St. Michael Medical Center RN - Focusing on Key Issues!

On Tuesday, July 16, your bargaining team met once again with the hospital for another joint negotiation session. As we move deeper into bargaining, we've begun identifying our top priorities—but we can't win the contract we deserve without nurses stepping up. We'll be discussing these priorities at our next Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting (date will be announced next week), and we need more nurses to get involved and show the hospital that we're united, organized, and ready to fight.

• Incremental increases to charge/resource nurse premium pay over the life of the contract

• New language confirming the intent that charge nurses should not carry patient loads—with a commitment from leadership to exhaust all other RN options first. This is a direct result of nurses demanding safe, manageable assignments.

• Preserving our current PTO and EIB accrual rates—a win in the face of the hospital's push to move RNs onto a PTO/Sick bank with less accruals.

We also pushed the hospital hard on issues they continue to sidestep:

• Establishing a break relief system that complies with the law and guarantees nurses real, uninterrupted breaks.

• Basic safety measures to protect RNs on the job. Nurses deserve a workplace where their safety isn't up for debate.

• Real incentives for mandatory call shifts that establish a more equitable system for call and incentives to cover vacant call shifts.

Our next bargaining session is Wednesday, July 24. Show your support by wearing your UFCW 3000 gear that day to send a clear message: nurses are united and demand a contract that reflects our value!

We're also preparing to launch a community action campaign—and we need your help spreading the word. Share our message with your friends, family, and neighbors. The more voices we have behind us, the louder we'll be.

Hospital Proposals	UFCW 3000 Proposals
Wages: 5.25% two pay periods after ratification, 3.25% in 2025, 3.50% in 2026	Wages: 13.75% in 2025, 5% in 2026, 5% in 2027
Hospital Base rate: $44.45 (2025), $46.56 (2026), $47.84 (2027) $44.66 2025, $46.11 2026, $47.73 2027	St. Joe's Base Rate: $46.02 (2025), $47.86 (2026), $49.77 (2027)
Rejected longevity and retention bonuses	Proposed longevity and retention bonuses
Rejected pension proposal and did not propose improvements to the 401k plan	Proposed that RNs maintain current CHI's 401k plan and Employer make contributions to a variable annuity pension plan, like the one St. Joe's Pharmacy and Jefferson Healthcare RNs currently have
Rejected understaffing premium	Proposed $5/hour understaffing premium
Rejected float premium for non-float pool nurses	Proposed float premium for non-float nurses floating within the hospital
Rejected staffing ratios	Proposed safe staffing ratios aligned with national nursing standards
Rejected incentive for picking up vacant shifts; offered 1.5x pay only for .9 FTEs+ picking up a shift on their day off	Proposed incentive for all vacant shifts that fall below 80% of the staffing plan
Rejected premiums for covering surgical tech or CV tech roles; proposed only $1 certification pay for RCIS or RCES. NEW Will be paid the higher wage rate if performing work of a higher paid classification.	Proposed $2–$5 premium for RNs covering surgical or CV tech shifts
Proposed security systems installed by May 2026 in new tower units	Proposed security systems by December 2025, aligned with the tower's expected opening
Rejected weapon detection systems in the Emergency Department	Proposed installing weapon detection in the Emergency Department
NEW Proposed mandatory navy blue scrubs $100 stipend	Rejected mandatory navy blue scrubs
Proposed mandatory call shifts and a $15–$20/hour bonus only after the final schedule is posted	Proposed $15/hour for picking up before the schedule posts, $20/hour after, and limits on mandatory call
Proposed 1.5x pay for .9 FTEs+ picking up shifts on days off	Proposed incentive 1.5x or 2x for all vacant shifts that fall below 80% of the staffing plan
NEW Proposed a 1-year pilot break relief assignment (not a position) for inpatient units only, including OR and ED	Proposed four dedicated break relief RN positions for all units within 21 days of ratification
Tentative Agreements: Charge RN premium $3.50/hour, 2026 $3.75, 2027 $4.00 Standby pay $6/hour Preceptor pay for anyone who is assigned preceptor duties Weekend Premium $4/hour Shift differential $3/hour evening and $5.50/hour night Access to New hire orientation Per diems can move into FTE positions after working 16 hours on average over three months Equal Opportunity language that is inclusive Payroll errors must be resolved in 45 days Travel to mandatory classes will qualify for IRS mileage rate Parking shall be free Will not be subject to discipline if they need more than 8 minutes to don and doff Other language clean-up

St. Michael Medical Center RN - SMMC RNs Deserve More

On June 26, we met with SMMC management for our eleventh bargaining session, where the hospital presented what they called a "comprehensive counterproposal." While there was some movement on break relief RNs, bereavement leave, preceptor pay, and float pay, management's wage proposal and response to staffing remain deeply disappointing.

The hospital proposed a wage increase of 5.25% upon ratification—a number that still leaves SMMC RNs behind St. Joseph's pay rates. Despite repeatedly hearing from RNs that unsafe staffing is driving burnout and turnover, the hospital offered no real solution on staffing. In fact, when we presented our staffing proposal again, management responded with deafening silence.

They continue to insist that they're "staffing above the matrix" and claim that contractual guardrails are unnecessary. We strongly disagree. Every day, RNs are working below matrix staffing levels due to chronic short staffing, floating to other units to fill gaps, or taking full assignments as charge nurses—sometimes doing both at once. This is not safe. This is not sustainable.

The hospital's message is clear: They're not listening.

Instead of offering meaningful fixes, they've doubled down on targeting specific departments. For instance, their latest proposal would restrict scrub privileges to only Emergency Department RNs—and they've rejected any kind of ED premium despite the high-intensity work and constant short staffing in the ED.

We are at a critical moment in negotiations. While there's been some progress, we are still far from winning what RNs need most: fair wages and enforceable staffing protections. Competitive contracts at Multicare and Providence include understaffing premiums and stronger staffing language—and SMMC RNs deserve no less.

If we want to win the contract we need, we need to show we're ready to fight for it. One way to take action right now:

Sign the strike pledge card >>

Let management know we're united and serious about what's at stake—our safety, our patients, and our profession.

The strike pledge card is to show our commitment to winning the best contract possible—your signature indicates that if we have to reject an offer on the table in the future by a vote, you will also vote to authorize a strike.

Together, we can win the contract we deserve.

Bargaining Team: Kim Fraser, Pre-Op; Janice Brown, FBC; Meredith Francisco, Med Surg; Lindsey Gearllach, Obs; Tammy Olson, ICU