Providence Meal Waiver and Shift Length Changes

UFCW 3000 has filed an unfair labor practice charge against all Providence hospitals for implementing shift length changes and not bargaining to an impasse with us over the meal waiver. Additionally, we have filed grievances since Providence changed work schedules without the caregivers' consent and have not been paying members for missed or late second meal periods.

Given Providence's decision to proceed with extending shift lengths, we advise 10-hour and 12-hour shift workers to carefully consider their options. You may choose to accept an extended shift with two meal periods or opt to waive the second meal period and retain your current shift length. If you opt to waive the second meal period, you retain the right to revoke this decision at any time through your core leader. However, we strongly advise against waiving the timing of your meal period, as you are entitled to 30 minutes of pay for late meal periods.

*"Question 1) I am voluntarily requesting to waive my second unpaid meal period if I am entitled to one." *

Recommendation: ACCEPT means your shift length will remain the same or DECLINE means your shift will be extended, and you will receive two meal periods as a 10-hour and 12-hour shift worker.

*"Question 2) I am voluntarily requesting to take my unpaid meal periods at a time that may not be within a two-to-five-hour block of work." *

Recommendation: DECLINE means if your meal period is not within the two-to-five-hour block, then you should receive 30 minutes of pay. You can file a complaint with L&I if you are not paid accordingly.

>> Track your late meal periods here!

>> If you feel that you have been coerced into signing the meal waiver by Providence, we strongly encourage you to file a complaint with L&I.

Ashley House - Contract Ratifed

Ashley House members overwhelmingly voted this week to approve a new Union Contract!

Voting took place at each of the seven houses, where we had great conversations with Union Members about the new contract and our plans for upcoming bargaining.

Highlights of the contract include:

• 3% Wage Increase Effective January 2024
• Updating the Benefits/Health and Welfare section including the Education Fund language.
• Duration of the contract through August 1, 2024.

Thank you to our fabulous Bargaining Team!

— Cindy Jones, LPN, Browns Point; Emily Guffin, RN, Spokane; Donna Iverson, CNA, Olympia

PRMCE RN Next Steps!

*Day Correction!
An earlier version of this notice read, "Tuesday, March 25". The correct day is Monday, March 25. Thank you for your patience.

Now that we have solidified the language in our contract, the next step is contract enforcement. Nurses have already seen changes to staffing practices through the discontinuation of the co-caring model. We can achieve more changes to patient care and working conditions by standing united. It was through nurses advocating against the co-caring model in staffing committees and in their units that we were able to get rid of this poor model. The committees in our contract are the ingredients needed to create changes at PRMCE.

Contract Enforcement Meeting: March 25 @ 7:30pm 

To learn more about getting involved or how nurses are enforcing contract language, join us via ZOOM on Monday, March 25 at 7:30pm to discuss next steps in growing our collective voice in the workplace! Join here>> 

We will be also be providing an update about contract implementation questions like low census/incentive shifts, step progression, and staffing bonus.

Lourdes Medical Center Service and Maintenance Contract Ratified!

Contract extended!

On March 15, 2024, Members of the Service and Maintenance Unit ratified a 2-year extension to their current contract that will now expire July 23, 2027. The contract extension will provide wage increases the first full pay period in April to all represented employees and place

Lourdes at a far better position to recruit and retain staff. Represented staff will start accruing PTO at a higher rate and the max cap on the PTO bank will increase.

Please contact a bargaining team member or Union Representative Juanita Quezada with any questions or concerns.

Women's History Month Member Story: Tacoma General Lab Techs Organize to Be Heard

Cheyenne Corneau

Cheyenne Corneau had been working as a Medical Lab Technician for about a year in 2022 when her and her coworkers Colleen, and Marisa were talking about the need to get their coworkers involved in the union for better representation for lab techs at the next bargaining table. Looking around the region, they saw that their wage scale was below market value and they knew that in order to change that, their coworkers needed to be involved and ready to show MultiCare that their compensation needed to change.

So they reached out to their union representative to start building their Tacoma General med lab unit for the next negotiations. Cheyenne, Marisa, and Colleen talked to their coworkers about what they all thought the goals for negotiations should be, and asked them what they thought was needed to get it done and if they would take action to show MultiCare that they were serious.

When surveys for the MultiCare contract went out, they made sure that their coworkers filled them out and made their priorities clear. After that, they moved on to hosting meetings to talk to coworkers about the next steps. These were gatherings at their residences where everyone took ownership of the campaign and mapped out the workplace to make sure the message got out to everyone. Not only were Cheyenne, Colleen, and Marisa leaders, they were recruiting and training others to take the lead. That is how the rank-and-file builds power for themselves as a union.

