Our health care workers are standing up for fair treatment and safe patient care at Sacred Heart.
Come by at 7 PM to meet striking workers and prepare for a sunset solidarity rally, with voices from the hospital and our community.
Let’s show Sacred Heart workers that this community has their back!
As you may know, there is scheduled to be a strike at Sacred Heart next week. This Unfair Labor Practice strike is over the Providence Sacred Heart Technical Unit Collective Bargaining Agreement and Providence committing several unfair labor practices that include making changes in the workplace without first negotiating and skirting the bargaining process by attempting to direct deal and coerce staff. This strike does NOT include the Service and Maintenance agreement. There has been some confusion due to emails Providence Sacred Heart management has sent that did not specify which departments are going on strike. All Technical staff will be out on a ULP strike beginning at 2pm on Monday, April 22, and continuing until 8:30pm on Tuesday, April 30.
Service and Maintenance employees are required to work their regularly scheduled shifts during the time that the technical staff are on strike per Article 13 of your contract. Service and Maintenance staff should not join the strike line while on lunches or breaks. If you would like to support the strike lines on your own personal non-work time, your fellow UFCW 3000 members in the Technical unit would really appreciate the show of solidarity!
You should wear UFCW 3000 buttons and solidarity stickers, and blue or yellow scrubs. Get creative and please wear them each day! One of the most important things you can do is to share stories about what is happening in the hospital. Please keep your Union Rep informed on what is happening and if there are any stories that could make strikers feel empowered. Our job during the strike is to show solidarity- both visually and with our actions. If management instructs you to remove your buttons and/or stickers, you should comply with their request but report the incident to your Union Rep.
One of the most powerful things you can do to affirm your scope of work is question and object to improper assignments that are changes to your normal working conditions. You also have a responsibility to provide good patient care and make sure no person is harmed. If management asks us to do something that you are uncomfortable with, is unsafe, or outside of our normal responsibilities- you have the right to object and state why.
Objections can include any personal reason that you feel strongly about- including your licensure, patient safety, insufficient training, or that it’s not in your job description. You have the right to push back and encourage managers and replacement workers to do the additional tasks asked of you. However, you only refuse a task if it is an abnormally dangerous assignment.
You have the right to object- but if you refuse it may be considered insubordination. Your job is to object on why an assignment is improper, and if management insists on you doing the work, you should comply, document the scenario, and call our Union Rep if you have questions. If you feel unequipped or unsafe for any reason, report it to your Union Rep as well.
Scheduling, Overtime, Low Census, and all other provisions of our contracts remain in effect and should be adhered to. Please refer to your Union contract: ufcw3000.org/contracts
No, after the schedule is posted, changes to the schedule can only be made with mutual consent. Out of support for your fellow UFCW 3000 members we ask that you consider not picking up any extra shifts.
7.8 Schedule Posting. Work schedules of shifts and days off (including call schedules) for a six (6) week period will be posted three (3) weeks in advance. After posting, the schedule may only be changed by mutual consent.
Management may ask for volunteers to take unpaid time off or to use educational time– deciding to do so is up to you. They must continue to follow the Low Census process that is in your contract.
Invite your family and friends to join the Techs on the strike line! Also, If you are not working at the time, you are invited to join Technical staff and community allies at an evening solidarity rally on Wednesday, April 24, at 7pm over in Cowley Park (next to the hospital at 7th & Division St.)
If you have any questions or concerns on the Service and Maintenance contract, please contact Union Representative Lenaya Wilhelm, 360-409-0556.
After three days of bargaining with the Employers, Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger, we made good progress towards an agreement. Our union member Bargaining Committee made major progress on key issues like wage escalators that help ensure we keep our wages above minimum wage and workers get raises when the minimum wage goes up. We will continue to fight to get the Employers to propose more money for Journeypersons so that we get the big raises we deserve, especially in the first year of the contract.
New bargaining dates are set with the Employers for April 29 and 30, which we hope will be productive. After these sessions we will take the Employers’ last offer to a vote of the membership on May 2 at the Spokane Doubletree hotel. This will either be a strike authorization vote if the Employers’ offer falls short, or it will be a ratification vote if the employer meets our demands and our Bargaining Committee recommends a yes vote.
