Know your Rights! Providence Meal Waiver

UFCW 3000 is working with Providence to address the Meal Waiver situation. We consider the language in the meal waiver to be a direct negotiation with employees since Providence is asking you to waive rights outlined in our contracts. We want to ensure that you receive appropriate compensation for missed or late meal periods and that your contract is not negatively impacted.

For shifts of 11 hours or more: If your shift length is 11 hours or more, you are entitled to two 30-minute meal periods. If you are currently only receiving one 30-minute meal period and have not waived your second meal period, you may be entitled to compensation. Additionally, the employer may extend your shift based on the language in the CBA and past practices in order to accommodate your second meal period.

It is your right to waive the second meal period, but you may miss out on overtime pay for missing your second meal period if you choose to waive it. While we recommend not waiving your second meal period, the decision to do so is ultimately yours.

We will be holding a Zoom meeting on Monday, February 5, from 6 - 7 pm for all Providence members to ask questions about the meal waiver. Join the meeting at that time by clicking here:

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to your union rep:

• Anthony Cantu (Providence Everett RNs): 206-436-6566

• Jack Crow (Providence Everett Pros and Techs): 206-436-6614

• Madison Derksema (Providence St. Peter, Providence Radiant Care, and Providence Centralia): 206-436-6603

• Lenaya Wilhelm (Providence Holy Family and Sacred Heart): 509-340-7369

• Juanita Quezada (Providence Sacred Heart Techs and Providence St. Mary): 509-340-7407

• Amy Radcliff (Providence Mt. Carmel and St. Joseph): 509-340-7370

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Health Care Rest Breaks & Meal Periods: Know Your Rights and Your Contract

Shift Length	Rest Breaks	Meal Period
4-5 hour shift	10 min* x1	0
8-hour shift	10 min* x2	30 min x1
10-hour shift	10 min* x2	30 min x1
12-hour shift	10 min* x3	30 min x2
16-hour shift	10 min* x4	30 min x2

*10 minutes is the WA State minimum. If your contract bargaining agreement (CBA) states 15 minutes, you should receive 15-minute rest breaks

• You must receive a paid rest break for every four (4) hours worked.

• You cannot waive your right to a rest break.

Meal Period: Your right to a meal period

A meal period cannot be substituted for breaks: Any employee who works more than four (4) hours gets their breaks as outlined above, and any scheduled meal period.

You are entitled to a 30-minute uninterrupted meal period when working more than five hours. The first meal period must be between the second and fifth hour worked. If you work 11 hours or more during the day, you must receive a second meal period no later than five (5) hours after the end of your first meal period.

Interrupted Mealtime: If you are required to stay on duty during a meal break you are still entitled to 30 total minutes of mealtime, excluding interruptions, plus 30 minutes of pay. Time spent performing the work task is not considered part of the meal period. The entire meal period must be paid no matter the number of interruptions. For example, if you received a 30-minute meal break but had to answer your work phone throughout then you should be paid 30 minutes for your meal period and receive a total of 30 minutes (non-consecutive) mealtime. 

Late Mealtime: If you are not given time to have a 30-minute mealtime, you must be paid for your time worked plus 30 minutes. Paying employees 30 minutes for the meal period does not absolve the employer’s responsibility to give you a late 30-minute unpaid mealtime when practicable.

The above is a general guideline to meal periods and rest breaks. For more in-depth information please contact your union representative OR download the Health Care Guide to Meal and Rest Breaks >>

Relevant Laws:

• WAC 296-126-092

• RCW 49.12.480

UFCW 3000 Member Stories: Michael McDonald

Michael MCDonald and his two daughters Emma and Elizabeth, and his wife Melanie Pose for a holiday Selfie

Michael McDonald is an Emergency Department Tech in the pediatric department at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane Washington. Michael assists doctors and nurses in giving care to kids who come into the Emergency Room and makes sure that the rooms and equipment are ready to go when needed. Michael works closely with his coworkers throughout the hospital, making sure that the Union contract is being enforced and that everyone is updated on the latest news, be that negotiations, grievances, or UFCW 3000 business in general. He is a fantastic leader! Michael is also a UFCW E-board, Health Care Advisory Board, and a conference committee member. Outside of the workplace, Michael spends time with his wife Melanie, and two daughters Emma and Elizabeth. The support that Michael gives is outstanding!

Learn about safe staffing committees and the new staffing law at our December training

We’re not done speaking out to hold hospitals accountable!

