.
  • Duration of the contract through August 1, 2024.

Thank you to our fabulous Bargaining Team!

— Cindy Jones, LPN, Browns Point; Emily Guffin, RN, Spokane; Donna Iverson, CNA, Olympia

PRMCE RN Next Steps!

/

*Day Correction!
An earlier version of this notice read, "Tuesday, March 25". The correct day is Monday, March 25. Thank you for your patience.

Now that we have solidified the language in our contract, the next step is contract enforcement. Nurses have already seen changes to staffing practices through the discontinuation of the co-caring model. We can achieve more changes to patient care and working conditions by standing united. It was through nurses advocating against the co-caring model in staffing committees and in their units that we were able to get rid of this poor model. The committees in our contract are the ingredients needed to create changes at PRMCE.

Contract Enforcement Meeting: March 25 @ 7:30pm 

To learn more about getting involved or how nurses are enforcing contract language, join us via ZOOM on Monday, March 25 at 7:30pm to discuss next steps in growing our collective voice in the workplace! Join here>> 

We will be also be providing an update about contract implementation questions like low census/incentive shifts, step progression, and staffing bonus.

Lourdes Medical Center Service and Maintenance Contract Ratified!

/

Contract extended!

On March 15, 2024, Members of the Service and Maintenance Unit ratified a 2-year extension to their current contract that will now expire July 23, 2027. The contract extension will provide wage increases the first full pay period in April to all represented employees and place

Lourdes at a far better position to recruit and retain staff. Represented staff will start accruing PTO at a higher rate and the max cap on the PTO bank will increase.

Please contact a bargaining team member or Union Representative Juanita Quezada with any questions or concerns.

Women's History Month Member Story: Tacoma General Lab Techs Organize to Be Heard

/
Women's History Month Member Story: Tacoma General Lab Techs Organize to Be Heard

Cheyenne Corneau had been working as a Medical Lab Technician for about a year in 2022 when her and her coworkers Colleen, and Marisa were talking about the need to get their coworkers involved in the union for better representation for lab techs at the next bargaining table.

Read More

LabCorp - Federal Mediation Begins

/

Last week, our union Bargaining Team met with LabCorp management and for the first time this contract cycle, a Mediator from the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Services (FMCS) joined us to help facilitate negotiations.

First, the good: We’re making movement on most of the outstanding non-economic proposals, which means we’re locking down needed changes and narrowing the scope of our negotiations to crucial wage and benefits improvements. We’re securing parking for Seattle Couriers, a stipend for members who work from home, and stronger Union Stewards and Membership language.

We also received LabCorp’s economic and benefits counter. We’re excited to announce that LabCorp has agreed to new employees being eligible for health insurance at the beginning of the next month following their hire date (instead of needing to wait 60 days) and to extending coverage on our Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for MDLive (Telehealth). We’re also excited to share that LabCorp is working with the restructured wage scale that we carefully crafted in February, which eliminates all ghost steps, has the same number of maximum steps for all positions, and gets everyone to the top of the scale faster.

Now, the bad: LabCorp still isn’t offering fair or competitive compensation. Their new proposal maintains:

  • 0% - 5% wage increases over the rates members are making right now
  • only a 2% annual COLA increase for Year 2 and Year 3
  • no consistent percentage increases between steps
  • no increases to differentials, premium rates, or holidays
  • higher employee monthly healthcare premiums ($198.98 for employee-only plans)
  • increased out of pocket maximums ($6,000/$12,000)
  • higher copays ($30 primary care, $70 specialist, $200 emergency room, $10/$20 RX)
  • no tuition reimbursement, 401k improvements, or other optional benefits coverage

LabCorp cannot solve their recruitment and retention issues with this proposal. We want to be fully staffed so that we can provide the quality service that our community deserves, and we’re willing to fight for it.

“If you’re really serious about winning better wages and healthcare, the time to show up is now. It’s not enough to talk. You need to walk the walk with us.”

Deborah Gibby, Senior Lab Assistant

UPCOMING ACTION: INFORMATIONAL PICKET!

