Multicare Health System - ULP Strike Authorization Vote Scheduled!

After months of negotiations, and in the face of unfair labor practices (ULP) committed by MultiCare, the time has come to either secure a fair contract or take more decisive action.

To that end, our Bargaining Team has scheduled a vote after our July 12 bargaining date on whether to ratify or reject the proposed contract and authorize a ULP Strike. The bargaining team hopes MultiCare will cease its unfair labor practices and make an offer the committee can recommend be ratified. If not, then our Bargaining Team will recommend that workers vote to authorize a ULP strike.

Our Union Bargaining Team does not take the decision to call for a ULP Strike authorization vote lightly, but we cannot continue bargaining indefinitely while the employer engages in unfair labor practices. We hope that MultiCare will come to the bargaining table prepared to negotiate in good faith when we meet next.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

• KING COUNTY
  • 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM
  • 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Best Western Plus Mountain View Auburn Inn
  ​401 8th St SW, Auburn, WA 98001

Thursday, July 18, 2024

• PIERCE COUNTY
  • 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM
  • 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
  • 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Marriott Tacoma Downtown, 3rd Floor Pt. Defiance Room
  1538 Commerce St, Tacoma, WA 98402

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What is an Unfair Labor Practice Strike?

An Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike is called in response to MultiCare’s unfair labor practices, which are illegal actions that undermine the bargaining process. This type of strike aims to compel the employer to cease unlawful activities and engage in fair negotiations.

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals - First Contract Update - June 26, 2024

THINGS ARE HEATING UP!

Our Union bargaining committee met with the Employer, albeit virtually, for our first round of negotiations since May 22. After our previous bargaining date scheduled for May 29 was canceled by the Employer—we were beginning to feel very frustrated that any momentum we’d built up toward achieving our first ever union contract was going to be weakened. However—we spent the downtime digging into our priorities on things like:

• Safeguarding the protections afforded by union membership
• Articles on Medical, Family, and Military Leaves of Absence
• And most significantly, wages and health insurance benefits.

When we began our day at the bargaining table, we were curious what the exchange of proposals between parties would look like, especially because management has shown limited interest in many of our key priorities. Considering all of this, we left today’s bargaining session feeling cautiously optimistic that the momentum behind reaching an agreement with the Employer was better than ever! Management also clued us into their feelings about the highly attended informational picket your union held at Tacoma General Hospital, acknowledging its impact as loud and disruptive (just how we like it!). Ultimately, we’re glad to announce that we reached agreements with management on some long-outstanding contract articles and engaged in what we felt was productive dialogue about where the parties are at in this process.

With all of that said, we do want to make it clear that despite our agreements on various provisions of our contract with MultiCare, we are beginning to narrow down to our highest priorities, likely to be the most challenging part of our bargain so far…

For instance, our bargaining team was deeply concerned to hear MultiCare's proposal to introduce employees into our Union Wage Scale at a pay rate that closely mirrors their current one (with no pay decrease), rather than aligning compensation with our years of experience. Our experience as healthcare professionals not only defines our skill but also enables us to deliver the quality of care our patients deserve. Moreover, we strongly believe that this approach could adversely affect retention in our departments, especially when many other employers recognize and reward years of experience.

As we dig into health insurance benefits, wages, years of experience, and more; it is more important now than ever that we are showing our solidarity and strength TOGETHER to win a STRONG first union contract!

Join us at our next round of Contract Action meetings to learn how to stay involved and support your Union Bargaining Team!

July 10 (In-Person & via ZOOM)

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Auburn Medical Center – MOB Classroom

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Auburn Medical Center – Cascade Training Room

Multicare Health System - The Power Of Solidarity

For those of you who joined our Telephone Town Hall on the evening of June 27, you know that after our recent meeting with MultiCare to bargain our nine union contracts, we don’t have much to say other than we are fed up, and our patience is nearly exhausted.

We have spent months putting together proposals that we strongly believe address the workplace issues that matter most to us. We have communicated to MultiCare why competitive market wages and changes to the health insurance plan are so important, yet we feel that the Employer has failed to address the root of these issues.

However, following our informational picket earlier this month, it is evident that our collective power is beginning to shift the dynamic at the bargaining table. MultiCare has come to negotiations more willing to address some of the other issues, including an agreement to expand our bereavement leave, which management had previously shown little interest in. Nevertheless, we must apply additional pressure to secure the improvements we need on wages and benefits.

We are scheduled to continue negotiations with the Employer on July 8 and July 12. In the very near future, your Union Bargaining Committee will be announcing vote meetings to be scheduled after our bargaining date on the 12th.

Stay tuned for updates, and remember that it is our collective power that will win us strong contracts.

“It’s coming down to the wire, and we need your support. Wear your Union buttons & keep your solidarity strong.”

