Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Health RNs - Tentative Agreement Reached on a First Contract

Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Service and Technical

VOTE SCHEDULED
November 25, 2024
12:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room
7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA.

The Bargaining Team is recommending a YES vote.

Our bargaining team is encouraging all employees covered by this agreement to join them on November 25, 2024 any time between 12:00 AM and 7:00 PM in the Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room at 7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA. This is a great time to learn about the new contract, ask questions and vote. The new contract guarantees 2 wage increases each year of the contract, a competitive wage scale, additional paid time off, job security, grievance process, continuing education reimbursement, union security and much more.

We are excited, hopeful and confident the first contract will lay a strong foundation for an even stronger future. We believe equality and fairness has been achieved in this three-year contract. We now have a voice and a seat at the table to discuss wages, benefits and working conditions. WE CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE. Ask your bargaining team how to get involved.

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Our Bargaining Team: Jennifer Medrano MA, Jose Munoz Lazo MA, Kaylene Kuhn, Radiological Technologist, Amy Brown LPN, Sandra Pineda MA.

“We came together as a group, asking for fairness and security. After many months of hard work, we have achieved it! The more unified we are, the stronger we become.” 

— Kaylene Kuhn

“Unity is strength...when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved”

— Jose Munoz Lazo

“I love my Lourdes team, and no matter what position or role you play in this company, we are ALL VITAL employees. Looking forward to a better future for all with a YES vote on this initial (first) contract.”

 — Amy Brown 

Lourdes Clinics and Urgent Care Health RNs

VOTE SCHEDULED
November 25, 2024
7:30 AM and 10:00 AM
Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room
7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA

The Bargaining Team is recommending a YES vote.

Our bargaining team is encouraging all Nurses to join them on November 25, 2024 any time between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM in the Lourdes West Pasco Conference Room at 7425 Wrigley Drive, Pasco, WA. This is a great time to learn about the new contract, ask questions and vote. The new contract guarantees 2 wage increases each year of the contract, a competitive wage scale, additional paid time off, job security, grievance process, continuing education reimbursement, union security and much more.

We are excited, hopeful and confident the first contract will lay a strong foundation for an even stronger future. We believe equality and fairness has been achieved in this three-year contract. We now have a voice and a seat at the table to discuss wages, benefits and working conditions. WE CAN ONLY GO UP FROM HERE. Ask your bargaining team how to get involved.

Please reach out to your bargaining team or Union Representative Juanita Quezada at (509) 340-7407 with any questions or concerns.

Our Bargaining Team: Kimberly Edwards, RN and Leilany Garcia, RN

November Contract Action Team Meetings

Monday, November 18

• Monday, November 18, 2024 6-7 pm Mount Vernon office 1810 Nth 18 ST Mount Vernon, WA 98273

• Monday, November 18, 2024 2-3 pm Best Western Plus Hotel 33175 State Rte 20, Oak Harfbor, Wa 98277

• Monday, November 18, 2024 6-7 pm Mount Vernon office 1810 Nth 18 ST Mount Vernon, WA 98273

• Monday, November 18, 2024 9-10 am  Mountalke Terrace Library 23300 58th Ave W Mountlake Terrace WA 98043

• Monday, November 18, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm  Zeek's Pizza, Lynnwood, 

• Monday, November 18, 2024 5-6pm Port Orchard Library,  87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard, WA 98366

• Monday, November 18, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am Auburn Library : 1102 Auburn Way S., Auburn WA 98002

Tuesday, November 19

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 12pm-1pm Bothell Library - 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 4:30 - 5 pm Alfys Pizza 19121 US-2, Monroe, WA 98272

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 10am-11am Seattle Library: University Branch (5009 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105)

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm Des Moines Library: 21620 11th Ave S., Des Moines WA  98198

Wednesday, November 20

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 11:00am-12pm Bellevue Library 1111 110th Ave NE Bellevue Wa 98004

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 6:30pm-7:00pm Bellevue Library 1111 110th Ave NE Bellevue Wa 98004

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 5:00pm-6:00pm Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave S, Seattle

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 12pm-1:30pm Kent Panther Lake Library, 20500 108th Ave SE, Kent

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 5:30pm Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501

• Wednesday, November 20, 2024 1-2pm Snoqualmie Library 7824 Center Blvd SE, Snoqualmie, WA 98065