Our coalition’s WA Safe + Healthy team received great feedback from members who attended our first safe staffing training Oct. 19, where we covered an overview of staffing committees, charters, and a timeline of implementation for our safe staffing legislation.

We are looking forward to the next training in December! We’ll demystify what the staffing committee does and how it does its work. With our new staffing law starting to roll out, it’s our job to hold hospitals accountable and get the most out of this new law. Together in our coalition, members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000 and WSNA are ready to do the work.

Joint Union Training:
Staffing Committees 101

DECEMBER 14
6-8PM

Join fellow union members from UFCW 3000, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and WSNA all across the state for this virtual training on Staffing Committees under our new Health Care Staffing Law (SB 5236).

By the end of this training, you will be able to discuss the purpose and development of a team charter, understand the key elements of the hospital staffing committee law, and articulate timelines and dates relevant to the hospital staffing committee. This training is open to all members and we hope to see you there!

Speaking out about unsafe staffing

We have been talking to legislators, and members have been fighting hard to raise the alarm about ongoing staffing issues at our facilities. Right now the spotlight’s on:

• Providence Everett (UFCW 3000) – November 14-19, nurses went on an unfair labor practice strike at the hospital after voting to authorize a strike by 97%, with staffing the top concern at the bargaining table.

• MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital (SEIU Healthcare 1199NW) – A month after holding a vigil, healthcare workers at MultiCare Yakima Memorial held an informational picket Nov. 15. They are fighting for wages that meet market standards to attract and retain experienced staff.

• Virginia Mason Hospital (WSNA) – On Oct. 10, hundreds of nurses picketed outside Virginia Mason, calling for a fair contract that will improve staffing and reduce workplace violence.

Members are speaking out in the news! Here’s some of our latest coverage:

“Nurses can no longer stand by and take these unsafe assignments, come to work and be physically, mentally, emotionally abused,” said Kristen Crowder, labor & delivery RN at Providence Everett.

“Honestly, staffing is a revolving door,” said RN Trish Bowman. “I have a difficult time even knowing my own staff on my floor, people are leaving all the time.” 

“I am so sick of having short staffing at work,” [Brad] Rathke said to the crowd Tuesday. 

September 2023 Update: Upcoming Trainings on Our New State Staffing Law – JOIN US!

Union health care workers fought hard for a new staffing law in Washington, and we celebrated together when it passed. Now we’re preparing for the first stages of successful implementation. To get the most out of this statute and hold hospital management accountable for safer staffing, it’s going to require knowledgeable and empowered nurses and other health care workers in every department, on every shift, at every hospital. Here’s how we’re going to get there, together:​

• September 1, 2023: 

  The state Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee has been established and will meet monthly. Among its first tasks is development of a uniform hospital staffing plan form. This committee comprises health care workers and hospital representatives.

• January 1, 2024

  Staffing committees must be established under the new law. These will include RNs, LPNs, CNAs,and other direct patient care staff. 50% of the voting members must be nursing staff.

• July 1, 2024

  New staffing committee charters—covering processes for meetings, attendance, electing co-chairs, reviewing complaints, etc.—must be filed with Dept of Health (DOH). Proposed staffing plans are due to hospital management.

• January 1, 2025:

  Every hospital must submit a final staffing plan to DOH.

• July 1, 2025:

  Hospitals must implement the new approved staffing plans by this date, and begin reporting noncompliance to DOH whenever they fail to meet at least 80% compliance that month.

GET EDUCATED – GET INVOLVED!

Joint SEIU 1199NW / UFCW 3000 / WSNA Trainings in 2023-24:
All trainings will be online, relevant to where we are in the statewide rollout of the staffing law, and whenever possible will be recorded and shared for those who cannot attend live. Contact a representative or organizer from your union to learn more about signing up!

• October 19, 2023: In-depth training for current staffing committee co-chairs and members. Current staffing committee members! RSVP for this training here:

• December 2023: Training for all interested members on everything you need to know about staffing committees and the new staffing law

• February 2024: Training on negotiating your best possible staffing plan

• Late 2024: Training on compliance and accountability through your staffing committee

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MEMBERS ARE SAYING:

“The safe staffing bill has many tools we can use to help immensely with safe staffing. I am deeply passionate and excited to learn more and to get to work, and I invite all my fellow healthcare workers to join me.”