— Karen Towne, Medical Assistant @ Tacoma Family Medicine

MultiCare is bargaining in bad faith

On Thursday, May 16, our Union Negotiating Committee met with MultiCare to continue contract negotiations, however, we’re not sure MultiCare showed up for the same reason. We do not believe that Management are bargaining in good faith. They are not taking this process seriously, nor do we feel that concerns about our staffing, our wages, and the well-being of ourselves and our families are being considered in Management’s proposals.

“Three percent is BS. That’s not even enough to cover inflation for this year.” —Rafael Diaz

We feel that MultiCare is trying to drag this out, perhaps to exhaust us, and defeat us, but we are not giving in. We will show MultiCare that we will stand together to win a fair contract.

WE ARE: 2000 WORKERS, 9 CONTRACTS & ONE FIGHT!

SAVE THE DATE: picket sign making party Wednesday, June 5 from 5PM—7PM at IBEW Local 76, 3049 S 36th Street. Tacoma, 98409

RSVP to the Informational Picket here >>

MultiCare Time to turn up the pressure

On Thursday, May 9, our Union Bargaining Committee was eager to meet with MultiCare Management to continue negotiations on our nine contracts. We kicked the day off feeling refreshed & confident from the overwhelming support we’ve seen from our coworkers over the last week —a highly attended Union Family Day on May 4, and outstanding participation in Union Solidarity Day on May 8 (we gave out around 1,000 MultiCare Workers United buttons!)

And it seems that we may not be the only ones who noticed the growing solidarity in our workplaces…

At Thursday’s bargaining session, MultiCare came to the table and moved closer to our positions on a few of the proposals we’ve been passing back and forth- for example, discussions on Extra Shifts, and making a very reasonable counter proposal on Changing Time (donning/doffing)- which we later agreed to add to the contract!

While this exchange of proposals with MultiCare was encouraging (and felt like we were really bargaining!), it did not extend to many of the items that matter most to us, such as our wages and our health insurance benefits. In fact, we agreed that it is nessessary to remind Management, once again, why the proposals we’ve continued to put forward on the Health Insurance Plan are so important. We made it as clear as we could by breaking down the issues we’re facing into “categories” like affordability, access, and network. We broke down these categories further by sharing personal stories about how MultiCare’s benefit plans have negatively impacted us and our families.

Management’s movement on Thursday was a good start, but to win the wages, benefits, and workplace protections we need, we have to turn up the heat!

Mark your calendars:

INFORMATIONAL PICKET: Wednesday, June 12 4PM—6PM at Tacoma General Hospital (on MLK Jr. Way) >>

Join our next Contract Action Team Meetings: Wednesday, June 5 9AM (via Zoom), 12PM (at Tacoma General Hospital Bunker Conference Room), and 5PM (via Zoom) >>

Continue to stay up to date! on our contract bargain, future union actions, & more on our MultiCare Linktree. >>

Multicare Auburn Medical Center (Professional) - Bargaining Continues

Our Union Bargaining Team (L-R): Marci Pindi. Social Worker; Ramona Strassburg,Mental Health Technician; (Not Pictured: Brent Kirshenbaum,Pharmacist)

“It was a nice change to be able to pass proposals back & forth today, it felt productive! However- I didn’t like hearing that they’re not planning to move much on their wage proposal…” —Marci Pindi, Social Worker, Bargaining Team member

Our Bargaining Team met with MultiCare Management on May 8, to continue negotiations on our first Union Contract.

Throughout this process, we have felt increasingly frustrated about Management’s approach to working towards a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with us; for the most part, rejecting our proposals time and time again, or holding their position with little to no change for weeks (or even months) at a time.

While we’re not sure we can confidently say that this pattern has changed entirely, we are feeling very positive about the work achieved at the bargaining table on May 8. We’ve come to agreements with Management on some issues like shift differentials (evening & nights), the minimum guaranteed hours we’re paid when we’re called into work (On-Call), and memorializing our participation in the MHS Gainsharing Plan.

This progress is encouraging, but we still have a fight ahead of us on some of our highest priorities, considering management confirmed that they have not increased their wage scale proposal at all.

Are MultiCare feeling the pressure? We think so! However, we need to stand together now more than ever to make sure management understand that our wages need to reflect the life-saving care we provide every day.

Join our next Contract Action Team meeting:
Thursday, May 16 @ 11:30am—12:30pm
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, Cascade Training Room

Will MultiCare Meet the Market on Wages?

Will MultiCare Meet the Market on Wages?

On Wednesday, May 1, our Union Bargaining Comittee met with Management and finally received a response to the wage proposal we presented on April 11. Prior to making our proposal, we did extensive research to make sure our wages stay competitive with other regional healthcare employers throughout the duration of our new contract. 

MultiCare’s counter, however, leaves our wage rates trailing behind what many of these same regional hospitals are already paying… Offering only 2% across the board raises for most of us.