Thursday, November 21

• Thursday, November 21, 2004 10:00am-11:00am Burien Library - 400 SW 152nd Street Burien, WA 98166  2nd floor meetig room

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 4:300pm- 5:30pm 1409 SW 107th Street Seattle, WA 98146 - Meeting Room

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm Teamsters 38 Hall 2601 Everett Ave, Everett, WA 98201

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 9-11 am Silverdale Office, 2430 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale WA 98383 

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 4-6 pm Westside Pizza, 540 Washington St, Sequim WA

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 4pm-5pm Seattle Library: Capitol Hill Branch (425 Harvard Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102)

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 10:30am-11:30am Greenwood Library - Branch Meeting Rm: 8016 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

• Thursday, November 21, 2024 4:00pm-5:00pm Mercer Island Library - Small Meeting Rm: 4400 88th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040

• Tuesday, November 19, 2024 12-1 PM Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042

Friday, November 22

• Friday, November 22, 2024 4:30pm-5:30pm Shoreline Library - 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline, WA 98155

• Friday, November 22, 2024 10-11am Kirkland Library Conference Room 308 Kirkland Ave Kirkland, WA 98033

• Friday, November 22, 2024 4-5pm Crossroads Mall Community Room 15600 NE 8th St Bellevue, Wa 98008

CHI Virtual Health - Bargaining Team Update

Our Virtual Health bargaining team met with management on November 7, 2024 for our sixth negotiation session to continue work towards a 2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement. While there are still a number of outstanding contract articles we are negotiating, we are also finalizing many tentative agreements with the Employer, meaning we are now primarily negotiating over some of our highest priorities we had for this round of bargaining.

On the 7th we exchanged proposals regarding:

• The training, onboarding, and mentoring process of new hires

• Expansion of our rights to bereavement leave

• An extended equal opportunity article, which aims to provide a supportive process for our coworkers should they face discrimination or harassment in the workplace

• And of course: premiums, differentials, and the wages we are paid for the hard work we do

We are continuing to review regional market wages and working hard to ensure that our pay at Virtual Health doesn't just reach the competitive rates in the first year of our contract, but that it stays competitive throughout the next few years. Furthermore, we are also working on some of the "formatting" of our wage scales - such as efforts to uniform the scales to the same number of total steps, and removing "ghost" steps (years where you do not receive a wage increase for another year of employment).

"We're making progress to ensure a fair contract is reached. We're dedicated to making sure we're compensated fairly, and that our union contract provides the support we all need to continue the hard work we do every day."

—Rayann La Madeleine, Monitor Tech

Your bargaining team: Faith Couch, Central Monitoring Telemetry; Chelan Henley, Virtual Companion; Rayann La Madeleine, Central Monitoring Telemetry; Francine Toves (guest), Virtual Companion
 

Three Rivers Hospital - RN's Contract Ratified with a Unanimous YES Vote

Bargaining Team: Karen Hurley, Lynette Swezey, Belinda Denchfield

OUR WINS:

Across the board wage increases:

• Effective November 1, 2024: 13% increase across the board

• Effective November 1, 2025: 3.5% increase across the board

• Effective November 1, 2026: 3.5% increase across the board

• $5 NIGHT SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL

• $3/hr Per diem RN premium

• Longevity Steps reduced from 1872 to 1564 hours. Meaning nurses will move to the next step on the wage scale three hundred and eight (308) hours earlier.

• Unscheduled Day of Work increased from time and one half to double time.

• Among other increases in premiums.

"After being part of this process, I will never question the importance of being part of a Union or what our dues pay for. It was enlightening to see how valuable OUR UNION is."

— Karen Hurley, RN

To join our union contact Amy Radcliff (509) 340-7370 orjoin our union here >>

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Bargaining Update

Our Bargaining Team is working hard to make sure that everyone has competitive wages and a fair and equitable place to work!

We have provided Summit with wage charts from many other area hospitals and clinics. We have discussed the cost of living and how competitive pay is for jobs in the area. Management has said they are listening and understand how recruitment and retention works. Our last bargaining session, management came to bargaining and told us why competitive wages are important to Summit's success.

WE AGREE! It's what we have been saying all along.

We all need to make enough money to pay bills and support our families.

Summit will be expanding soon and we know this means better service to our community. Management needs to understand that we are part of this community and we need to be paid fair wages.

