On August 25 and 26, our UFCW 3000 nurse bargaining team met with management to continue contract negotiations, bargaining late into the night for over 30 hours across both days.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, August 12, following highly attended vote meetings at Providence Centralia Hospital, our RN bargaining team is proud to announce that we have overwhelmingly ratified our new union contract!
Finalizing the Contract: Our union and Providence will now work to finalize and sign the new agreement. Once complete, printed copies will be distributed throughout the hospital.
Access in the Meantime: Redlined versions of the full agreement—including updated contract language and new wages—will be uploaded to our union's website so everyone can review and enforce our new contract right away.
Wage Increases: Our new wages will go into effect on the first full payroll period following ratification (August 12!)
LPN Experience Audit: Now that our CBA is officially in place, look out for a notification from Providence (this will come to your work email!) that the LPN experience form is published—this will be within 45 days from yesterday (at the latest, September 26). You will have 30 days once it's published to fill it out and submit to receive 2:1 credit on the new wage scale.
If you have any questions about our new union contract, please reach out to our Union Rep Collin Greer at 360-662-1982, or contact a member of our bargaining team!
Bargaining Team: Alicia Howard, ED RN; Jeannette Wrzesinski, PCU RN; Amanda Coleman, Outpatient Surgery RN; Angela Lamb, L&D RN
After a first negotiation with Providence at Home with Compassus, our bargaining team worked hard and has reached a tentative agreement. On August 18, we will have a ratification vote. Please join the bargaining team at the vote and have any questions you may have answered.
Read MoreThe session began with management presenting a comprehensive counter-offer covering all outstanding proposals, finally giving us a full view of where they stand. While their offer lacked meaningful movement, it did create space for productive dialogue throughout the day.
Read MoreWe are excited to announce we finally have 3 bargaining dates scheduled: 8/28, 9/3, and 9/4. We will report out via email after the bargaining dates to update everyone. Thank you all for your questions regarding the bargaining process. We are eager and ready to begin.
Read MoreOur union bargaining committee, representing the registered nurses at Providence Centralia Hospital is proud to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement on our new contract! Vote meetings have been scheduled, and all PCH RNs are encouraged to attend!
Read MoreOn Wednesday July 23, & Thursday, July 24, our bargaining team representing the registered nurses at Providence St. Peter Hospital met with management for our ninth and tenth sessions. We began the week with cautious optimism, as management indicated they would finally respond to our proposed Staffing Article, which we first presented on April 29. After months of silence on this critical issue, we were ready to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Unfortunately, the employer's response did not meet the urgency or seriousness of the staffing concerns we've raised throughout this bargain. Rather than offering meaningful improvements or new ideas, their proposal largely repackaged existing language already in our current contract, which outlines existing committees currently operating at our hospital.
Providence's response consisted of various revisions to the existing Nurse Practice and Staffing Committee Letter of Understanding (LOU)—a committee whose operation predates the 2022 Hospital Staffing Committee legislation. Management proposed separating some current contract language related to the Unit Based Council and Professional Governance workgroups into two distinct LOUs. These changes do little—if anything—to improve what we see as the structural causes of unsafe staffing, or give us any feedback on the staffing language our team put so much hard work and critical thinking into.
The lack of direct feedback on our Staffing Article, which would provide our team with the opportunity to appropriately consider and modify our proposal to aim for actionable solutions, prompted us to request this directly when we met with management later on July 24.
Staffing Ratios: Minimum RN-to-Patient ratios that must be maintained at all times, including during meal and rest breaks. The proposal includes flexibility to adjust the number of RN staff to exceed minimum staffing levels to account for acuity and intensity, consistent with the unit's staffing plan.
Enforcement: When ratios are not satisfied, nurses will be paid a premium of $5.00/hr for that specific shift and unit.
The Employer will send a quarterly report to the union of total premiums paid under the above.
