On March 10, our rank-and-file Bargaining Team met with PCC to try to reach a deal. We were prepared to bargain all night, but we left disappointed when PCC failed to present us with a full, comprehensive proposal.
Read MoreWe met with Management for our first bargaining session. The time we spent preparing prior to bargaining allowed us to be ready to meet and present early. We made initial proposals which included union security, union access to nurse lounges, paid time for stewards to represent their coworkers in investigatory meetings, defining the role of break relief nurses, strengthening the definition of precepting, shortening the probation time for introductory nurses, severance pay for layoffs, improvements to bereavement leave, and more.
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Our Union Bargaining Team successfully completed our fourth bargaining session with Grand Central Bakery. We tentatively agreed to many exciting proposals such as:
Enshrining the rights and protections of our transgender coworkers
Protecting our coworkers from discrimination and harassment
Creating an alternative space for communication with management through a Labor-Management Committee
And so many more!
We feel great about the progress we've made on our non-economic articles and hope to see great progress in our future economic proposals. Our next bargaining dates are March 16 and March 17 in-person at our Union Hall in Des Moines, WA.
We want to hear your voice! Have thoughts, opinions, or questions about bargaining? Join us at our next Union meeting on Wednesday, March 18 at 6pm via Zoom. You can also talk to anyone on the Bargaining Team, CAT team, or reach out to our Union Rep, Allison Hanley at 206-436-6586. You can also see updates about our progress on our Union Instagram @gcb.union!
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, March 18
6pm via Zoom
On Friday, March 6, we delivered our strike pledge to Management. Workers stood together and read the pledge out loud, showing that Vestis workers are united and ready to fight for a fair contract.
Read MoreOn March 10, our bargaining committee met again with Recovery Cafe hoping to make significant progress to reach a tentative agreement. We know our core issues are meaningful wage increases, transparency from our Employer, and addressing the high cost of healthcare for our coworkers with dependents.
Read MoreAfter months of negotiations and the strong solidarity shown by caregivers at the bargaining table and on the picket line, our Union Bargaining Team can announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente.
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Our Union Bargaining Team met with Grand Central Bakery for three productive days of bargaining. Two days were spent in-person at our Union Hall in Des Moines and one session was spent virtually. Together we were able to secure many tentative agreements including union recognition, union security, successorship language, union access, new employee orientation, and protecting the rights of union stewards. The bargaining team was excited to present articles on protections for transgender workers, seniority and layoff language, and many more!
We look forward to meeting with the employer again on Monday, March 9. Reach out to your Bargaining Team: Amanda, Oliver, Fianna, Amelia, CAT team: Luke, Emi, or your union rep, Allison Hanley, for more information!
What's Next
Join us at our next Contract Action Team Meeting!
Wednesday, March 11 at 6pm
Join Zoom Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 899 8866 3719
Passcode: 593785
We had our eighth session on March 2. Overall, it was a good bargaining day, and the atmosphere seemed more positive than on previous dates. The Employer gave us a counter to a proposal we had regarding work periods and meal and rest breaks. We then spent a lot of time going over different articles to find compromises and really prioritize the articles that make the most positive impact on members’ working conditions.
Read MoreWe want to strengthen worker democracy at our co-op, but PCC wants to eliminate the Worker Caucus Committee (WCC) and only extend our Labor Management Committee (LMC) by another contract cycle, which would weaken our voice.
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As we are working to move some clinic workers into the hospital contract, we have had to expand our bargaining to include people who currently fall under the clinic contract. The reason for this move is that several departments are operating under the hospital license, and it was determined they should be under the applicable hospital contract. This is beneficial to all members because we can bargain some of the more favorable terms from the clinic contract into the hospital contracts. We are working diligently to make sure that the affected clinic workers do not lose any rights or benefits by moving contracts, while strengthening the hospital contracts at the same time.
Bargaining on Thursday, February 26 felt productive. We received the Employer's response at 9:35am and worked the rest of the day to come back with responses. As mentioned previously, the clinic contract differs from the hospital contract, and we made sure to capture the terms (including premiums) that we wanted to carry over. At the end of the day, we left everything in their court and are awaiting responses on our next bargaining day: March 13.
It's good to see buttons and stickers popping up everywhere around the hospital! If you don't have yours yet, please see a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep.
Thursday, March 19: Three Options
6am Zoom
11am - 2pm in-person: Conference Room 2 (third floor of the clinic side)
6pm Zoom
Come visit with your Rep, Penny, and get updates on how you can support your Bargaining Team and win a fair contract!
Because of this gulf, we are creating a petition to pass around and sign. It will not be seen by the Employers until we surpass a certain threshold of signatures to ensure that people are not singled out. It will be circulated shortly, and we encourage everyone to sign!
Read MoreOver the last six months, your Bargaining Teams have continued working hard to secure a comprehensive contract and dignified monetary compensation for all your work and commitment. They have faced numerous hurdles, including negativity from the Employer, which has led to back-to-back meetings to expedite the process. The Employer has been unwilling to find common ground on topics that your Bargaining Teams have identified as crucial for the well-being of every worker at Skagit Regional Health. An aggressive Employer wants to take away privileges and practices that have endured for years. An Employer who is short-sighted to workers' needs and continues making decisions that affect workers' personal life stability. Your Bargaining Teams are still standing strong and even more energized to escalate this fight.
Last week, we presented all the research we spent almost 100 hours on collectively to the Employer, as requested. The Employer assured us that the information we presented shed light on the need to consider and review their market proposal and that he would get back to us last week. Last Thursday, when we advised that we are still waiting for their response as changes were expected, the Employer's attorney said, "That is unlikely. We will review, but our proposal is not likely to change." The Employer promised to review and respond in good faith but threw that away.