OK Summit Management, it's time to put money in people's pockets.

Our next bargaining session is Friday, November 8.We hope that management will be ready for us.

Bargaining Team:Kimberly Starkweather, Allison Felder, Monica Ortiz, Barb Ford, Judea Prouty, Kurt Phillips.

To update your contact information:

Update Your Information >>

Mason Health - Bargaining Update

Our bargaining team is working hard for a fair and equitable contract and competitive wages.We have tentative agreements on many things, including:

• Updated Earned Time/Vacation/PSL language to make it compliant with the law.

• Staffing language that allows for an interactive process to discuss staffing issues.

• Department seniority lists for easier access to information.

• Updates to Jury and Witness Duty language.

• Updated Certification language improving the process.

We are still bargaining over wages and premiums and have spent a lot of time with management reviewing and discussing local area hospital wages and the importance of staying competitive.

They seem to understand this but have continuously said they don't want to be higher than everyone else (they want to be somewhere in the middle).

Our work needs to be valued and we need to be paid competitive wages.

Bargaining Team: Kris Woods, Brenda Routson, Jennifer Madera, Jessica Turner

Not getting updates? Update your contact information:

Update Your Information >>

Washington Beef - Vote Scheduled! ¡Votación Programada!

Jueves, 14 de noviembre
WA Beef – 201 Elmwood Rd
el comedor de Fabricación

• 5:00AM – 7:00AM

• 2:00PM – 5:00PM

Thursday, November 14
WA Beef – 201 Elmwood Rd
Fabrication Breakroom

• 5:00AM – 7:00AM

• 2:00PM – 5:00PM

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Vote Notice for WA Beef Contract
Bargaining Team Recommends Vote “YES”

Your Union bargaining team returned to negotiations on October 29 & 30. On October 30, the company presented its final offer, which includes amongst other things:

• A salary increase of $1 in the first year and 50 cents in the following two years.

• $75 for work shoes/boots for employees with at least one year of service.

• An increase of $200 to $400 for tools for mechanics/maintenance.

• No changes to the Medical insurance and 401K.

• This contract would last for 3 years.

While this contract may seem insufficient to us, as we know we can achieve better wages given that the industry is highly organized in the country, we understand that this increase is historic for this company.This is just a small example of what we can achieve if we are UNITED and ORGANIZED. Imagine how far we can go together.

"This is the first of many good things that will come for workers, who truly deserve something dignified because we know the work they do and what workers mean to this company."

— Juan Carlos Cervantes

The Union Negotiations Committee recommends that its members vote YES on the company's final offer, but with the hope that we can continue the conversation with all members, as it is time to organize better.

"This is the beginning of many good things that will come in the contracts."

— Alondra Ceballos

History begins to be written today, and together, we are the protagonists.We are confident that, in three years, we will be able to negotiate a better collective bargaining agreement, as we will be stronger and each committee will have the support of union members.

"Workers need to attend the meetings because for the next contract, we need to come educated; we need to know our rights. These coming years will be 3 years of organization, and we want representatives from each table for the committee in the next contract."

— Araceli Brito

For now, we invite members to come to the vote for this new contract on November 14.

You may attend any time during the polling times to vote. The full final offer will be available to review at the vote. All members in good standing are eligible and encouraged to vote.

"Before, they didn't even give us $1, but it's the first time people are coming together in the Union, and now everyone wants to know their rights; this is a good start for next time."

— Edgar Rodriguez

With a Union, WE write the future.

Noticia de Votación de Contrato de Washington Beef
Equipo de Negociación de UFCW 3000 Recomendamos que Votes “SI”

Regresamos a negociaciones el 29 y 30 de Octubre. En el último día, el 30 de Octubre, Washington Beef presentó su oferta final, que consiste entre otras cosas:

• Aumento de salario de $1 dólar el primer año y 50 centavos los siguientes dos años.

• $75 dólares para compra de zapatos a los empleados con al menos un año de antigüedad.

• Aumento de $200 a $400 dólares en herramientas para el personal de mantenimiento.

• Se mantuvo el seguro médico y el de 401K.

• Este contrato sería de 3 años.