Float Pool: The Employer will maintain a dedicated float pool equaling 5.0% of the total RN workforce at Providence St. Peter.
Emergency Department Contingency Staffing Plan: When there are greater than 20 boarded patients in the ED, and greater than 20 patients in the ED waiting room for longer than one hour, the contingency staffing plan goes into effect. The employer will make all reasonable efforts to assign five additional RNs to patient care. This plan remains in place until both numbers fall below 20 for no less than a continuous hour.
Break Relief Nurses: The Employer will post job openings for and make reasonable efforts to hire the equivalent of 13.0 FTE Break Relief nurses within 21 days of contract ratification. Break Relief nurses will assume patient care assignments for another RN so they may take an uninterrupted meal and/or rest break. Break Relief RNs will not have a patient care assignment of their own so they can appropriately cover the assignment. Furthermore, Break Relief RNs shall only be assigned to take patients that they have the appropriate qualifications and competencies to care for.
A "break buddy" model (or otherwise similar but differently titled system) will not be considered an appropriate substitute or replacement for staffing unencumbered break relief nurses.
Management's feedback on our Staffing Article suggested concerns that a few elements of our proposal—namely the minimum staffing ratios and Emergency Department Contingency Staffing Plan—might be too restrictive, implying that such standards could limit their flexibility to address staffing issues proactively, or to add nurses before the triggering conditions are met. Our team remains open to dialogue that ensures solutions are both safe and workable, and so we appreciate this dialogue. However, our stated goal is to set a standard for the minimums on safe staffing—and the capacity for management to act sooner if they see fit is written plainly in our Staffing Article's opening paragraph.
As a follow up to this discussion, we compiled a number of the studies, articles, and other resources we referenced while drafting our proposal and provided them to management in the hopes of substantiating the contents. These included Washington State Public Policy, which compares and contrasts different state hospital staffing plans; Nurse-to-patient staffing ratios from California State Law; staffing laws in effect in other nearby states; the American Nurses Association, who conclude that costs to individual hospitals can be higher when it is understaffed; and regional collective bargaining agreements which directly state minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
We look forward to continuing the conversation with management on solutions to staffing.
"We have a duty to advocate for our patients; we feel like once again, the responses we got from management come with no immediate action, no new concepts, and overall, just fell flat."
— Julia Douglas
"Our team put a lot of work and thoughtfulness into our approach to the staffing language proposal, and what we presented to Providence takes into consideration things we can do outside of the Hospital Staffing Committee—to be proactive while scheduling nurses ahead of time, but also having a plan of action when staffing reaches critical levels; like the Emergency Department Contingency Staffing Plan. If their concern is that this mechanism might go into effect too late, we wish they would incorporate that into their counter, rather than just reject it entirely..."
— Ashley McBride
"The lack of an appropriate number of staff to care for patients on other units impacts the entire hospital—even units that aren't themselves suffering from a staffing issue, and because then RNs are being floated."
— Andy Dusablon
August 7
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Meeting ID: 858 1875 0093
Passcode: 3000
Washington State Labor Council Building - Olympia
3rd Floor Conference Room
906 Columbia St SW #330, Olympia, WA 98501
Front door code: 3413
On Wednesday, July 30, following a series of highly attended vote meetings at both the Pacific and Colby campuses of Providence Everett, we're thrilled to announce that our Technical union contract has been ratified with overwhelming support!
Our union bargaining team is proud of the work we accomplished at the table and proud to share this win with all of our coworkers.
Finalizing the Contract: Our union and Providence will now work to finalize and sign the new Agreement. Once completed, printed copies will be distributed throughout the medical center.
Access in the Meantime: Redlined versions of the fully ratified contract (including updated language articles and wage scales) have been added to the contract page on our union's website
Wage Increases: Our new wages will go into effect two full pay periods from ratification (July 30!)
If you have any questions about our new union contract, please reach out to our Union Rep Madison Derksema at (206) 436-6603, or contact a member of our bargaining team!
