St. Michael Medical Center RN Management is unresponsive — Time to take action!

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St. Michael Medical Center RN

Management is unresponsive — Time to take action!

Our Bargaining Team will be meeting with Management today and tomorrow with a Federal Mediator, continuing contract negotiations for St. Michael Medical Center nurses.

We haven’t met with the Employer since May 6 and, except for a small package proposal, haven’t received a substantive proposal from Management since our last bargaining date in April. We continue to be frustrated with the lack of progress from the Employer but have hope that the Federal Mediator will be able to help during this week’s bargaining sessions.

As of Monday morning, everything is in the Employer’s court. Our Bargaining Team is looking forward to seeing the proposal they’ve had weeks to work on.

It is imperative that nurses make a strong statement of solidarity at this week’s informational picket, showing Management we are serious about winning a fair contract. Nothing will move the employer more than a high turnout by nurses and the community at the informational picket.

We invite nurses to attend our next Contract Action Team meeting on Wednesday May 25 at 9AM & 6PM, where your bargaining team will share the latest news from negotiations and talk about the logistics of Thursday’s picket.

Informational Picket: Thursday, May 26

3:00PM – 5:00PM

@ St. Michael Medical Center

1800 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale, WA 98383

RSVP and Join the Informational Picket!

go to: bit.ly/smmc-info-22

Join the Contract Action Team Meeting

May 25, 2022 @ 9:00AM & 6:00PM via Zoom

Updates on August COVID-19 Outbreak for CHI Harrison / St Michael Members

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UFCW 21 has been tracking the COVID-19 outbreak at CHI Harrison/St Michael very closely. The hospital says they learned of the first case and notified Kitsap County Health Department on August 4. The outbreak was not made public until August 21.

This week we had an emergency online meeting with hospital workers to discuss the outbreak, our demands from CHI, and our next steps. We talked in the meeting about a way for workers to report our experiences before and during this outbreak, and there was a lot of interest in a meeting with state officials to report issues directly to relevant agencies.

LISTENING SESSION WITH STATE HEALTH & LABOR OFFICIALS & GOVERNORS OFFICE

MONDAY AUGUST 31

7:30 PM

ONLINE MEETING

We immediately scheduled a listening session meeting with top officials at all relevant state agencies. This is an online meeting over Zoom and all Harrison/St Michael workers are invited. We will be joined by officials from:

  • WA State Dept. of Health

  • Kitsap County Public Health

  • Labor & Industries

  • Office of the Governor

You will have a chance in this meeting to ask questions, report safety concerns, and let them know what is really happening on the ground. These agencies want to hear from you about your experiences and what you need. Please register as soon as possible, and share this important opportunity with your coworkers.

We also created a COVID outbreak safety survey and reporting tool. Members said they would appreciate a place to share experience with testing, exposure, notification, safety protocols, PPE, and other issues surrounding this outbreak. That survey is here:

We encourage all Harrison/St Michael workers to spend 5 - 10 minutes this week to go through these questions and help us track as much information as possible about this outbreak and your safety. There is an option to upload pictures or documents in that survey as well, and a place you can request support if you are in quarantine and would like to be connected to any union or community support. Other members and our community across Kitsap is reaching out to ask how they can help support you at this time.

NOTES FROM OUR EMERGENCY MEETING

Our current demands for CHI:

  • Rapid testing for all workers

  • Complying with our existing agreement for 8-hour notification of any exposure

  • Paid administrative leave during the full length of any quarantine and while waiting for test results

  • Adequate PPE for all workers

  • Maintaining safe staffing levels even during this outbreak

  • Hazard pay

Existing right to paid leave: The first piece of our existing agreement with CHI says:

“A nurse or healthcare worker who the Employer does not permit to work due to exposure to Covid-19 disease while at work shall be placed in paid leave status during any required quarantine period. Paid leave status may be a combination of L&I Workers Compensation and employer paid administrative leave. The combination of which will ensure the employee will experience no loss of pay or accrued time off until such time as the Employer permits the employee to return to work. An employer representative will be available to assist employee with coordination of federal, state and employer benefits as may be applicable.”