One of your Bargaining Team members expressed the following:
"After the Employer's recent email and yesterday's bargaining session, negotiations remain ongoing, and nothing is final. The Employer indicated they are unlikely to include the market research we provided. We know many of our members are struggling, and we are bargaining with that reality front and center. We remain committed to securing a contract that delivers real economic stability. Our unity is our power."
While we are ready to return to the table on the 13th, 26th, and 27th (CVH), it is time for us to show SRH our collective power. As Ashley P. (Bargaining Team and UFCW 3000 executive member) stated:
"We stand firm in our economics because fair pay isn't a request—it's what we deserve."
Let's make some noise about what we deserve.
Graydon H. (Bargaining Team member) reminds us, with his words, that we are still hungry and eager:
"A strong contract isn't rushed—it is built with time, unity, and unwavering determination."
Skagit Regional Health Bargaining Team: Marilyn Faber, Union Rep; Celia Ponce-Sanchez, Union Rep; Kendra Valdez; Cindy Tjaden; Isabel Contreras; Kalisa Dolph; Britney Myers-Fuller; Ashley Price; Briana Hovsepian; Graydon Hingey; Michael Koenig; Annalise Pasillas; Elizabeth Major; Alina Delano; Micheal Schwartz; Daniel Booker, Hospice of the Northwest; Cesar R Quiles-Borrero, Negotiator
Cascade Valley Hospital Bargaining Team: Bruce Le, Union Rep; Tia Hafner; Carl Ramirez; Calley Woodworth; Rana Rennels; Cesar R Quiles-Borrero, Negotiator
If you have questions or would like to get more involved in organizing a fair contract, please reach out to your Skagit Regional Health Union Rep, Marilyn Faber, at 1-866-210-3000, EXT. 4678 or Cascade Valley Hospital Union Rep, Bruce Le, at 1-866-210-3000, EXT. 6614.
Join us on Tuesday, March 10 to vote on voluntary overtime. The Company has proposed an agreement for notifying members regarding overtime and the process for getting overtime hours voluntarily.
Read MoreOver the last few months of negotiations, we have identified a few violations of federal labor law called unfair labor practices (ULP), but we believe that there are more ULPs occurring at Vestis. We need your help to identify ULPs. By identifying and reporting possible ULPs, you play a critical role in enforcing the law and strengthening our bargaining power.
Read MoreOn Feb 13, our member-led Bargaining Team returned to the table to fight for better wages, more hours, and other policies we need to uphold our co-op values.
We made some progress, reaching a Tentative Agreement with PCC that gives Helper Clerks top priority for promotions to Clerk positions.
Read MoreFebruary 18
Bargaining felt flat. We waited until 10:30am for the Employer to show so we could get them the proposal we'd worked on at our previous session—only to learn that their finance team wouldn't be present, so we couldn't get a response on economics from them. This has been the second time in a row that the Employer could not be there for bargaining or did not have the appropriate mix of people to give full responses to our proposals. Additionally, the Employer left mid-afternoon (which has happened before) despite us working to provide a list of topics we wanted to focus on in the next round of proposals. We had these dates scheduled far in advance and would appreciate more notice as issues arise.
That being said, we presented our counterproposals in the morning and then spent the rest of the day comparing and contrasting our proposals, the Employer's proposals, and the existing Capital Medical Center union contracts to get a thorough analysis of how to move toward mutual agreement on our contract language.
At our last session, we started rolling out strike pledge cards and by the end of the day we had the majority of members signed up.
Our next bargaining dates are March 2 and March 30.
"Bargaining is adults and Professionals coming to the table to work it out together."
— Roger
"We need action, we are spinning our wheels waiting for the Employer to get to work."
— Tammy
"Remember the MultiCare values, particularly, kindness, respect and collaboration. Also, do not forget about joy."
— Kimberly
March 5 @ 7pm and every two weeks after!
"We're not trying to take away the good things we love about our clinics or make huge changes; we are trying to create a more successful Dreamclinic for all workers and our clients!" — Erin Burgan, LMT
"The employee handbook is not enforceable—the Employer may change anything at will. We are simply asking for a transparent and fair set of guidelines for everyone." — Ross Honaker, LMT
"The Employer says they want to collaborate with us but their actions say they don't want us to have a seat at the table where our voices can be heard. So many of our proposals will cost them nothing." — Marianne Brennan, LMT
On February 20, we finally met with the Employer for our first in-person and almost full day of bargaining since January 13. We continue to negotiate in good faith, offering thoughtful proposals, but the Employer is pushing back against the most basic worker contract rights and protections including:
NO! Wage scale or annual wage step increases in the contract
NO! Worker legal rights in the contract
NO! Seniority
NO! Safety and Labor Management Committees
Refusing to provide all requested information to inquire in the Trust benefits including health insurance
Join us to learn what's happening at the bargaining table and review the proposals. Bring your questions and your thoughts!
Monday, March 2 at 10am
Join Zoom Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 337 759 5508
Thursday, March 5 at 4:30pm
Join Zoom Meeting >>
Meeting ID: 337 759 5508
Our Bargaining Team meets with the Employer:
March 17 and 31 for half-day sessions
Bargaining Team: Erin Burgan, LMT; Ross Honaker, LMT; Marianne Brennan, LMT
Please reach out to your Union Rep, Christie Harris, with any questions or concerns: (206) 436-6523.
Fresenius workers can see in Trevino’s story what solidarity looks like in action: Checking your check, speaking up when something's wrong, and stepping up to lead when your coworkers need you.
Read MoreWe 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.