Continue to get strike ready! Become a picket captain, sign strike pledge cards, attend Contract Action Team meetings and become a steward!
This vote is for the Spokane & Cheney stores only due to expired contracts. NE Oregon to be announced. Please reach out to your Rep with any questions about the vote.
Your union negotiations committee met with MultiCare on Thursday, April 11 and presented our wage proposal to management. Collectively, we’ve spent countless hours reviewing our current wages against what healthcare workers are earning across the region, and we strongly believe we’ve made a proposal which not only aims to bring in new talented staff, but to keep them at MultiCare.
But it’s not just about incentivizing people to come here, it’s about recognizing the hard work we do every day to keep MultiCare operating!
We also highlighted that much of our typical workflow over the past few years has involved training new-hires (who often received very large sign-on bonuses!) only to have these new-hires leave MultiCare and pursue their career elsewhere, likely for higher wages & better staffing conditions. We’ve stepped up to meet the demands of our community, and now we demand that MultiCare do the same for us!
“We simply cannot provide great patient care with this status-quo! Wages are too low, staffing levels are too low, and this isn’t going to be fixed if people can just drive down the street for better pay!” — Ryan Boyd, MRI Tech @ MultiCare Clinics
Join us, along with your friends, family, and MultiCare coworkers for a Union Family Day! RSVP NOW!
IBEW Local 76 Hall
3049 S 36th St
Tacoma, WA 98409
Saturday, May 4
11 AM — 2 PM
Contract Action Team Meetings:
Monday, May 6
After eight months of negotiations, our union Bargaining Team fully recommends a “YES” vote on our tentative agreement! Drop in to view the proposal and vote to have your voice heard.
South Lake Union
Friday, April 26 @ 2pm—5pm
1011 Mercer St, Seattle, WA 98102
Ballard
Friday, April 26 @ 8am—12pm
824 NW 46th St, Seattle, 98107
Macy’s
Tukwila Minimum Wage Increase Grievance
Our union is filing a grievance against Macy’s for their failure to pay workers what they fought for and won earlier this year. Macy’s workers in Tukwila reported that they did not see their wages increase to what they should have above the city’s minimum wage. We gave Macy’s the chance to fix this problem on their own, but they refused. Our union will continue to enforce our contract through the grievance procedure.
If you have any questions, your pay has been fixed, or another economic piece of our new contract isn’t being followed, please reach out to Union Rep Tae Abraham @ 206-436-6631.
On Wednesday, April 10, your bargaining team met with MultiCare to continue negotiations on our first union contract. After nine suspenseful weeks of awaiting management’s response to our wage proposal—we finally have it in hand!
However, the suspense isn’t over yet. We did extensive market research and proposed wages, premiums, and differentials that we believe match the rates of some of the highest paid union professionals in the region, because we know MultiCare has aspirations to be the premier healthcare provider in the region!
But these aspirations don't seem to extend to the compensation we earn for the care we provide.
Even after just a quick review of their proposal, we were frustrated to see that the wage rates offered at the top end of their proposal are what some of our current coworkers are already being paid!
Furthermore, our proposal contained language which would honor existing employees' years of experience in our positions and compensate us accordingly. This recognition was unfortunately nowhere to be found in MultiCare's counter.
"We waited nine weeks to receive a proposal on wages, only to be disappointed by MultiCare's counter, which appears to only offer small increases to many of us!"
—Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacist, Bargaining Team Member
Join our upcoming Contract Action Team meetings to get details about our ongoing bargain, the proposal we got from management, and some events for MultiCare workers to make this an action-packed spring!
CONTRACT ACTION TEAM MEETINGS:
Thursday, April 18
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Cascade Training Room
Thursday, May 16
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Cascade Training Room
Mark your calendar and join UFCW members from Auburn Medical Center, Tacoma General, Allenmore, and many more for a spring kick-off with Union Family Day for MultiCare Workers.