Friday, April 12 12pm – 2pm

@ Swedish Hospital – First Hill Campus

We’ll be holding an informational picket and community rally with our patients, providers, union partners, family, and friends to show LabCorp we stand together for a fair contract. We need everyone! Find more information & RSVP at: >> RSVP HERE

UPCOMING: DROP-IN CONTRACT ACTION MEETINGS

Tuesday, March 19 7:30am – 9:30am

Wednesday, March 20 & Thursday, March 21 9:00am – 9:30am

@ James Tower Cafeteria, Swedish Cherry Hill

Come down and talk with your bargaining team about negotiations updates and upcoming actions!

Bargaining Team: Kyle Chrisman, Deborah Gibby, Lisa Magee, Sam McVay, Matt Noll, Nancy Pyanowski, Shelby Tyner

Please reach out to a member of your bargaining team, or to your Union Reps Christie Harris at 206-436-6606 and Charlie King at 206-436-6518 if you have questions or want to get more involved.

Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24

/

Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24

Our union came into 2023 with some great successes, like winning a "best in a generation" contract for 25,000 Western Washington grocery store workers, but we also faced some huge challenges. Health care workers continued to be crushed by severe staffing shortages at hospitals that threatened both patient and caregiver safety alike, and at the same time, we had just learned of a proposed mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons that threatened layoffs, store closures, and higher prices. 2023 was shaping up to be a big year.
 
UFCW 3000 members working in health care, grocery stores, food processing plants, retail businesses, and many other industries are fundamentally linked to the communities we work and live in. We are the essential workers that our communities depend on every day. That is why the challenges we face, like ferocious corporate greed that under-staffs us to make huge record profits, or the extreme and growing inequality between the wealthiest one percent and everyday working people are not just a problem for our workplaces —they are problems for our entire community. Greed and inequality are also underlying and insidious drivers of systemic racism and sexism —pitting us against each other, while an economic appetite of extraction and churn threatens the future of humanity itself. These toxic realities of greed and inequity also threaten our most cherished aspirations of democracy, freedom, and a better life for the next generation.

If together, as organized workers and communities, we want to fight back and build a better future, we are going to have to face these challenges head-on. While we recognize we still have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do to make things better in 2024, we also think it is important to celebrate the fact that we have been a leader in our region and around the nation —attacking these problems, making an impact, and being part of the movement to turn things around for the better.

Here’s a snapshot of some of our accomplishments from 2023, our wins as a collective union of workers in action. 

In 2023...

  • We won important reforms at our UFCW International Convention and began the much-needed campaign for greater reforms in the future. Learn more about our local's fight to bring democracy to the UFCW >>

  • We joined the 'year of strikes' when thousands of UFCW 3000 members voted to authorize ULP strikes: The nurses at Providence Everett and workers at Macy’s in Southcenter, Alderwood, and Bellingham went on strike in 2023. Both strikes were joined by hundreds of community supporters while thousands signed petitions in support of these striking workers.
    Providence strike recap video >> 
    Macy's strike recap video >>

  • We passed a Safer Staffing Law! Working in a first of its kind in the region, a coalition with SEIU Healthcare1199NW, WSNA and UFCW 3000 worked to pass the historic ESSB 5236 Safe Staffing legislation that will take steps towards ensuring safer hospital staffing levels across WA. Learn more about the Safe Staffing legislation >>

  • We opened a new Union Hall in Des Moines! After completing the sale of our flagship office of over 20 years in Seattle to the Seattle Labor Temple, we held an open house in our brand new union hall in Des Moines. This new location will save money, be more accessible to members (it is located on the new Light Rail route), and be a gathering space for members. Learn more about UFCW 3000 office locations >>

  • Our elected Executive Board made of rank-and-file members adopted a powerful new 5-year strategic plan to guide our union and prioritize our work until 2028. Learn more about the Strategic Five Year Plan >>

  • Our Executive Board also helped begin a national call from labor unions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Learn more about the petition for peace >>

  • Had fun! Thousands of members and their families attended UFCW 3000’s summer events at Wild Waves in Federal Way, WA, and Silverwood in Idaho. Save the date for the next Summer Picnics at the Park: Silverwood is August 6 and Wild Waves is August 8.