—Craig M. White, RN/PCCN, Providence Everett

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“My coworkers and I spent a lot of energy advocating for this law to pass, so we’re certainly going to learn how to enforce it to the fullest. The big hospitals have a lot of money and a lot of resources to figure out the staffing models they think are best, and we’ll need to match that with knowledge of the law and union power.”

—Edna P. Cortez, RN, Seattle Children’s

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“We know that our unity is our strength in every challenge we face, and the work it will take to successfully implement our safe staffing bill is no exception. Working together across all three of our healthcare unions is how we’re going to kickstart a culture of safety in our hospitals and hold our employers accountable to ensure compliance. As a member of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, I’m proud to continue working collaboratively with my WSNA and UFCW 3000 siblings to create a united front and tackle the next piece of our implementation plan: healthcare workers’ education.”

—Callie Allen, RN, MultiCare Valley Hospital, Spokane Valley

Planned Parenthood: Bargaining Starts Soon - Get Involved Now!

You're likely already aware that our current contract was set to expire on June 1. We agreed to extend the contract by one month to the end of June to allow more time for negotiations. Your bargaining team will meet with PPGNHAIK leadership to bargain on May 24 and then again on June 6. As with bargaining sessions in the last decade, HR has been slow to agree to the many dates we have proposed. Their stalling tactics have only emboldened our team to become more united in our demands.  We look forward to getting these negotiations started and fighting for the contract we all deserve!

Meet Your Bargaining Team!

L to R: Michel Avery, Clinical Trainer - Monalisa Bauman, MA Certified - Alison DeBoise, Insurance Biller - Melissa Grindstaff, Patient Access Rep - Mollie Overby, Capacity Building Specialist

Get Involved

How can you help us win the contract we all deserve?​

1. Fill out the bargaining survey. Thank you to those who have already made your voice heard.

2. If you prefer to spell out concerns by phone or email, please reach out to Charlie at (206) 436-6518 or a union Shop Steward or Bargaining Team member.

3. Join a Thursday night Zoom check-in at 7pm and let us know what’s important to you.

4. PP Leadership has posted the GAHC Coordinator position, but is still vague on the timeline of the return of new patients.  If you have not already signed the petition demanding transparency on the GAH pause, please do so here.

5. Finally, let’s cheer on our fellow Planned Parenthood and UFCW Local 324 on filing for an election to unionize!

Safe Staffing Moving Forward!

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA speak to the huge victory for patients, communities and nurses with the new Safe Staffing Law, the need for nurses and communities to hold hospital administrations accountable to the new law, and a much deserved celebration for this victory. Watch the Video:

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA

More on our long fight for Safe Staffing!>>

Our advocacy paid off: Safer staffing is coming to Washington hospitals!

Download or print this update for your bulletain boards>>

Our bill to address safe staffing in hospitals, ESSB 5236, was passed by the House earlier this month — the last step in a lengthy legislative process that we, in coalition with SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and the Washington State Nurses Association, helped move forward with our actions, stories, and willingness to use our collective voice to ensure safer care in our hospitals. When we fight, we win!

The bill landed on Gov. Inslee’s desk to be signed into law on April 20, 2023. As of today, our bill is law.

What’s next?

We’ll celebrate our success at coalition victory parties around the state on May 11 from 6-8 p.m. RSVP to a Victory Celebration Here >>

• Seattle: Seattle Labor Temple, 5030 1st Ave. S

• Spokane: UFCW 3000 Office, 2805 N. Market St.

• Tri-Cities: SEIU 1199NW Office, 7525 W. Deschutes Pl Ste 2 Kennewick, WA 99336

• Tacoma: Shiloh Baptist Church, 1211 S I St.

• Mt. Vernon: UFCW 3000 Office, 1510 N 18th St.

• Everett: Snohomish County Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Ave.

• Olympia: Washington State Labor Council, 906 Columbia St. SW (2nd floor)

We’ll distribute an implementation timeline, provide resources, and share information to help us enforce the new staffing law and ensure accountability.

“I’m very glad to see the nursing staff representatives on our staffing committees expanded to include CNAs and LPNs alongside RNs. I know ensuring strict enforcement of a new staffing law is going to take some work, but I’m excited to get started learning how we can use it to keep our patients safer, our hospitals accountable, and our jobs more sustainable.”

— Patricia Brown, LPN, Tacoma General, member of UFCW 3000

The new safe staffing law will:

• Strengthen accountability to hospital staffing plans set by staffing committees.