In late 2023, Cheyenne was asked to serve on the MultiCare bargaining committee and agreed, giving lab workers a seat at the negotiation table. Other labs involved in the bargain heard about what is going on at the Tacoma General Med Tech Lab and have started to get more engaged right as these negotiations kick into high gear.

The women of UFCW 3000 are making history for workers every day. We are proud to be able to feature just a few of their stories for Women’s History Month!

LabCorp - Federal Mediation Begins

Last week, our union Bargaining Team met with LabCorp management and for the first time this contract cycle, a Mediator from the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Services (FMCS) joined us to help facilitate negotiations.

First, the good: We’re making movement on most of the outstanding non-economic proposals, which means we’re locking down needed changes and narrowing the scope of our negotiations to crucial wage and benefits improvements. We’re securing parking for Seattle Couriers, a stipend for members who work from home, and stronger Union Stewards and Membership language.

We also received LabCorp’s economic and benefits counter. We’re excited to announce that LabCorp has agreed to new employees being eligible for health insurance at the beginning of the next month following their hire date (instead of needing to wait 60 days) and to extending coverage on our Blue Cross Blue Shield plans for MDLive (Telehealth). We’re also excited to share that LabCorp is working with the restructured wage scale that we carefully crafted in February, which eliminates all ghost steps, has the same number of maximum steps for all positions, and gets everyone to the top of the scale faster.

Now, the bad: LabCorp still isn’t offering fair or competitive compensation. Their new proposal maintains:

• 0% - 5% wage increases over the rates members are making right now
• only a 2% annual COLA increase for Year 2 and Year 3
• no consistent percentage increases between steps
• no increases to differentials, premium rates, or holidays
• higher employee monthly healthcare premiums ($198.98 for employee-only plans)
• increased out of pocket maximums ($6,000/$12,000)
• higher copays ($30 primary care, $70 specialist, $200 emergency room, $10/$20 RX)
• no tuition reimbursement, 401k improvements, or other optional benefits coverage

LabCorp cannot solve their recruitment and retention issues with this proposal. We want to be fully staffed so that we can provide the quality service that our community deserves, and we’re willing to fight for it.

“If you’re really serious about winning better wages and healthcare, the time to show up is now. It’s not enough to talk. You need to walk the walk with us.”

Deborah Gibby, Senior Lab Assistant

UPCOMING ACTION: INFORMATIONAL PICKET!

Friday, April 12 12pm – 2pm

@ Swedish Hospital – First Hill Campus

We’ll be holding an informational picket and community rally with our patients, providers, union partners, family, and friends to show LabCorp we stand together for a fair contract. We need everyone! Find more information & RSVP at: >> RSVP HERE

UPCOMING: DROP-IN CONTRACT ACTION MEETINGS

Tuesday, March 19 7:30am – 9:30am

Wednesday, March 20 & Thursday, March 21 9:00am – 9:30am

@ James Tower Cafeteria, Swedish Cherry Hill

Come down and talk with your bargaining team about negotiations updates and upcoming actions!

Bargaining Team: Kyle Chrisman, Deborah Gibby, Lisa Magee, Sam McVay, Matt Noll, Nancy Pyanowski, Shelby Tyner

Please reach out to a member of your bargaining team, or to your Union Reps Christie Harris at 206-436-6606 and Charlie King at 206-436-6518 if you have questions or want to get more involved.

Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24

Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24

Our union came into 2023 with some great successes, like winning a "best in a generation" contract for 25,000 Western Washington grocery store workers, but we also faced some huge challenges. Health care workers continued to be crushed by severe staffing shortages at hospitals that threatened both patient and caregiver safety alike, and at the same time, we had just learned of a proposed mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons that threatened layoffs, store closures, and higher prices. 2023 was shaping up to be a big year.
 
UFCW 3000 members working in health care, grocery stores, food processing plants, retail businesses, and many other industries are fundamentally linked to the communities we work and live in. We are the essential workers that our communities depend on every day. That is why the challenges we face, like ferocious corporate greed that under-staffs us to make huge record profits, or the extreme and growing inequality between the wealthiest one percent and everyday working people are not just a problem for our workplaces —they are problems for our entire community. Greed and inequality are also underlying and insidious drivers of systemic racism and sexism —pitting us against each other, while an economic appetite of extraction and churn threatens the future of humanity itself. These toxic realities of greed and inequity also threaten our most cherished aspirations of democracy, freedom, and a better life for the next generation.