Saturday, May 4
11 AM - 2 PM
IBEW Local 76 Hall
3049 S 36th St
Tacoma, WA 98409
Since the introduction of the new mylar zippered bag packaging at Mfused, members in production have been vocal about the pain and injuries caused to their wrists and hands from constantly opening and pinching these bags closed. Management had attempted to address the situation by ordering bags that supposedly come opened or outsourcing the task to other workers, but they still were not able to find a harmless solution. This led to multiple injuries and claims with Labor & Industries (L&I.) Meanwhile, L&I’s Department of Safety & Health (DOSH) had opened an investigation into a complaint made about the safety of this work.
After some months and in-depth review from Occupational Hygienists, an Ergonomist, and (unlike most cases,) the head of DOSH, it has been determined that it is unsafe to open bags by hand and pinch bags closed by hand, even for part of a shift. The company has been given multiple serious citations, with one penalty, of which the amount has not been disclosed. Mfused must post a notice of their citations in the workplace for 7 days after it is received in the mail. L&I will not be checking on this, so if it is not seen or comes down early, please notify your shop steward or union rep.
Employees, whether union members or not, should not be opening product bags by hand at all for any reason. If a batch of bags comes in sealed or partially sealed, please notify your manager and do not open them by hand. It is up to the employer to provide a safe way to get the job done, L&I has recommended finding a tool that can open and seal the bags without harmful repetitive motions. Do not open or seal bags until the company has provided a tool or machine that will help you do it harmlessly. Please notify your union rep when a tool or machine for opening/sealing bags is made available, or if you or another employee are asked to open or seal bags by hand.
This is a win for members who have been saying that this work has been harmful to them all along, with injuries to show for it. Their voices have now been validated by safety regulators who have the authority to make management listen.
If you have questions, reach out to your Union Rep.
After 8 long months of bargaining with Downtown Dog Lounge, we have finally reached a tentative agreement fully recommend by our union worker bargaining team!
Bargaining began in September 2023 and your bargaining team has been working hard and focusing on our core issues: safety for dogs and humans, a livable wage, and regular maintenance to the facilities. While it has been a fight, DDL workers have remained strong knowing that winning this first contract is the first step in changing standards in the animal care industry.
This tentative agreement includes:
Additional holiday with pay
Grievance procedure
Just cause language
And much more…
Details will be sent out soon on voting times and locations. If you have any questions, contact your bargaining team or Union Representative.
Bargaining team includes: Maribeth Fletcher, Ayla Gersdorf-Duncan, Judy Coy, and Elsie Hedberg.
Kelly Kanary has been working for Kaiser Permanente as a Certified Registered Nursing Anesthetist since 2015. Many union activists don’t get involved until workplace issues arise and suddenly they are getting a crash course in shop floor organizing, which is how Kelly got involved.
Read MoreAfter months of bargaining with Providence Sacred Heart in Spokane, Sacred Heart Medical Center technical workers voted overwhelmingly to REJECT Providence’s most recent contract offer and YES to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, with unprecedented voter turnout.
“A supermajority of UFCW 3000 members showed up to vote. As an extension of our voices, we used our votes to reject the present contract offered by Providence and to authorize a strike, signaling it is time for Providence to hear us and find solutions to combat short staffing and retain experienced staff. We are a part of this community, and we will continue to fight to keep our community safe and healthy.” – Providence Sacred Heart Technical Unit Bargaining Team: Derek Roybal, Janelle Mathias, Craig Kistler, Lee Lidman, Joe Sikkila, Shane Sullivan, Miriam Critelli, Teresa Bowden, Angela Holmes, Holly Granly.
Today we delivered to a 10-day strike notice to Providence. Our union bargaining team has called for an Unfair Labor Practice Strike starting at 2:00pm on April 22 and lasting until April 30, with picketing outside the hospital every day between the hours of 5:30am - 8:30pm.