Let's start talking about RN Contract Bargaining! Join UFCW 3000 union reps and nurses from Prov Everett for a ZOOM call and get an update on current hospital grievances, the upcoming contract bargaining campaign, and best practices on how to get involved to set nurses up for success!
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On the early morning of July 18—following a nearly 24-hour bargaining session—your union bargaining team representing the Technical workers at Providence Everett is proud to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement on our new contract!
Vote meetings have been scheduled, and all PRMCE Techs are encouraged to attend!
Key wins in our new agreement include:
Wages & Pay Scale:
Significant & highly competitive wage increases across all job classifications!
Removed all "ghost steps"
No more minimum hours required to qualify for step increases!
EIB Day One: Access to our Extended Illness Bank on the first day of a qualifying illness or absence.
All new contract language about workers who travel between Colby & Pacific campuses; cases being canceled when we're already on our way to the hospital while on Standby; and addressing a "sunset" period for documented corrective actions or disciplines
"Our union bargaining team worked incredibly hard for this win—and it shows! We focused heavily on wages that will benefit everyone, and secured creative language to try to resolve ongoing workplace issues and address the challenges Techs at PRMCE face every day. We are very proud of the collaboration between our leadership team and members of our bargaining team. This agreement is worth checking out at our vote on July 30 & we unanimously recommend a yes vote!"
— Maria Goodall, Vascular Technologist
Bargaining Team: Maria Goodall, Vascular Technologist; Madison Derksema, UFCW 3000 Union Representative; Maureen Hatton, UFCW 3000 Healthcare Division Director; Brandan Zielinski, UFCW 3000 Lead Contract Negotiator; Noah Holland, Sr. Surgical Tech; Darryl Keffer, Respiratory Care Practitioner; Terryl Smith, Pharmacy Technician; Cris Cassady, IR Technologist; Rodney Powers, Radiology Technologist
Only UFCW 3000 union members in good standing are eligible to vote, and voting will be conducted in person only.
Pavillion:
7:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Classroom
Colby Campus:
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Rainer Conference Room
Not a member yet? Apply here >>
On Tuesday, July 15, healthcare professional workers at PRMCE overwhelmingly ratified our 2025 union contract following a morning of highly attended vote meetings. Our bargaining team is proud of the work we accomplished at the table—and proud to share this win with all of our coworkers.
Finalizing the Contract: Our union and Providence will now work to finalize and sign the new agreement. Once completed, printed copies will be distributed throughout the medical center.
Access in the Meantime: Redlined versions of the fully ratified Agreement (including updated language articles and wage scales) will be uploaded to our union's website so we can review and enforce our new contract in the meantime.
Wage Increases: Our new wages will go into effect two full pay periods following ratification (July 15).
If you have any questions about our new union contract, please reach out to our Union Rep Bruce Le at (206) 436-6614, or contact a member of our bargaining team!
Bargaining Team: Taylor Widener, Sr. Dietician; Holly Gramse, Physical Therapist; Sara Dillon, Sr. Discharge Planner (Case Manager)
Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join a union? Send them here.
On Wednesday, July 9, our bargaining team, representing registered nurses at Providence St. Peter Hospital, met with management for the eighth bargaining session of this contract cycle.
After more than a month since our last session, our team came prepared and eager to make meaningful progress. At the start of the day, nearly all outstanding proposals were with the Employer. Over the course of two morning meetings, we received their responses and had productive exchanges.
By the end of the day, we had traded both economic and non-economic proposals and we're encouraged by the progress made. We reached mutually aligned language on several key non-economic issues, including:
Personnel File Protections: outlining a process for when verbal and written disciplines may be removed from an employee's file.
Equal Opportunity Language: Strengthened protections against discrimination and harassment, including a defined process for feedback and accountability when concerns are raised.