• Eliminate CEO veto power over those plans.

• Expand staffing committees to include LPNs, CNAs, and other direct patient care staff in addition to RNs.

• Reduce hospitals’ ability to pack staffing committees with people who impede plans.

• Create uniform reporting forms, which will mean that patients and healthcare workers will easily understand how many staff should be present.

• Require hospitals to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

• Allow DOH to issue corrective action plans that could require minimum staffing standards and fines.

• Expand meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff.

• Close loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable.

• Allow L&I to issue escalating penalties for missed breaks.

• Funds the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans.

Washington State House Passes Safe Staffing Bill — Next Up, the Governor’s Desk!

Today the House passed the healthcare staffing bill (ESSB 5236), the final legislative hurdle in a long process, to begin addressing the ongoing hospital staffing crisis this legislative session. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

We would not have gotten this bill through the Legislature without the countless members like you who sent in selfies, signed in “pro” on bills, contacted your legislators, testified in hearings, and so much more. The voices of healthcare workers at the bedside pushed the State Senate to go farther down the path toward safe staffing than ever before.

ESSB 5236 reflects a compromise between SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, the Washington State Nurses Association and the Washington State Hospital Association. The final compromise will strengthen accountability to staffing plans and allow for corrective action by state agencies if necessary up to and including enforcing safe staffing standards on hospitals. It represents a meaningful step toward safe staffing.

The final bill:

• Strengthens accountability to hospital staffing plans. If hospitals fall below 80 percent compliance with their staffing plans, they are required to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Noncompliant hospitals will be assigned a corrective action plan by L&I and DOH, which may include elements like safe staffing standards set by L&I that the hospital will have to follow.

• Expands meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff, closes loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable, and ensures hospitals follow the law. If there are more than 20 percent of breaks missed in a month, L&I will issue escalating penalties.

• Funds the WA State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans to establish what’s actually happening in WA hospitals and compare them to elsewhere. This study would set a baseline understanding of the staffing crisis in WA by a credible, nonpartisan source, and provide a benchmark against California and professional association standards for staffing levels, which is critical for continued work to ensure safe staffing in Washington.

After the Governor signs the bill, we will turn to implementation and enforcement. We will be reaching out about plans to educate members – particularly members of staffing committees – on the elements of the bill.

Safe Staffing Bill SB 5236 Passes Senate Ways & Means Committee

We’re writing with an update on the progress of Senate Bill 5236 – our bill to create safe staffing standards in Washington.

Last Friday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted to pass an amended version of SB 5236. It is worth celebrating that this bill is continuing to move forward through the legislative process, even as we know the fight for a strong version with meaningful enforcement provisions is ongoing. At this point, a few senators have prevented us from implementing statewide safe staffing standards across the board as initially proposed. Despite this, the committee did amend SB 5236 to strengthen staffing committees and improve enforcement, setting a solid foundation for us to keep fighting for safe staffing standards. We’re confident this agreement gets us closer to enforceable staffing standards by establishing penalties for hospitals that continue to violate staffing plans, and under the amended bill, if hospitals continue those violations, they would be subject to Labor and Industries’ strict enforcement of safe staffing standards.

The most important thing for all healthcare workers to know is that negotiations at the Capitol around this bill – what staffing standards and enforcement will look like – are ongoing as we speak, and state senators need to hear loud and clear from their constituents that this bill should stay as strong as possible. 

There is still time for hospital lobbyists to try to weaken the bill, but that means there is also time for us to make our voices heard. Contacting your senator, and encouraging your coworkers, family, friends, and community to do so as well, is the main way we can keep up the pressure. Share your experiences with short-staffing and what it means for your patients. Let them know what the current lack of accountability around staffing plans looks like day to day. Make it clear that their constituents are paying attention and demanding action.

• Contact your state senator directly–find their name and contact information here.

• Or leave a voice message for your state senator via the legislative hotline: 1-800-562-6000.

Our next hurdle will be to get SB 5236 passed off the Senate floor by March 8th. We thank Sen. June Robinson for being our legislative champion on behalf of Washington’s healthcare workers and Sen. Christine Rolfes, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, for keeping the focus on this bill until it was voted out of committee.

Your work and advocacy up to this point have been invaluable. We encourage you to continue reaching out to your Legislators to urge them to pass SB 5236.