Si bien, para nosotros, este trato parece insuficiente, pues sabemos que podemos acceder a mejores sueldos ya que la industria está altamente organizada en el país, entendemos que este aumento es histórico en esta compañía.Esta es sólo una pequeña muestra de lo que podemos lograr si estamos UNIDOS y organizados. Imaginen hasta dónde podremos llegar juntos.

"Esta es la primera de muchas cosas buenas que van a venir para los trabajadores, que en realidad se merecen algo digno porque sabemos el trabajo que hacen y lo que significa el trabajador para esta compañía."

— Juan Carlos Cervantes

El Comité de Negociaciones de la Unión recomienda a sus miembros, votar SÍ a la oferta final de la compañía, pero con la esperanza de que podamos continuar la conversación con todos los miembros, ya que es momento para organizarnos mejor.

"Esto es el comienzo de muchas cosas buenas que vienen en los contratos."

— Alondra Ceballos

La historia se comienza a escribir hoy y todos juntos somos los protagonistas.Estamos seguros que, en tres años, podremos negociar un mejor contrato colectivo de trabajo, ya que seremos más fuertes y cada uno de los comités contará con el apoyo los trabajadores afiliados a la Unión.

"Los trabajadores tienen que ir a las reuniones, porque el próximo contrato tenemos que llegar educados, tenemos que saber cuáles son nuestros derechos. Estos años que siguen serán 3 años de organización y queremos que haya representantes de cada mesa el comité en el próximo contrato."

— Araceli Brito

Por lo pronto, invitamos a los miembros para que el día 14 de noviembre, acudan a la votación para este nuevo contrato laboral.

Puede asistir en cualquier momento durante el horario de votación para emitir su voto. La oferta final completa estará disponible para su revisión en el momento de la votación. Todos los miembros al corriente en sus pagos son elegibles y se les anima a votar.

"Antes no nos habían dado ni $1 dólar, pero es la primera vez que la gente se está uniendo a la Unión y ahora todos quieren saber sus derechos, esto es un buen comienzo para la próxima vez."

— Edgar Rodriguez

Con Unión NOSOTROS escribimos el futuro.

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REI Workers - Bargaining Update

Last Thursday and Friday, we met with REI’s attorneys to continue first contract negotiations. Our UFCW 3000 local leadership joined us at the table to show their support and amplify our voices. We bargained back and forth over language on Communication, Anti-Discrimination, Union Representation, New Technology, and Job Vacancies & Promotions. We also came to a Tentative Agreement on Successorship and Severability. But with no representatives who actually work for REI present and their attorneys holding firm to one-sided proposals, it still feels as though REI is stalling and avoiding making real progress towards an agreement. To make REI uphold its co-op values and to respect and invest in its union workers across the country, we need to share our stories and get our community involved in our fight.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We’re supporting Shemona Moreno in her candidacy for a seat on REI’s board of directors in 2025! Learn more at ourREI.com:

Shemona Moreno is a proud Latinx & Black woman and lifelong activist who sees social justice, climate justice, and playing outdoors as inextricably linked. It is for her family and friends that she works tirelessly to fight the systems of oppression that have led us to our current climate crises. It is for her family and friends that she works to build a community that is resilient, beautiful, and thriving — where ALL are welcome. She started her path into 350 Seattle as a volunteer during the Defund the Dakota Access Pipeline Campaign in 2016 and has worked her way up to being the Executive Director of 350 Seattle, a member of the 350 Seattle Board, and a representative for the 350 National Local Group Network.

Shemona believes REI should be leading the way with good union jobs, not blocking progress by union-busting and silencing the voices of its own employees. That’s not the REI Shemona knows and loves. She’s running to be a voice for the people in green vests who make REI great but who are not allowed a voice on the co-op’s board of directors.

GET INVOLVED! We’ll be leafletting around our community to support Shemona’s campaign and to raise awareness about our fight for a fair contract. Sign up here:

In front of the Bellingham store: 

Saturday, November 16 • 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
REI Bellingham • 400 36th St, Bellingham, WA 98225

December dates & opportunities in Seattle and Bellevue to follow!

Mountains to Sound Greenway Annual Celebration

November 14, 5:30 PM in Seattle.

Mountains to Sound Greenway has many connections with REI, including CEO Artz and Sally Jewell. We’ll be attending this free event to chat with environmental leaders and let them know what’s going on with the campaign! If you are interested, sign up here: 

UPCOMING NEGOTIATIONS

We bargain next on December 16 and 17. To observe online, check your email for a link or contact a BT member.