  • Union member bargaining teams won 8 first-time contracts and ratified 30 new contracts with higher wages, improved benefits and better working conditions.

  • Held off the grocery store mega-merger by being instrumental in building a national coalition of unions that includes UFCW locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564 and 3000 and community groups including 55 from our own region to oppose the Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger. We have successfully lobbied —through data, testimony, and evidence to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who has recently ruled in our favor and decided to reject this proposed mega-merger! Learn more about efforts to stop the mega-merger >>

  • In 2023 we organized hundreds of new members! New organizing wins from determined organizing committees both big and small resulted in hundreds of new members joining our union. Welcome Ferry County, Downtown Dog Lounge, REI Bellingham, MultiCare Auburn Pros, and Fred Meyer Port Orchard General Merchandise, and our first Cannabis producer contract at Mfused, who won a standard-setting contract in the cannabis industry.

  • People powered politics in action: Our member-led endorsement committee interviewed 57 candidates for local office. 68 members participated in our Political Action Advisory Committee and were able to help win a new just cause standard for grocery store workers around retail theft. Learn more about our People-Powered Politics agenda >>

  • The Essential Workers Organizing Academy is up and running! The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer, PCC, Providence Everett, as well as political and community projects. Congratulation to the first EWOA graduating class of 2023! Learn more about EWOA >>

  • Enforced our rights: Together as members, stewards, and union Reps we work hard to ensure members’ rights are protected and that the process is transparent, and management is held accountable to our members, our contract, and the law. In 2023 we had to file 182 grievances against management that could not be resolved at the worksite level. 

  • Got the training to empower ourselves: Over 300 members participated in a union training in 2023. These trainings included topics like Weingarten training and enforcement, Leaders in Action, New Member Meetings, Grievance Training, Retirement Seminars, and more. Learn more about upcoming union trainings >>

  • No union should be an island. We support others in their struggles and UFCW 3000 attended strikes, showed solidarity and gave other support for Starbucks Workers United in Washington and around the nation.

And in 2024 we’ll fight for even more.

Governor Signs Worker Protection Bill Championed by UFCW 3000 Grocery Store Workers into Law

/

OLYMPIA, WA – This morning, Governor Inslee signed into law Senate Bill 6007, a bill intended to protect grocery store workers and communities from the negative impacts of corporate megamergers in the grocery industry. Drafted in response to the news that grocery giants Kroger (owner of Fred Meyer and QFC) and Albertsons/Safeway are threatening to merge into one huge company, ESSB 6007 saw enormous support from local Washington grocery store workers and community allies, who advocated throughout the legislative session for its passage. 

“As I explained to legislators, we’ve already learned the hard way through past grocery chain mergers about the upheaval it causes for workers and shoppers when these chains merge and close or sell off neighborhood grocery stores,” said Yasmin Ashur, a UFCW 3000 member and checker at the Port Orchard Albertsons who testified in support of the bill and was on hand to see the governor sign it today. “We saw it in Port Orchard with the Albertsons/Safeway merger not that long ago. I am so proud to say I stood up with my fellow workers and helped pass legislation that will help protect our jobs.” 

This new legislation puts in place basic guidelines for large grocery stores when they change hands, like in an acquisition or merger, to ensure that essential food workers’ lives and our communities’ access to food and household necessities are not thrown into chaos. It requires public notice of new ownership, a period of job protection or re-hire for eligible current employees, protection of current working conditions and collective bargaining agreements, and mandatory engagement with local government if a merger would cause the closure of a store in an existing food desert. 

“The difference between unemployment caused by a pandemic and job loss caused by corporate buyouts is that the potential harm of a merger is foreseeable,” said Britt Leggett, a UFCW 3000 member and deli clerk at the Fred Meyer in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle who also testified in support of the bill and attended the bill signing today. “That’s what this legislation seeks to remediate: to help workers keep their jobs and seniority when their stores changes owners. The law also ensures that constituents will be served by grocery workers who they know well, who have the skills to do their jobs, and follow the health rules to keep food safe.” 