We’re Telling Our Legislators: Safe Staffing Standards Can’t Wait

After supporting our communities through three years of a pandemic, staffing in our hospitals is worse than ever. We know we don’t have a shortage of healthcare workers; we have a shortage of healthcare workers who are willing to work in these conditions. That’s why we’re calling on the legislature to pass a comprehensive law that puts patient safety and healthcare workers first.

Senate Bill 5236 calling for safe staffing standards was introduced in the Washington State legislature and had its first public hearing Jan. 17. The bill includes:

• Safe staffing standards including maximum patient assignments

• Adequate enforcement of staffing laws

• Expanded protections for overtime and breaks

• Protecting our rights to staffing committees and expanding them to be inclusive of the entire care team

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Healthcare workers’ voices are critical!

Email your legislator. As constituents and union members, we know that direct communication with our elected representatives is one of the most effective ways to advocate for change. Send a message using our online advocacy tool:

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IN OLYMPIA:

The state Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce heard public testimony in support of SB 5236

“Less than one year ago I provided testimony on HB 1868 hoping this state would pass a law ensuring nurses and patients had safe healthcare environments – instead, staffing got worse. Not because this state isn’t educating enough nurses. The shortage is not nurses, the shortage is safe work environments. No amount of money can keep nurses repeatedly experiencing moral injury and burnout.” - Kelli Johnson, RN, Providence Regional Medical Center, Everett

“I have served on the staffing committee at our hospital for many years and have chaired that committee for the last year and a half. I am here to tell you it is infuriating to sit in committee month after month, year after year and see how our staffing guidelines are breached every single day on many units a day leaving nurses in untenable, dangerous and heartbreaking situations.” - Nonie Kingma, RN, Sacred Heart Hospital, Spokane

“Implementing safe staffing standards in every Washington hospital is the one thing that will make patient care safe again and keep healthcare workers like me at the bedside. Patient care is devastated, and that’s devastating for those of us at the bedside. Where I work, folks’ fingers are on the send button to resign. They are ready to move to outpatient care, retire — frankly, anything else. This bill makes working in a hospital safe again. This bill is what will keep and bring healthcare workers back to the beside.” - Melissa Swetland Leaptrot, RN, St. Anne Hospital, Burien

Senate Hearing on Safe Staffing Law a Huge Success!

Watch UFCW 3000 member Kelli Johnson, Providence Everett ER nurse, speak to state senators about the importance of safe staffing standards.

This week UFCW 3000 members and our allies at SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and WSNA, along with community supporters, made our presence known at the State Capitol during a state senate hearing on Safe Staffing bill SB 5236. Health care workers testified during the committee hearing and met with lawmakers to ensure they know how desperate the staffing crisis is—and how important it is to pass statewide safe staffing standards now.

“Less than one year ago I provided testimony on House Bill 1868 hoping the state would pass a law ensuring nurses and patients have a safe healthcare environment. Instead, staffing got worse,” said UFCW 3000 member and Providence Everett emergency RN Kelli Johnson to the senate committee. “The shortage is not nurses, the shortage is safe work environments. No amount of money can keep nurses repeatedly experiencing moral injury and burnout, two of the top three reasons nurses leave the profession.”

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We are not alone: Firefighters, mental health advocates, rare disease patient advocates, and others also testified in support. And more than 2,000 people signed in “Pro” in support of the bill, more than twice as many as those opposed!

Take action to support SB 5236:

Safe Staffing Bill Scheduled for a Hearing

This week the coalition of healthcare workers from UFCW 3000, WSNA, and SEIU 1199NW, relaunched the WA Safe + Healthy campaign and Senate Bill 5236 to pass safe staffing standards to address the worsening hospital staffing crisis.

Please join healthcare workers from across the state for our first hearing in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee scheduled for:

Tuesday, January 17 @ 10:30AM
Washington State Capitol - Senate Hearing Rm 1
John A. Cherberg Building and Virtual

(John A. Cherberg Building to the Capitol map link HERE)

Even if you are unable to testify in committee due to time constraints or distance, there are several other ways for members of the Senate Labor Committee hear from you about how unsafe staffing levels have impacted you, your patients, colleagues, and communities across the state.

The more healthcare workers and community our elected leaders hear from, the more likely they are to pass this critical legislation! Next week we will be wearing stickers in the worksites to show our support for safe staffing. Your Union Representatives will be in touch and getting those to workplace leaders for distribution.