Check the REI union Discord for upcoming negotiations around the country.

Our REI Bargaining Team: Alex Pollitt, Sue Cottrell, Tini Alexander, Sharon Martinez, Dan McCann

Three Rivers Hospital - Fully Recommended Tentative Agreement Reached at Three Rivers Hospital

Our Bargaining Team is excited to announce we have reached a tentative agreement with Three Rivers Hospital for the strongest contract we've ever had. The employer heard our team's requests regarding wages and staffing and made significant changes to our wages and premiums that we believe will improve retention and recruitment while boosting staff morale. We still have work to do and will continue the work through the next three years so that we can build on what we have worked so hard for.

We look forward to sharing all the details at our vote that is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024 from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the McKinnely Conference room.

VOTE SCHEDULED

Tuesday, November 5, 2024
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Three Rivers Hospital
McKinnely Conference room

Complete documents will be available for review at the vote. You must be a member in good standing to vote. Please reach out to your Union representative Amy Radcliff at (509) 340-7370 or any member of the bargaining team with questions.

Bargaining Team: Karen Hurley, Lynette Jean Swezey, and Belinda Clare Denchfield

Providence Centralia Procedural Schedulers Accretion - Tentative Agreement Reach! Vote Scheduled

After winning our union election in February 2024, we are excited to announce that Procedural Schedulers (formerly Patient Schedulers & Senior Patient Schedulers) have reached a tentative agreement with Providence outlining our entry into the Service Unit Collective Bargaining Agreement with UFCW Local 3000! As a result of our efforts, we've won placement on a union wage scale, guaranteeing wage increases throughout our continued years of employment with Providence Centralia Hospital.

Furthermore, upon entering the Service Unit contract, we will have access to:

• Daily overtime—meaning any time worked over our scheduled shift is paid at one and one-half times (1.5x) our regular rate of pay!
• Heightened job protections—the employer cannot discipline or terminate us without meeting just cause!
• Representation in investigatory meetings, and recourse through the grievance procedure!

To be fully brought into the Union contract, we must first vote on the Agreement!

VOTE SCHEDULED

October 31, 2024 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Providence Centralia Hospital
Admin Conference Room

Reach out to your union representative or bargaining team member if you have any questions!

Our Bargaining Team: Cindy Sayers; Kim Young

Jefferson ProTech Clinic Bargaining Update - October 4 and 11 Sessions

We recently held our second and third bargaining sessions with Jefferson Healthcare management on October 4 and October 11. Here's what we discussed:
 

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October 4 Session

Staffing Committee: At this session, we introduced new proposals to improve how the staffing committee operates. In 2023, UFCW 3000, WSNA, and SEIU 1199NW worked together to pass a new staffing law, SB 5236, aimed at improving staffing conditions for healthcare workers across Washington. This law requires hospitals to have a staffing committee that meets quarterly. The committee includes nursing staff like CNAs, HUCs, surgical techs, and ED techs, and it plays a critical role in developing staffing plans and tackling staffing challenges.

Our proposal strengthens these responsibilities by making sure these staffing rules are part of our collective bargaining agreement (CBA). This way, if there are any violations of the staffing committee’s operations, we can address them through the grievance process. We also proposed a clear process for handling both short-term and ongoing staffing problems, including using mediation to resolve any disagreements on staffing solutions.

While wages and benefits are important for recruiting and retaining staff, our proposed staffing language gives caregivers more control and a stronger voice in addressing staffing concerns at Jefferson Healthcare.
 

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October 11 Update

Unfortunately, the Hospital rejected our idea for an alternative way to resolve staffing issues, saying the current staffing committee (made up of both nursing staff and management) should be enough to solve problems. We believe more solutions—like incentive pay and retention bonuses—need to be part of the conversation, and we will keep pushing for binding mediation to ensure staffing issues are fully addressed.

Adding Per Diems to the Bargaining Unit

There’s been growing interest in extending the protections of our CBA to per diem caregivers. Right now, Jefferson Healthcare gives per diem staff some of the same benefits as full-time employees, but they can take those benefits away at any time.