We deserve better. Providence’s behavior at the bargaining table has shown us consistent disrespect. That disrespect of our rights and our bargaining process has extended to management committing unfair labor practices. Providence management implemented a change in working conditions, imposing schedule changes outside the bounds of our contract even as our union objected. They engaged in blatant direct dealing with union members outside of negotiations, skirting the bargaining process by attempting to coerce members into approving terms we had not agreed to. At the final hour they punitively revoked our access to the hospital for our contract vote the day before the vote. From the beginning, we had to fight just to keep our existing medical and dental guarantees on the table, which we only saved through relentless action and solidarity. Management’s insistence that we compare our compensation with a nearby hospital vanished when those workers negotiated significant improvements. Now Providence seems perfectly comfortable making many of us the lowest-paid workers in our field in our region, all while committing unfair labor practices throughout our negotiations. They even made the decision to take away snacks and drinks from employees utilizing the OR break room.
Our patients deserve better. Chronic short-staffing and perpetual on-call is running us ragged. Sacred Heart Medical Center is the only hospital of its kind in the region, yet instead of recognizing the unique specialty, skills, and services we provide, hospital leadership seems convinced they don’t have to invest in staff. We are a lifeline for the sickest patients in the Inland Northwest, and without a better contract we will continue to lose the technical staff required to offer the highest level of care. Our patients deserve the best care team possible, and we can’t achieve that if technical staff can work down the street for better pay, fairer treatment, a higher level of respect, and less demanding work.
Our community is counting on us. If we allow Providence management to degrade the standards in our contract, to ignore our hard work and sacrifices, to set the bar as low as possible for how skilled technical workers are treated, we know it will have devastating impacts on our ability to retain our experienced staff and recruit new highly qualified technical staff. As our region’s only level II trauma center for adult and pediatric patients, Providence should be the regional leader in recruiting and retaining skilled staff.
We stand united. Our unit has shown up to these votes in lockstep, with unprecedented turnout and unanimous or near-unanimous votes rejecting Providence’s offers and authorizing this unfair labor practice strike. We have come this far together. Walking a strike line is a last resort, and we don’t take it lightly, but we are ready to stand up for our patients, our community, and each other. Unfair labor practices are unacceptable, and the disrespect we’re facing at the bargaining table negatively impacts patient care. We have the support of 50,000 fellow UFCW 3000 members and our union’s community allies across Spokane.
We are inspired by our fellow Providence workers, including the 1,300+ nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett who went on strike in 2023 and demanded better for their patients and staff. Following their lead, we call on all Providence workers to keep organizing together in solidarity, in this contract fight and in your upcoming contract negotiations. Each time that we stand up to Providence’s corporate greed, we lay a foundation to envision what a more powerful voice could look like for workers and patients in our health care system and specifically within Providence Health & Services.
It’s time to send Providence a clear message that they need to do better, we expect better, and our patients deserve better. Join us in actions over the coming days and on the strike line starting on April 22 to ask Providence to be the leader our community and patients need.
BEFORE WE STRIKE:
Fill out your W9 to receive ULP strike benefits >>
All represented workers who picket over 20 hours a week will receive $500, or $800 if you picket for over 32 hours. If you are unable to join the picket but respect the strike line and stay home, you can receive $200 Respect the Line pay.
Share the Community Pledge to support the ULP strike with your friends, family and community >>
Monday 4/15 @ 7pm: Media and Social Media Training via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82384326981?pwd=SnpRTW5Ub1AzeS9OeGlPK2twaExQZz09
Tuesday 4/16 @ 6pm: Picket Sign-Making Party
@ UFCW 3000 Office: 2805 N Market St, Spokane, WA 99207. Come make a sign and also pick up community support signs to share with local businesses.
Wednesday 4/17 @ 11am: Press Conference
@ UFCW 3000 Office: 2805 N Market St, Spokane, WA 99207. Invite family and friends to join us!
Wednesday 4/17 @ 7pm: Telephone Town Hall call with Providence workers statewide
Providence Sacred Heart workers will receive a call at the phone number on file with the union inviting you to join this call at 7 pm. If you miss the call or do not receive a call, you can join the meeting anytime by calling (888) 652-0386 and entering Meeting ID 7911
Friday 4/19 @ 6pm: Strike Captain Meeting
@ UFCW 3000 Office: 2805 N Market St, Spokane, WA 99207. Are you interested in helping to be a leader on the line? Come join us for training on roles, how to lead, and what to expect.
Monday 4/22 @ 2pm: UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE STRIKE BEGINS
Picketing at the hospital will occur daily from 5:30am – 8:30pm through 4/30.