The state has ruled that there is an automatic presumption that if a health care worker acquires COVID, it was acquired at work and you are eligible for workers comp. If you have any questions or issues with paid leave during this time, please contact your Union Rep as soon as possible.

Community support: Fellow UFCW 21 members and the larger Kitsap community are springing into action and asking what they can do to help, especially for workers who are in quarantine. We will be organizing whatever support workers need, be it meals, wellness checks, financial support, or anything else, and encourage all Harrison/St Michael workers to contact your Union Rep for whatever you or coworkers need so we can connect you with your community support.

​Union actions: We are planning for public actions that are safe but can put pressure on Harrison/St Michael management to meet our demands, keep workers and patients safe, and prevent the next outbreak crisis. We will be updating everyone as these plans solidify, but if you are interested in participating or have ideas for safe actions that make a point, please connect with your Shop Steward or Union Rep.

Ongoing safety issues: We received many helpful and specific reports of safety issues and workplace concerns during the emergency meeting. We will be addressing these individually and collectively in the coming days. Examples of issues discussed include: the safety of floating right now; worries about the upcoming flu season; inadequate PPE supplies, training, and fit-testing; short staffing in many departments including EVS; nurses being asked to clean COVID rooms; special issues facing procedural care staff, cath lab, and high-risk workers; problems with testing and notification; concern around new CDC guidelines; and much more.

As always, we encourage you to report safety concerns to your Union Rep, or to use our COVID safety report email:

safetyreport@ufcw21.org

PRESS COVERAGE OF HARRISON/ST MICHAEL WORKERS SPEAKING OUT

On Tuesday August 25, we held a press conference responding to CHI’s public statements that they are handling this outbreak as well as possible, that they notified everyone involved in a timely way, and that their PPE supplies now and throughout the COVID pandemic have been totally adequate.

You can watch the full press conference at this link

And find some of the press coverage below:

Press Advisory: St Michael's Medical Center Workers and Their Union to Speak Out

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Press Advisory

Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421
For Immediate Release: Monday, August 24

Press Conference Tuesday at Noon Regarding St Michael’s Outbreak

After announced outbreak of COVID cases among staff and patients, St Michael’s Medical Center workers and their union (UFCW 21) are outraged, but no longer surprised by ongoing problems at the Hospital. St Michael’s Medical Center is formerly known as Harrison Hospital and is located in Bremerton, WA.

WHAT: Staff and members of UFCW 21 plan to hold a Zoom Press Conference to communicate the magnitude of the problems at St Michael’s – both how widespread the concerns are and how long the workers have been raising the alarm. Workers and their union will present a list of demands to the WA Department of Health and Kitsap County Public Health.

ZOOM MEETING:

Direct join link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86353217505
Webinar ID: 863 5321 7505
Dial-in #: (253) 215 8782

WHEN: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 12 PM, NOON

WHO:   UFCW 21 President and staff will be joined by hospital workers who will share their experiences regarding the problems that have been going on at the hospital for months. These individuals will make brief prepared statements including information about their efforts over each and every month since March to raise concerns and the hospital’s failed response. We will be available to answer questions live during the ZOOM call.

St. Michael Medical Center Pro-Tech - Fair Wages for All!

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Your Bargaining Team met with Managament again on June 18 and we were able to win an increase to our weekend premium pay, an agreement from the Medical Center to track CEDO hours, and cleaned up language regarding the medical center’s name change.

However, Management made an insulting economic counter-offer that fails to provide fair wage increases to ALL members with some receiving ZERO increases in the first year. Management has also continued their attacks on our affordable Union healthcare plan by demanding that we accept the Medical Center’s expensive healthcare. We feel that it’s indefensible for Management to demand healthcare concessions at a time when we are risking our health and safety everyday to protect our community through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Your Bargaining Team has made clear to Managament that we will fight to ensure that all members, regardless of classification or years of service, will receive a fair wage increase and shall maintain our affordable healthcare. We must prepare ourselves to take action against these unacceptable proposals and fight for the fair contract that we deserve! 

“We demand fair wages for ALL members and are fighting to keep our affordable Union healthcare, which is more important now than ever!”