Questions, or to get involved in helping lead the fight for safe staffing, please reach out to your Union Representative.

The fight's not over: We’re heading back to Olympia to address the staffing crisis

We haven’t given up the fight for safer staffing. Last legislative session, we made momentous progress in elevating the staffing recruitment and retention crisis to lawmakers, media, and the public. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure safe staffing standards in 2022. But we know the crisis hasn’t gotten better – if anything, it’s gotten worse.

We’re gearing up now to take the fight back to Olympia and do what it takes to make sure healthcare workers have the staffing they need to provide excellent care. We look forward to sharing more policy specifics soon. But we need you to keep fighting, too.

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Last year’s success was only possible because of activism from healthcare workers like you. Your voices are powerful. They move legislators to act. Help us make the most compelling case to legislators by sharing your personal staffing story!

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Read what our members have to say about why they’re back in the fight to win safe staffing...

“Nurses and other healthcare workers continue to burn out under the stress of caring for more and more patients. Across the state, we’re seeing long backups in emergency rooms and patients waiting in the ER until there’s a bed and a nurse to take care of them. We’re seeing nurses and other healthcare workers run ragged trying to keep up. That’s why we can’t let up on our fight for safe staffing. We need state-level solutions, which is why we’re headed back to the legislature to win safe staffing in 2023.” -Jacob Garcia, Med-Surg Registered Nurse, Astria Sunnyside

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“We need to do something now to retain our experienced staff and attract new caregivers to the field. We have lost too many co-workers to burnout already. It’s painful to see just how much short staffing is affecting patient care. I’m encouraging my co-workers and all fellow healthcare workers to speak up so state lawmakers can hear directly from those of us on the front lines. Solving this problem is going to require lawmakers to act in the interest of patients and ensure our communities have access to quality healthcare with safer staffing.” -Iliana Ramirez, Medical Assistant, Lourdes Medical Center

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“Safe staffing cannot wait. We are going back to the legislature more united than ever for safe staffing standards for all healthcare workers. We’re asking everyone for their support, and to be ready to talk to their legislators, friends, and family. We are moving forward, now join us!” -Ade Adeyemo, Certified Nursing Assistant, UW Medicine - Northwest Hospital

Unions Win Order Against MultiCare Payroll Deductions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seattle — Last month, a judge in King County Superior Court handed down an order that said MultiCare cannot deduct money from workers who were temporarily overpaid without an express agreement from the individual employee. The alleged overpayments related to an extended outage of the employer’s timekeeping system.

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000 and the Washington State Nurses Association filed suit against MultiCare after the healthcare system announced it had overpaid workers and was going to recover the overpayments by deducting amounts of their choosing from subsequent paychecks without the permission of the worker. The unions argued the law didn’t permit MultiCare to do that. The court agreed with the unions, and MultiCare was ordered to stop deductions unless it had an agreement with the individual member.

The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 3000 filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in March to prevent MultiCare Health System from garnishing wages without employees’ consent in order to recover alleged overpayments while the case made its way through the court system.

This legal win will make a world of difference to dozens of workers who were facing drastic deductions from their checks. It would have meant not being able to pay rent or mortgage or keep food on the table if MultiCare had been allowed to proceed with the deductions.

These legal actions are intended to ensure that employees have a fair, transparent, and collaborative process for establishing repayment plans, including an opportunity to challenge MultiCare’s accounting and have a say in their individual repayment plans. Under federal labor law, MultiCare must bargain with the unions to ensure a fair procedure for any repayments.

BACKGROUND

In December 2021, timekeeping software provider Kronos was hit by a ransomware attack, shutting the system down for many employers that use it. During the time Kronos was offline, MultiCare chose to duplicate employees’ last accurate timesheet for payroll purposes.

Employees continued to track hours separately outside of Kronos, but paychecks for four pay periods were based on the first pay period in December.

MultiCare knew from the start that this would result in inaccurate paychecks during the outage, as healthcare worker hours vary, sometimes significantly, week to week. Notably, the period of outage covered the worst months of the Omicron surge, during which employees saw significant upheaval in their schedules.

Following Kronos’ recovery, MultiCare announced that it would begin deducting up to $500 per paycheck without employee consent beginning March 18. MultiCare gave workers a March 9 deadline to request alternate payment plans but did not offer an option to repay by any means other than paycheck deductions, and the lowest amount offered was 10% of the amount allegedly owed per pay period. At the same time, MultiCare has not provided transparent accounting for its claimed overpayments (or underpayments), and numerous workers have reported inaccuracies in the accounting provided to them.