*Additional communications will be sent out answering frequently asked questions, as we prepare logistically for the Strike. Stay up to date at www.ufcw3000.org/strike.
We have been in Union contract negotiations with Franz since January, fighting for wage increases that would align more closely with what bakery employees are paid at Safeway and Fred Meyer stores. Unfortunately, Franz has repeatedly rejected our proposals as they don’t agree that we deserve to be paid the same as grocery store workers.
We are now bringing in a federal mediator to help the parties reach an agreement, but we will need to take NOW action to show Franz that our frustration is more than just talk! To that end, we will be conducting an online STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE on Friday April 19, showing Franz that we find their offer unacceptable and are willing to take collective action to secure a fair contract.
While authorizing a strike does not mean that we’ll walk off the job the next day, but it does authorize our bargaining team to call a strike if necessary. We will also reach out to the Teamsters, who drive Franz trucks, to seek their support in our fight for a fair contract. Their support could be instrumental in building leverage towards a fair contract since Franz cannot operate without their truck drivers.
Franz Strike Authorization Vote
Friday, April 19 from 12:00AM – 5:00PM
Online through “Simply Voting”
We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Friday, April 19 from 12:00AM to 5:00PM. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 3000 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information. Your Union Representative will also be making visits to the workplace to provide additional information regarding the vote. In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records.
If you did not receive this announcement via email, please visit this page and update your information. If you do not receive an email to vote on Friday, April 19, then please reach out to Union Representative Tae Abraham 206-436-6631 to provide an updated email address.
After months of bargaining with Providence to secure a new contract that reflects the respect we deserve and the care our patients need, we were met with another disappointing proposal from the Hospital. A Proposal that Providence said was them putting their best offer forward. A proposal that would make many of us the lowest paid workers in our field in the region. A Proposal that doesn't adequately address safe staffing by improving our retention and recruitment of healthcare workers.
We are the lifeline for Spokane and the greater Inland Northwest community. Providence Sacred Heart is the only trauma 2 and pediatric hospital in Washington State and has the only stroke thrombectomy center, nuerointerventional center, adult congenital heart program, and transplant center in the Inland Northwest.
Providence should be the leader in recruitment and retention in Spokane and should recognize the unique specialty, skills, and services we provide to the community.
From the very first moment of bargaining, Providence has been laser focused on deteriorating standards in our contract by attempting to bully our unit to give up our Union Healthcare benefits and committing multiple potential Unfair Labor Practices along the way. We stood together and were successfully able to protect our Dental benefits through the life of the agreement and we are standing together and fighting back against Providence breaking labor law.
Next, the Hospital came to the table with a song and dance about how they wanted to address specific areas in our contract that were behind market, to maintain Sacred Heart Medical Center as the leader in the Spokane area, while at the same time attempting to pin our wages to the lowest comparable in the area. After the same neighboring hospital settled their contact with significant gains, Providence came back to the table arguing that we shouldn’t look at that comparison. It’s clear to us that Providence is prepared to make whatever argument, flip flopping all the way, just to pay us less. We find that unacceptable.
Many of us have worked through the pandemic, worked short staffed for months or years, taken endless hours of call, sacrificing our time, energy, bodies, and our families to care for our patients and community all while making Providence profitable. Our wages and standards have fallen behind others, and we still did our job. Providence’s last proposal does not recognize us for our hard work, skills, and commitment to our community and to Providence.
We still have work to do. Its time to send Providence a clear message that they need to do better, we expect better, and our patients deserve better. Join us at the Contract vote this Thursday to reject Providence’s latest offer and re-authorize a strike.
Please help pass the word- the Vote will be held at a NEW location- the Hampton Inn Downtown Spokane, right across from the Hospital.