OUR PRO-TECH BARGAINING TEAM: Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes

Harrison Medical Center Service & Dietary - Contract Vote Scheduled

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Your Bargaining Team reached a tentative agreement with the Medical Center that won substantial wage increases, new short-term personal leave, improved schedule posting language, as well as many other improvements. 

We will be holding drop-in virtual vote meetings on Friday, June 19 at 8AM and 4PM to answer any questions about the tentative agreement. Details for joining will be mailed out with the vote instructions.

We will send out information soon with more details of the changes in your new contract and how the mail-in voting process works. To review a copy of the full legal document with all proposed changes please visit the link provided in the body of the email below.

View Document

Harrison Service & Dietary - Fighting for a Fair Contract

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We met with Management on May 19 and made progress on outstanding issues such as ensuring new hires receive adequate training, addressing harassment in the workplace, and reassurances that our contract will withstand any future mergers. 

We remain apart on wages and are still fighting for wage increases that will both retain workers and attract new hires by having increases in every year of our contract. We are committed to fighting for a fair contract that invests in our future and ensures that wages at Harrison Medical Center are competitive with other employers in the region, that we have reliable costs for our healthcare and are treated with dignity and respect at work. 

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.

“We, the essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, deserve a fair contract with wage increases that invest in our future.”

Harrison Service & Dietary Bargaining Team

CHI Harrison - Bargaining Continues

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“Please join us for our first virtual Contract Action Team meeting next Tuesday May 19 @ 7:30pm!”

Harrison Medical Center Pro-Tech Bargaining Team


CHI Harrison Medical Center Service & Dietary + Pro-Tech Contract Action Team Meeting
Tuesday, May 19 - 7:30PM
RSVP to get call join info 

PRO-TECH UPDATE

Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on May 5, 12, and 14. We have come to agreements with the employer to improve language regarding schedule posting, promotions, new hire orientation, and safety.

However, we are still fighting the employer to protect our Union healthcare, maintain successorship language that has protected our contract through recent mergers, create a member driven emergency preparedness team, and fair wage increases that keep Harrison Medical Center market competitive. Our next bargaining dates are June 5, 12, and 14.

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.

BARGAINING TEAM: Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes

SERVICE & DIETARY UPDATE

Your Bargaining Team met with Management on May 8 and achieved improvements on schedule postings, new hire orientation, safety, and won a new short-term personal leave benefit.

However, we continue to fight Management to maintain successorship language that has protected our contract through recent mergers, ensure adequate training for new hires, job positing transparency, create a member driven emergency preparedness team, and fair wage increases that keep Harrison Medical Center market competitive. Our next bargaining date is May 19. 

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.

BARGAINING TEAM: Bobby Harris, Susan Mayer

Harrison Medical Center - Bargaining Continues

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PRO-TECH UPDATE

Your Bargaining Team met with Managament on April 23, 25, and 28. We are committed to fighting for a fair contract that maintains our Union healthcare and ensures our contract survives any future mergers or acquisitions.

We have also made proposals to address issues regarding scheduling time off, easier access to education and professional meetings, improved safety language, and market competitive wages that keep up with the rising cost of living. Our next bargaining date is May 5.

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Aimee Oien @ 360-662-1981.

“Although we met virtually, we are standing together for a fair contract.”

Harrison Medical Center Pro-Tech Bargaining Team
Judy Shoesmith, Kain Mcleod, Connie Baker, Rob Shauger, Don Szabo, Ona Burkett, Sonja Hammes

SERVICE & DIETARY UPDATE

Your Bargaining Team met with Management on April 13, 20, and 27. We submitted our initial proposals that aim to strengthen language regarding scheduling, increased transparency of job postings, stronger safety committees, maintaining healthcare costs, and market competitive wages that keep up with the rising cost of living. Our next bargaining date is May 8.

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Ryan Degouveia @ 360-662-1989.

“Our first couple of bargaining dates were productive and we are looking forward to getting a contract that we can all be proud of!”

Harrison Medical Center Service & Dietary Bargaining Team
Bobby Harris, Susan Mayer, Bill A Lieseke