By adding per diem staff to the CBA, they would get the same protections, including access to the grievance process for any contract violations. Although per diem caregivers would be represented by the Union, they can choose whether to become dues-paying members. We strongly encourage everyone to join, as union dues fund critical resources like legal representation, wages for bargaining committee members, and arbitration costs. Without dues, we wouldn’t have the power to enforce the CBA and protect caregivers.

October 11 Session

We were able to reach agreements on a few important issues:

• Workplace equity language
• Expanded paid sick leave: This can now be used for illness, vacation, holidays, or other leaves of absence.

 

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What’s Next?

Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for October 25 and November 1. We will focus on crafting an economic proposal that includes competitive wages and benefits to help retain and recruit caregivers. We’re reviewing the wages and benefits of other hospitals to make sure our proposal is competitive.

Our union contract expires on October 31, 2024. Even after it expires, all provisions of the contract will remain in effect, except for the arbitration and no strike/no lockout clauses. Additionally, after October 31, the hospital is prohibited from making any changes to workplace conditions. If you notice any changes or believe the hospital has modified a workplace condition, please contact your Union Rep, Ryan Degouveia at (360) 662-1982.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ryan Degouveia. We’ll also be holding another contract update/contract action meeting in November—stay tuned for more details!

Our Bargaining Team: Kim Vasenda, LeAnne Potts, Donita French, and Casey Paredes  

Jefferson Healthcare RN - Bargaining Update October 21 Session

On October 21, we held our third bargaining session with Jefferson Healthcare.Although we had additional sessions planned earlier in the month, they were canceled due to the lack of coverage for the nurses on our bargaining team.

During this session, the Union presented several new proposals, including:

Health Benefits and Pension

Many nurses have expressed that the current health insurance costs are unaffordable. Right now, RNs pay 20% of the health insurance premium plus $1.722 per compensable hour (up to 173 hours per month).

We proposed a switch to a flat weekly rate for health insurance:

• PPO: $9/week for employee-only coverage and $23/week for family coverage

• HMO: $5/week for employee-only coverage and $19/week for family coverage

This would eliminate the $1.722 per hour contribution.

Additionally, we proposed increasing the Employer's pension contribution to 2.8% of each nurse’s gross salary. Under the current pension plan (Sound Retirement Trust/Sound Variable Annuity Pension Trust), RNs become vested after five years of service and receive monthly retirement benefits for life. This benefit extends to their spouse after their passing. Jefferson Healthcare’s combination of a pension plan (with employer-only contributions) and a 457b plan (with employee and employer contributions) sets us apart from many hospitals that offer only a 401k or 457b plan, helping nurses retire with dignity.

Recognition for Per Diem RNs and LPNs

There has been interest in extending the benefits and protections of our collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to per diem RNs and LPNs. Currently, Jefferson Healthcare offers them similar benefits to FTE RNs and LPNs, but these can be revoked at any time.

By adding per diem staff to the CBA, they would have the same protections, including access to the grievance process for any contract violations. While per diem staff would be represented by the Union, they could choose whether to become dues-paying members. We encourage everyone to join, as union dues fund critical resources like legal fees, wages for bargaining committee nurses, and arbitration costs. Without dues, we would lack the power to enforce the CBA and protect RNs and LPNs.

Resource RN and Low Census

Resource RNs have encountered issues volunteering for low census. We proposed allowing Resource RNs to volunteer for low census and increasing the Resource RN premium to $5/hour, which aligns with other hospitals in the area.

We reached agreements on several important issues, including:

• Workplace equity language

• A streamlined payroll error correction process

• Expanded paid sick leave, allowing it to be used for illness, vacation, holidays, or other leaves of absence

Employer’s Counterproposals

The Employer presented counterproposals to our staffing committee language and edits to existing articles, including:

• Bridging PTO benefits

• Partner units

• Seventh consecutive day pay

However, they rejected an alternative way to resolve staffing issues, stating that the staffing committee (composed of nursing staff and management) should be sufficient to address problems.We believe that solutions like incentive pay and retention bonuses should be on the table when creating solutions for staffing, and we will continue to push for binding mediation to resolve these issues.

Next Steps

Between now and our next bargaining session on November 4, we will focus on crafting our economic proposal.We are reviewing wages and benefits at other area hospitals to craft a competitive proposal that will help retain and recruit nurses and LPNs.

Our RN Bargaining Team: Robin Bridge, Michelle Grimmer, Chris Beatty, and Emily Bishop