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Fresenius Renal Care - Workers Ratify New Contract!

Fresenius Workers Ratify New Contract!

On Thursday, September 22, members of UFCW 3000 at Fresenius overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract!

The contract included significant wage and premium increases and improvements to contract language. Thank you to bargaining team members Tiffani Davis and Michele Hardy.

To review the details of your contract or if you have a contract question, contact your rep Ryan Degouveia at 360-662-1989 or rdegouveia@ufcw3000.org.

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If you know someone who is not getting these bargaining updates by email, or you need to update your contact information, please go here:

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Ralph Leads by Example!

Ralph Stumbo, UFCW 3000 member and worker at Kaiser Permanente, with his grandkids

#MemberMonday is here and today’s spotlight is on Ralph Stumbo, who is currently an Alliance Partnership Representative at Kaiser Permanente. Ralph has worked at KP (formerly Group Health Cooperative — GHC) for almost 35 years!

Ralph grew up in Federal Way and went to college in Portland. After he graduated, he had the opportunity to return to Washington State and began working at Group Health as a respiratory therapist. Ralph loves working in healthcare and says he works hard because it is so rewarding for him to help patients and his coworkers.

Within a few years of starting at Group Health, Ralph attended training sessions and became a shop steward for his workplace. Through the years, he has been actively involved with contract negotiations and helping to advocate for his coworkers. In fact, Ralph is currently serving as part of the Labor Management Partnership (LMP) and continues to center his patients through that work.

Ralph says that he did not set out with the intention of being a shop steward or any other kind of workplace leader. Rather, he says that his service to others, whether his patients or his coworkers, has brought him tremendous joy — and that joy is what motivates him every day.

“Shortly I will return to the pulmonary lab and once again be giving awesome care to my patients whom I have missed…Whether you work in healthcare, in grocery, food service, retail, etc., it doesn’t matter, you are serving your fellow humans and that is something for which you should be proud!”

Ralph — your generosity, humility, and joyfulness are so inspiring to witness. You are an incredible example of the UFCW 3000 members who step up every day as worker-leaders, advocating for their coworkers and for change in the workplace. Thank you for leading by example!

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Christina Delgado

Christina Delgado, UFCW 3000 member and Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente

Happy #MemberMonday! This week’s spotlight is on Christina Delgado, who is a Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente. Christina has been a member of our Union for 35 years, having started her career at Pay N Save and a member of UFCW Local 1001!

One day, a fellow coworker and Pharmacist at her store talked to Christina about working in Pharmacy. Christina’s interest was piqued because she knows just how important getting the right medications can be for people to live healthier lives. Christina decided to attend Pharmacy Tech school and the rest, as they say, is history! She’s now been in Pharmacy for 22 years and prides herself on the quality of care and service that she’s able to provide for her patients.

Christina is a natural workplace leader. In fact, she has been a shop steward for many years and also became a contract specialist about 6 months ago. You can often find Christina making the rounds, meeting new members, and welcoming them to our Union. Christina talks to her coworkers about issues they may have in the workplace with the goal of identifying strong leaders and providing the training needed to resolve issues at a work unit level.

When asked why she’s stepped up as a worker-leader in her unit, Christina said: “It’s critical to have strong leaders in place, in each department, in each unit, making a difference in the clinic and providing a voice for all employees.”

Christina — thank you for all that you do on behalf of your patients and your coworkers & fellow members. We’re so inspired by your leadership, positivity, and hard work!

Release: Unions File for Temporary Restraining Order Against MultiCare

FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Seattle— The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 3000 filed for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prevent MultiCare Health System from garnishing wages without employees’ consent to recover alleged overpayments related to an extended outage of the employer’s timekeeping system.

Unions assert that MultiCare's plan violates WAC 296-126-030, which states that private employers can only recover overpayments by deducting money from paychecks without consent if the overpayment is discovered and the employer “implements a plan” to recover it within 90 days. Crucially, the overpayment must have been “infrequent,” “inadvertent,” and the employer must provide “documentation” of the disputed amount.

The unions are further requesting a declaratory judgment that the deductions would violate the WAC rule, and separately have filed unfair labor practice charges and requested a 10(j) injunction from the NLRB, as MultiCare did not notify WSNA, SEIU or UFCW or bargain over its repayment plans before implementing them.