“Wages have been 2 low, for 2 long, 2 continue moving backwards… But we need 2 move forward!” —Brian Dansereau, Pharmacy Tech

If you feel like we do, and believe that 2% won’t cut it, join these next steps to take action: 

MultiCare Union Family Day is May 4 from 11am—2pm at IBEW Local 76 Hall

Join us for food, games, prizes, and to pick up some Union swag for our May 8 Union Solidarity Day! RSVP: www.mobilize.us/ufcw3000/event/617922/ >>

Union Solidarity Day

Show your solidarity on next Wednesday, May 8 by wearing Union stickers, buttons, shirts, 

and dress in UFCW Blue & Gold! Let’s show Management that we are united and ready to fight for a fair contract!
Stay up to date on our bargain, and the next steps we believe will move MultiCare to agree to a fair contract for all of us! Join our Facebook Group, & use the following link to look out for more ways to take action throughout our negotiations with MultiCare: https://linktr.ee/mc3000

Multicare Health System - Our Patience Is Running Thin

Your Union Negotiating Committee met with MultiCare again on Thursday, April 18, starting the day with all outstanding proposals awaiting response from the Employer.

Despite our team being onsite and ready to negotiate by 9:30 AM, we were kept waiting until the afternoon to receive a proposal from management. During this delay, our committee utilized the downtime to strategize our next steps, yet we found it both inefficient and disrespectful to be left without a proposal to review for much of the day.

MultiCare’s counter proposal fell short of expectations, totaling fourteen pages with only minor changes from their previous offer. Furthermore, their proposal didn’t include a response to our wage proposal as MultiCare said they won’t have a response until next month at the earliest. 

Our committee expressed our frustration with MultiCare directly, warning management that our patience is not infinite. We are here to bargain in good faith, working together to find creative solutions to serious workplace issues, not to just pass papers back and forth. 

UFCW Local 3000 members at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane are on an unfair labor practice strike this week, the second against the health system in less than 6-months. Providence has repeatedly made the mistake of testing the patience of workers by failing to come to the table to bargain in good faith and it would be unwise for MultiCare to make a similar mistake. 

Our Negotiating Committee is scheduled to meet with MultiCare again on May 1, with additional bargaining dates scheduled through the end of June.

“We’re ready to work together, but it takes two sides willing to engage. MultiCare needs to step up and show they’re serious about reaching an agreement.” 

— Cheyenne Hannaman, Medical Laboratory Scientist @ Tacoma General Hospital

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
9AM — RSVP Online
12PM — Tacoma General in Bunker Conference Room
5PM — RSVP Online

Multicare Health System - Status Quo Has Got to Go

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 keep our facilities CLEAN
• We ensure our patients are SAFE, HEALTHY, and COMFORTABLE
• We process thousands of labs and medications, perform diagnostic testing, and provide COUNTLESS life-saving treatments to the sick and vulnerable members of our community.

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

• 9AM — RSVP Online
• 12PM — Tacoma General in Bunker Conference Room
• 5PM — RSVP Online

MultiCare Health Benefits Story Collection

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals - Bargaining Update

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!

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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

Multicare Health System - Will MultiCare Address Our Health Insurance Plan Concerns?

“It’s beginning to feel a lot like groundhog day! We’re trying to make progress & movement here, and we just keep getting back rejected proposals from MultiCare…” — Danene Flower, Cardiology Tech

Our bargaining team have made numerous proposals to MultiCare across numerous bargaining dates— among other things, our proposals have focused on strengthening our job protections, increases to premiums and differentials to meet the market, and clearer ways to utilize our health insurance benefits.

We understand that throughout the bargaining process, we may not achieve the exact contract language we propose; but what we do not understand is why MultiCare continue rejecting many of our proposals in their entirety—often without a counter-proposal, or even a conversation from management about why these things may be of significant importance to us.

As a primary example: we have been honest with MultiCare & we have told them directly that we believe their health insurance plan is broken, and needs repair! Our proposals include:

• A continuation of the Healthy@Work Wellness Program, as it was administered previously

• An expansion to MultiCare’s pharmacy network, to allow us easier access to our prescribed medications in a timely & convenient manner

• Expanding their in-network options, so we may seek providers where we choose to seek care

• Expansion of benefit eligibility for our spouses, children, & families, as well as expansion of benefits which are offered to the participants on our plan

• Expansions to the Vision coverage afforded by our plan, including testing & hardware costs

• Refine Health Savings Account (HSA) funding for High Deductible Plan participants

• The addition of Guardian Nurses, who serve as a resource (and sometimes even a cost-saving measure!) for us, in navigating our health, wellness, and the all-too-often complicated system of healthcare & health insurance.

Your bargaining team drafted thoughtful proposals to catch MultiCare’s attention—and yet, we feel that this dialogue is not happening!

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It’s time to take ‘NO’ more seriously! 

Let’s SPEAK UP! 

How are MultiCare’s substandard Health Care benefits impacting you and your family?

Take action checklist:

Sign up for a Contract Action Team meeting on April 8

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