Our union Bargaining Team is recommending a NO vote on the contract proposal and a YES vote to re-authorize a strike. Any time there are significant changes to the proposal we must re-vote. All members in good standing are encouraged to vote. To receive the union strike pay benefit, you must complete a W9 form before we go on strike >>
“Our team showed up today and worked very hard to come up with competitive comprehensive proposals that involved very creative movement and was met with a lack of creative ideas from the employer. I continue to feel that my career choice is very unappreciated by this employer. I cannot in good conscience recommend a yes vote on the employers’ latest proposal.” – Angela Holmes Surgical Tech
“Providence needs to do the right thing chose to show that they care about the health of the community and surrounding areas and take action to recruit and retain the talented and experience caregivers that have made us the leaders in acute care. Profits and shareholders should never be given priority over patients and employees.” – Derek Roybal
“My perception is that Management had no intention of moving towards a fair contract that would help with retention and recruitment of highly qualified staff to care for our community. Join us in voting NO on the contract and Yes on strike Authorization on Thursday. Providence needs to Do better and Providence need to BE better.” – Joe Sikkila
As a democratic union, we know that when we all come together and actively participate in the decision-making processes that have direct impacts on our workplace then we win better outcomes, safer workplaces, and a more fulfilling work environment. One crucial way we can have direct impact is through the election of PCC workers to the Labor Management Committee (LMC), which will play a key role in representing our collective interests and ensuring a fair and respectful work environment for all.
The LMC's purpose is to study and make recommendations on important matters to the PCC Board of Trustees or Leadership Team. These recommendations will cover various issues that are important to workers and members at PCC like, profit sharing structures for unionized staff, fostering understanding of the co-op's business and financial model, workplace enhancements and improvements, staff training needs, productivity improvements, financial performance, and the member/shopper experience.
Our participation in this election is vital to ensuring that the voices and concerns of PCC workers are addressed. By electing five representatives who truly understand and advocate for our needs, we can work together to create a stronger and more inclusive workplace for everyone. Read more about the LMC in our union contract FRS (page 23) here.
The best potential candidates should fit the following criteria:
You are a PCC employee in good standing.
You can represent diverse ethnic groups, backgrounds, and positions within PCC.
You are willing to commit the time needed to the LMC (3 year term) to have the greatest impact for co-workers.
Once all the nominations are in, we will hold a democratic online vote to choose the five new LMC members!
The deadline to submit LMC nominations is April 27, 2024 at midnight.
Make sure you can participate in the vote! Once all the nominations are in, we will hold a democratic online vote to choose the five new LMC members! You are encouraged to learn about the candidates, and to cast your vote. Your vote matters, and your involvement in this process will help to strengthen our union and build a better future for all of us. To participate in the online vote make sure your personal contact information is up-to-date, go to ufcw3000.org
4/15, 4/17, 4/18, 4/22, 4/24, 4/25 @ 6pm via zoom >>
Meeting ID: 871 1956 3836 Passcode: 095974
Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings are a time for us to get together, talk about workplace issues and our plans for the future! If you have questions about nominations for the LMC wring those questions to the next CAT meeting!
Our contract gives our Union the ability to file formal complaints—called grievances—on our behalf against PRMCE when PRMCE violates our contract. Prior to the grievance process, UFCW 3000 attempts to resolve these issues with PRMCE, but sometimes our positions differ too much. Despite its length, the grievance process stands as our best recourse in enforcing our contract when mutual agreement proves elusive.
Anniversary Wage Increases—PRMCE has failed to provide step increases to RNs based on their hire date. In the new contract, we secured language altering the frequency of step increases from every 1,872 hours worked or every 12 months, whichever comes later, to a yearly basis. During negotiations, PRMCE agreed to utilize a nurse’s hire date for this calculation. However, on the second full pay period following ratification, nurses whose hire dates fell within that period reported not receiving their step increase. We believe that PRMCE is in breach of Article 5.8 (Length of Service) and Article 9.1 (Wages). A grievance has been filed on behalf of all PRMCE RNs, demanding retroactive pay and the use of nurses’ hire dates to determine the effective date of their annual step increases. Our next step involves meeting with PRMCE in April to address this matter through the grievance process.