These legal actions are intended to ensure that employees have a fair, transparent and collaborative process for establishing repayment plans, including an opportunity to challenge MultiCare’s accounting and a say in their individual repayment plans.

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BACKGROUND 

In December 2021, timekeeping software provider Kronos was hit by a ransomware attack, shutting the system down for many employers that use it. During the time Kronos was offline, MultiCare chose to duplicate employees’ last accurate timesheet for payroll purposes. Employees continued to track hours separately outside of Kronos, but paychecks for four pay periods were based on the first pay period in December.

MultiCare knew from the start that this would result in inaccurate paychecks during the outage, as health care worker hours vary, sometimes significantly, week to week. Notably, the period of outage covered the worst months of the Omicron surge, during which employees saw significant upheaval in their schedules. 

Following Kronos’ recovery, MultiCare announced that it would begin deducting up to $500 per paycheck without employee consent beginning March 18. MultiCare gave workers a March 9 deadline to request alternate payment plans, but did not offer an option to repay by any means other than paycheck deductions, and the lowest amount offered was 10% of the amount allegedly owed per pay period. At the same time, MultiCare has not provided transparent accounting for its claimed overpayments (or underpayments), and numerous workers have reported inaccuracies in the accounting provided to them.

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Tamra Empowers Coworkers

Tamra Cabuco (right) poses with her co-worker during a Safe Staffing Sticker Action

Another week, another UFCW 3000 #MemberMonday spotlight! Today, we're featuring Tamra Cabuco.

Tamra works at LabCorp and is an extremely hard worker who loves her job and uplifts her coworkers. Most of all, Tamra cares very deeply for the patients she helps -- and they love her too!

Tamra is so dedicated to her patients. Sometimes, due to short-staffing, she is forced to work her entire shift with no break or lunch because she wants to provide the proper care for all of her patients. Tamra knows that she and her coworkers deserve to rest, eat, and hydrate while on the clock. She also knows that the best way to enact fundamental change is for her and her fellow workers to unite and organize for their rights at their workplace.

That's why Tamra is leading the charge as a workplace leader, educating coworkers on their rights at work, and bringing awareness to the community at large about the challenges she and her coworkers face. Tamra is fighting so that she and her fellow LabCorp employees get the respect that they deserve from a company that posted earnings of over 16 Billion dollars in 2021!

Tamra is empowering coworkers to be the change they want to see in their workplaces and we couldn't be more inspired. Go Tamra!

#HealthcareHeroes #EssentialWorkers #UnionStrong #1u #UFCW3000

Telephone Town Hall Calls for Healthcare Members Monday November 1

Join us for a live telephone town hall with fellow health care workers and our union reps and bargainers for updates on how our union is addressing the staffing crisis in coalition with other health care unions, ways we’re advocating for safer staffing, retention bonuses, incentive pay, and how you can get involved. 

Health Care Workers’ Telephone Town Hall: Monday Nov. 1 @ 6:30 PM 

You will receive a phone call at the number we have on file for you between 6:30 and 6:40pm on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive it, just call in yourself: 

Call-in number: 888-544-2310  Meeting ID: 6309 

Join fellow Kaiser Permanente workers for a union telephone town hall to discuss our latest bargaining sessions and our fight for a fair contract! This Weds November 3 we will hold Informational Picketing for Pro Tech Optical members at Bellevue, Capitol Hill, and Tacoma Specialty Clinics, and Leafleting at Silverdale.  

All Pharmacy and Pro Tech Optical members are invited to sticker up and invite family/friends to Informational Pickets to show solidarity on this day. Get all the updates and ask questions of our union rep and bargainers. 

*Special Guests includes Hal Ruddick, Executive Director from the Alliance of Health Care Unions and members of our 21 bargaining teams.  

Kaiser Permanente Bargaining Telephone Town Hall: Monday Nov. 1 @ 7:30 PM 

You will receive a phone call at the number we have on file for you between 6:30 and 6:40pm on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive it, just call in yourself: 

Call-in number: 888-652-5403 Meeting ID: 6381 

RSVP online for the November 3 Informational Pickets (Pro Tech Optical only) https://bit.ly/kip102021. 

Questions? Please contact Union Representative Rhonda Fisher-Ivie, 206-436-6584, or Contract Specialist Christina Delgado, 425-306-1357.