Hundreds of grocery store workers with UFCW 3000 across the state sent messages to lawmakers encouraging the passage of SB 6007, and some traveled to Olympia to meet lawmakers in person.  

“It’s a big sacrifice for everyday working people to take time out of their busy lives to try and engage with the local political process,” said Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer of UFCW 3000. “But being in a union means we can share the load, work together, and make real change that impacts entire industries.” 

Women's History Month Member Story: Northwest Center Early Supports Workers

/
Women's History Month Member Story: Northwest Center Early Supports Workers

In 2022 Early Supports workers at Northwest Center decided to form a union and contacted organizers at UFCW 3000. Northwest Center is a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance and support to people with disabilities or those who care for them.

Read More

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett - Next Steps for Inpatient Rehab

/

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Next Steps for Inpatient Rehab

On March 12 we met with Providence Everett (PRMCE) Management about the future of Inpatient Rehabilitation at the Pacific Campus. PRMCE told us they plan on moving Inpatient Rehabilitation to an offsite location near South Everett/Lynnwood which will be managed by LifePoint. The new site will have 40 beds and is expected to open sometime in the late summer.

PRMCE plans on closing inpatient rehab at the Pacific Campus once the new site can take patients but does not know the exact date of when this will occur.

Under our contracts and federal law, RN, Tech, and Professional caregivers have the right to bargain over the effects of a unit closure. Additionally, PRMCE must provide caregivers with a 14 to 30-day notice of layoffs and current employees can bump existing employees (please refer to the seniority article 7.1).

While we do not have a set date for when the closure will occur, we will be setting a bargaining date to negotiate over the impact of the closure.

Join the closure discussion and work on proposals!

Tuesday, March 19 @ 6pm
Contact your Union Rep for Zoom details

Questions? Please contact Union Rep Jack Crow (Pro and Tech) @ 206-436-6614 or Union Rep Anthony Cantu (RN) @ 206-436-6566.

Swain’s General Store - Contract Vote Scheduled!

/

Our Union Bargaining Team has finalized the time and location to vote on our fully recommended Tentative Agreement with the Employer that:

  • Significantly reduces the number of hours required to attain Journey status.

  • Increases wages.

  • Includes retroactive pay to January 1 of this year.

  • Maintains our quality healthcare through the Sound Health and Wellness Trust without passing hourly cost increases on the employees.

The Vote will be held at The Red Lion Port Angeles Harbor Hotel (221 N Lincoln St). 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! 

Friday, March 22

The Red Lion Port Angeles Harbor Hotel (221 N Lincoln St).

  • 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

  • 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

  • 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Our Bargaining Team is recommending a “Yes” vote on this Tentative Agreement! We look forward to seeing you at the vote!

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)

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals - Show me the money!

/

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals
Show me the money!

BARGAINING TEAM: Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacy; Ramona Strassburg, Psychiatry Adult; Marci Pindi, Social Work

Our Bargaining Team met with MultiCare on March 7 to continue negotiations on our first Union contract.

While we did get responses back from MultiCare on some outstanding articles regarding our working conditions - like scheduling and FTE concerns, required health exams, and where members of our union can address staffing concerns, we received a similar response to MultiCare on our insurance benefits to what appears to be MultiCare’s current approach to insurance benefits - in short - rejecting the proposal almost in its entirety.

Furthermore, we are still awaiting a formal response to many of our other economic proposals: i.e; our wages!

We’re eager to see what MultiCare comes to the table with at our next bargaining session, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20.

“So many of my coworkers came to me with frustrations on our benefits… and MultiCare came back and just dismissed all of them.” —Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacy, Bargaining Team member

MultiCare Health Systems If these dozen voices aren’t heard —then our two thousand will be!

/

“MultiCare is holding hostage your present stability for the sake of future uncertainties”—Brian Dansereau, Pharmacy Technician 

Our union bargaining team met with MultiCare on Wednesday, March 6 to continue negotiations on our nine contracts. 
While responding to our proposals on topics such as concerns with our insurance benefits, or a guarantee that parking will remain free- Management’s unwillingness to agree to these proposals was chalked up to an uncertainty over what MultiCare might decide in the future, or sentiments that the insurance benefits are “system wide”- so we’re left to suspect that means it’s too difficult for them to amend? 