Extra Shift Incentive and Low Census—PRMCE has been low censusing RNs who are on incentive shifts prior to low censusing travelers and agency RNs. Under the new incentive shift language in Article 6.11, incentive shifts are identified as premium shifts and RNs on incentive shifts, in reverse sign up order, are supposed to be released first when no longer needed. While in Article 8.8 Assignment of Low Census, the low census order is travelers, agency, and then overtime/premium pay shifts. We contend that PRMCE has violated Article 8.8 by low censusing RNs on incentive shifts before travelers and agency RNs. A grievance has been lodged on behalf of all PRMCE RNs, requesting compensation for affected RNs who missed shifts due to being low censused out of order. Similar to the previous issue, our next step involves meeting with PRMCE in April to seek resolution through the grievance process.
Our Union Bargaining Team met with the Employer on last Thursday, April 4, during which Whidbey Health presented its comprehensive economic proposal. They were able to share the improvement in the financial stability of the organization and their commitment to retention and recruitment of the workforce.
The Employer included proposals for the Professional and Technical units that encompassed wage parity for years of experience and market wage increases at the beginning of the scales to attract new talent.Our team will review their proposals in detail in the next few days as we prepare to counter their proposal with fair wages and other economic items. We believe there is room for improvement and look forward to meeting with them again to negotiate a fair contract in good faith.
Our Bargaining Team: Liz Latiff, Health Unit Coordinator; Marilyn Faber, Patient Financial Services.
Our union Bargaining Teams have reached a tentative agreement on mid-contract wage increases and are recommending a yes vote!
On Thursday morning you will receive an email with your unique log-in credentials so you can review the wage increase proposal and vote. You must be a member in good standing to be eligible to participate in union votes, make sure your personal email is up-to-date use the QR code or visit ufcw3000.org >>
Drop-in vote meetings to review the wage increase proposal and ask questions: Monday, April 15 from 5:30pm-6:30pm and Tuesday, April 16 from 12pm-1pm and 5:30pm-6:30pm
If you do not receive an email to vote on April 18, please contact union Rep Lauren VanWormer 206-436-6584 or Contract Specialist Rep JJ Benson 425-306-1357.
Prince Hart, Sean Ricco, Kevin, Daly, and Solas McGregor decided to take action to highlight their safety concerns at the University District Safeway. They started a petition to discuss their concerns and ways to help solve the problem. After collecting a majority of signatures of their coworkers they “marched on the boss” to talk with store management about the probelm.
Read More
“Together we showed how strong we are as a Union and what we can accomplish when we come together!” —Jeannette (JJ) Benson
As KP WA UFCW3000 members, alongside the thousands of workers in the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, we let management know that enough is enough. As a result of your ongoing action over the last two years including petitions, postcards, and, most recently, the demand letter —Management has agreed to market rate adjustments, resulting in wage increases for UFCW members!
On Tuesday, April 2, our union team from Pro Tech Optical and Pharmacy along with Leaders from the Alliance of Healthcare Workers met with Management and successfully negotiated for mid-contract wage increases. These increases will be in addition to the contractual increases ratified in 2021.
Union Members will have an opportunity to review and discuss the tentative wage increases and vote. Additional information with dates and times will be sent soon. All members in good standing are encouraged to vote, make sure your current contact information, including your personal email address are up to date!
Update your information ahead of the vote: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information
“I appreciate giving feedback and seeing something happen as a result.” —Vicki Kobeski
After workers came together to discuss a broken PTO system, we came to an agreement with Card Kingdom that benefited both the Employer and union members. There has not been the same movement on our grievance against the Employer’s current practice of giving only one raise a year. We’ve provided numerous opportunities for Card Kingdom to fulfill the raises they agreed to during negotiations, but unfortunately, they have decided to maintain their position contrary to the contract.
Contracts that have two raises a year are standard in many of the industries our union represents. Workers on these scales earn a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and receive a raise on their anniversary date until they reach the top of the scale. This is the wage scale we fought for and gained at the table. Our contract must be followed as negotiated.
During the Union’s most recent conversation with the Employer’s legal counsel, they denied any wrongdoing, falsely accused the union of deception, and indicated they had no interest in a reasonable settlement short of an arbitrator’s order.
We cannot rely on arbitration to be the only mechanism to ensure our contract is followed. Becoming a shop steward is a great way to help build union power and as we head towards arbitration, we will be holding regular union meetings to discuss how to help enforce our union contract.
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