As of the end of the session, only a few important non-economic Articles remain unresolved:
Negotiations Release Time: A proposal to ensure that bargaining team members can be released to attend scheduled negotiations sessions; supporting full, effective representation at the table.
Free Parking Protections: Language to preserve free employee parking for nurses at PSPH—reflecting current practice and preventing future rollbacks.
Pre-Meeting Time for Committees: A proposal to allow 30 minutes of paid time for union members to meet prior to important worksite meetings, such as the Labor-Management and Hospital Staffing Committees.
Steward Pay Protections: Contract language to ensure union stewards remain on paid time while attending grievance meetings or representing coworkers.
Workplace Safety Measures: Proposals to enhance on-campus safety, including a weapon detection system at the Emergency Department entrance, and a particular focus on improvements to security in the hospital parking lot; which we feel are long overdue.
On the economic front, the Employer presented their second wage scale proposal, which included:
An increase to wage rates for nurses at Step 25 & above (reflecting around a 1.75% - 3.5% increase for these steps, compared to the Employer's initial proposal)
Removal of additional "ghost steps"—years where there is no wage increase, leaving only one remaining across their twenty-eight step proposal.
While we appreciate this movement, management's second proposal still brought no changes to any of the other components of our compensation; for example there are still no proposed increases to any of our workplace premiums or differentials.
Most concerning, however, was when we inquired about when we might expect a response to the safe staffing article our team presented back on April 29 (which included minimum nurse to patient ratios, the addition of break relief nurses, and an emergency department contingency staffing plan)—the Employer seemed to indicate that they'd forgotten about it entirely. Considering that this is a highly important issue for us and our coworkers—we're hopeful that bringing this article back to management's attention will result in meaningful responses.
We return to the bargaining table with management for back-to-back sessions on July 23 and 24. Despite some concerns about the Employer's responses, we feel that Wednesday's session was a productive step forward. We're proud of the progress made, and remain committed to pushing forward on issues like wages, workplace safety, and protections that honor and respect the work of all RNs at Providence St. Peter.
Thursday, July 10
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
906 Columbia St SW
- Olympia 98501
ThursdayJuly 24
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
906 Columbia St SW
- Olympia 98501
"We made strong progress today! While there are still issues to work through, but it was great that we exchanged so many proposals and really landed on the same page as Providence on so many items... I'm excited about the direction we're heading and to keep this going at our next sessions!"
— Darlett Holm, RN
Your bargaining team: Mary Bloomberg, Surgical Acute RN; Jacob Kostecka, PACU RN; Darlett Holm, SADU West RN; Mike Staley, SADU RN; Ashley McBride, L&D RN; Julia Douglas, Sepsis RN; Grace Kraege, ED RN; Kelly Williams, Inpatient Psychiatry RN; Melanie Oakes, ED RN; Andy Dusablon, PACU RN; Haley Sweet, Neurology RN.
Sign the strike pledge card: We need to show Providence we're ready to do what it takes to get what we deserve. Sign the strike pledge card or ask a fellow member to sign it if they haven't already.
Step up! We need department leaders to keep members engaged in the fight. providence united — UFCW 3000
Organize, organize, organize: Know a worker who wants to join the union? Send them here.
A tentative agreement with Providence Saint Joseph’s is in place. Your bargaining committee members, Maegan George and Michelle Fisher, endorse the proposal and recommend a Yes vote. On July 17, we will have a ratification vote.
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After two full months of bargaining, despite challenges and difficult conversations with management, our bargaining team persevered and has reached a tentative agreement with Providence Mt. Carmel. On July 16, we will have a contract ratification vote. Please join the bargaining team at the vote and have any questions you may have answered. All documents will be provided at the time of the vote.
July 16, 2025
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
HEC
UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend the vote meeting, read the documents, ask questions, and vote on the contract. Reach out to your Union Representative, Lenaya Wilhelm, at 866-210-3000, Ext. 7369, with any questions or concerns.
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.