We feel it is too difficult to navigate the constant changes in health insurance for ourselves, our families, and our children; we feel it is too difficult to wait longer and longer to see our physicians; and we feel it’s too difficult to get the prescriptions those physicians have prescribed us when we have to navigate MultiCare’s narrowing in-network eligibility! 

If MultiCare can’t hear the demands of our bargaining team —they WILL hear the voices of over 2,000 MultiCare employees represented in these nine contracts: we’re here to bargain for our benefits and our working conditions! 

Sign the Unity Petition and stay up to date on all-things MultiCare bargaining ▸

Take action checklist:

  • Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare

  • Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Grievance Update

/

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Grievance Update

Being a union member at PSPH means that we have a stronger voice and the right to collectively bargain with our employer.

Through the bargaining process, our members have fought to improve our workplaces by bargaining for strong benefits, better pay, and robust safety procedures. We also have the right to make our voices heard and build power by organizing around workplace issues, organizing non-union workers into our union, and participating together in community and political actions, such as advocating for safer staffing through legislation and in our contract. Over the past several months, PSPH has allegedly violated our contract in a number of ways. Below is a summary of the grievances we have filed against these violations. If you have any additional questions or have been affected by one of these violations, contact the MRC at (866) 210-3000.

PSPH RN et al. Work on Day Off Premiums

Filed November 9, 2023 Step 1 Meeting: March 21, 2024

In 2022, our union bargaining team negotiated improvements to the Incentive Shift Letter of Understanding (LOU) and moved that LOU into the body of the PSPH RN Contract as Article 9.16. Those improvements included immediate access to time and a half pay or double time, dependent on RN’s FTE, for picking up an extra shift. This change was implemented to further incentivize picking up extra shifts and protecting RNs from loss of all premium pay in the event the RN missed a shift due to illness.

This was a huge win.

Recently, members noticed that the new Work On Day Off language is being challenged both directly and through timekeeping errors. We have discovered that time and a half pay and double-time pay (OT/DT) are subject to additional approval by Kronos timekeepers and that this has led to multiple errors resulting in RNs getting paid less than the contractual rate. This includes the appropriate rate of pay based on FTE worked being erroneously denied due to illness and additional premiums such as Charge, Preceptor, Certification Pay, and Overtime or Double Time rates not being included as an RN’s regular rate of pay as established in the contract.

A group grievance has been filed on behalf of all PSPH RNs to ensure that Providence follows the contract and compensates RNs for any and all lost wages and premiums. We are currently working to set grievance meeting dates.

PSPH RN et al Work on Day Off Shift Requests

Filed December 21, 2023 Step 1: TBD

When our union bargaining team negotiated changes to the Incentive Shift LOU in 2022, one of the most important changes was the removal of the bidding process. On the 21st day of the scheduling period, FTE RNs are able to select open shifts according to the language in the CBA. The goal was for us to remove the chaos of the “bidding” process that accompanied the original Incentive Shift LOU. We believe the new language changed that.

Nurses noticed that we were not being notified timely if approved for the extra shifts as selected. Instead, the Employer has reverted to the previous practice, and we believe they are “screening” shift selections for the “cheapest” RN requesting the shift. If this is true, it would be a violation of our union contract and in direct contradiction of the conversations the PSPH RN bargaining team had with management during contract negotiations in 2022.

We have filed a grievance demanding that PSPH honor the language they agreed to in bargaining and immediately ensure that requesting or selecting extra shifts will be based on a first-come, first-serve basis as intended. Meeting dates have been requested, and we will report back with news and updates.

PSPH RN et al Team Leader Pay

Filed November 2, 2023. Step 1 TBD

RNs in several units noticed they were being offered “Team Leader Pay” premiums for assuming partial Charge RN or precepting duties. This premium is not in the CBA and has not been negotiated with the Union.

Our Union filed a grievance not only to stop this practice and to ensure the Employer follows its own policies regarding appointed assignments. The Employer ceased the practice once the grievance was filed, but we have requested to meet in order to address concerns that Charge duties are being assigned piecemeal to multiple RNs to avoid paying Charge Premium. We are also exploring filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge for creating a new premium without first negotiating with us.

If you believe your unit is also being affected, please contact your union representative Madison Derksema or MRC directly with concerns. We are committed to holding the Employer accountable and ensuring RNs are paid the correct premium pay!

PSPH RN West SADU Mandatory OT

Filed January 23, 2024 Step 1/Bargaining Date TBD

RNs working in Surgery West have been notified they will be “scheduled late” on a rotational basis in violation of the Washington State RCW regarding Mandatory Overtime.

Our Union filed a grievance on behalf of impacted RNs and have issued a demand to bargain over scheduling changes and implementing call in accordance with the CBA.

We have requested bargaining dates from the employer and will work to keep you all updated as we work through this process.

As all of the grievances above progress updates will be sent including information on the grievance meetings, next steps, and any potential resolution. In the meantime, please contact your union representative Madison Derksema or MRC directly with issues or concerns.

Lourdes Medical Center - Tentative Agreement Reached at Lourdes Medical Center for Contract Extension and Wage Increases for All Represented Service & Maintenance Employees

/

To address the immediate retention and recruitment issues at Lourdes Medical Center, the bargaining team and Administration met to discuss the possibility of extending the current contract with increases to compensation and other changes. After two days of conversations, we were able to reach a tentative agreement that will close the gap in compensation with our geographic competitor. We believe the increases will help our hospital with retention and recruitment, which will lead to better patient outcomes.

“The bargaining team worked hard to make sure that there were substantial increases to the wage scale, increases to PTO accrual, and an additional step to the top of the scale. It was an intense bargaining session, but we finally met somewhere in the middle. Without a Union, we have no voice. Having a Union gives us a strong voice and makes it easier to stand up and fight back.”

— Our Bargaining Team, Left to right: Candie Gonzales, Rorie Lopez, Sam Zoller, Juanita Quezada Representative

Competitive wages are an absolute must to recruit and retain quality staff. We believe this proposal achieves that goal.

Drop-in Vote Meeting!

March 15, 2024,
3:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Carondolet Room

Please join your bargaining team in voting YES on March 15, 2024, anytime between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM in the Carondolet room next to the cafeteria. A complete document of the contract and the new wage scale will be available at the vote along with your bargaining team to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have. You must be a UFCW 3000 member in good standing to vote. Please reach out to your Union Representative Juanita Quezada with any questions at (509) 340-7407.

REI Union Workers from Across the US March on Company Headquarters, Demand to Bargain in Good Faith

/

REI workers from around the country joined together yesterday to show our power and unwavering solidarity to fight for a fair first contract, marching on REI headquarters to invite CEO Eric Artz to sit down with representatives from the worker bargaining team—in person, right in the parking lot. REI management was a no-show, so the group of green vests delivered a letter to the Employer's locked front door, surrounded by cheering friends and allies there in solidarity!

REI has unilaterally changed their longstanding past practice and took away merit raises and 2024 Summit Pay at union REIs. Our union has joined other REI union locals around the country to file an Unfair Labor Practice against REI for breaking labor law.

Hear directly from our coworker Sue about why yesterday was so important:

“REI has a list of values and one of them is the ‘co-op way’. One of them is that we start from a place of respect. We acknowledge and resolve our differences of opinion because it helps us tackle problems, learn faster, do better, and go further.”

Has REI lived up to the co-op way? Union workers yesterday went to HQ to say NO! and to demand REI stop union-busting and negotiate with union workers in good faith. The way we win a fair contract is by being engaged and being ready to exercise our right to fight for it! Reach out to anyone on your bargaining team to get more involved in negotiations and upcoming actions.

Feel free to reach out to your union rep Dominick Ojeda at (206) 436-6586.

You can find more about the national campaign here: ourrei.com
View more from the action yesterday at the REI Union Twitter