If together, as organized workers and communities, we want to fight back and build a better future, we are going to have to face these challenges head-on. While we recognize we still have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do to make things better in 2024, we also think it is important to celebrate the fact that we have been a leader in our region and around the nation —attacking these problems, making an impact, and being part of the movement to turn things around for the better.

Here’s a snapshot of some of our accomplishments from 2023, our wins as a collective union of workers in action. 

In 2023...

• We won important reforms at our UFCW International Convention and began the much-needed campaign for greater reforms in the future. Learn more about our local's fight to bring democracy to the UFCW >>

• We joined the 'year of strikes' when thousands of UFCW 3000 members voted to authorize ULP strikes: The nurses at Providence Everett and workers at Macy’s in Southcenter, Alderwood, and Bellingham went on strike in 2023. Both strikes were joined by hundreds of community supporters while thousands signed petitions in support of these striking workers.
  Providence strike recap video >> 
  Macy's strike recap video >>

• We passed a Safer Staffing Law! Working in a first of its kind in the region, a coalition with SEIU Healthcare1199NW, WSNA and UFCW 3000 worked to pass the historic ESSB 5236 Safe Staffing legislation that will take steps towards ensuring safer hospital staffing levels across WA. Learn more about the Safe Staffing legislation >>

• We opened a new Union Hall in Des Moines! After completing the sale of our flagship office of over 20 years in Seattle to the Seattle Labor Temple, we held an open house in our brand new union hall in Des Moines. This new location will save money, be more accessible to members (it is located on the new Light Rail route), and be a gathering space for members. Learn more about UFCW 3000 office locations >>

• Our elected Executive Board made of rank-and-file members adopted a powerful new 5-year strategic plan to guide our union and prioritize our work until 2028. Learn more about the Strategic Five Year Plan >>

• Our Executive Board also helped begin a national call from labor unions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Learn more about the petition for peace >>

• Had fun! Thousands of members and their families attended UFCW 3000’s summer events at Wild Waves in Federal Way, WA, and Silverwood in Idaho. Save the date for the next Summer Picnics at the Park: Silverwood is August 6 and Wild Waves is August 8.

• Union member bargaining teams won 8 first-time contracts and ratified 30 new contracts with higher wages, improved benefits and better working conditions.

• Held off the grocery store mega-merger by being instrumental in building a national coalition of unions that includes UFCW locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564 and 3000 and community groups including 55 from our own region to oppose the Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger. We have successfully lobbied —through data, testimony, and evidence to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who has recently ruled in our favor and decided to reject this proposed mega-merger! Learn more about efforts to stop the mega-merger >>

• In 2023 we organized hundreds of new members! New organizing wins from determined organizing committees both big and small resulted in hundreds of new members joining our union. Welcome Ferry County, Downtown Dog Lounge, REI Bellingham, MultiCare Auburn Pros, and Fred Meyer Port Orchard General Merchandise, and our first Cannabis producer contract at Mfused, who won a standard-setting contract in the cannabis industry.

• People powered politics in action: Our member-led endorsement committee interviewed 57 candidates for local office. 68 members participated in our Political Action Advisory Committee and were able to help win a new just cause standard for grocery store workers around retail theft. Learn more about our People-Powered Politics agenda >>

• The Essential Workers Organizing Academy is up and running! The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer, PCC, Providence Everett, as well as political and community projects. Congratulation to the first EWOA graduating class of 2023! Learn more about EWOA >>

• Enforced our rights: Together as members, stewards, and union Reps we work hard to ensure members’ rights are protected and that the process is transparent, and management is held accountable to our members, our contract, and the law. In 2023 we had to file 182 grievances against management that could not be resolved at the worksite level. 

• Got the training to empower ourselves: Over 300 members participated in a union training in 2023. These trainings included topics like Weingarten training and enforcement, Leaders in Action, New Member Meetings, Grievance Training, Retirement Seminars, and more. Learn more about upcoming union trainings >>

• No union should be an island. We support others in their struggles and UFCW 3000 attended strikes, showed solidarity and gave other support for Starbucks Workers United in Washington and around the nation.

And in 2024 we’ll fight for even more.

Women's History Month Member Story: Northwest Center Early Supports Workers

The NOrthwest Center Early Supports Bargaining Team, From left to bottom to right: Kaylee Ainge, Kirsten Syberg, Kimberly Burns, and Jenica Barrett

In 2022 Early Supports workers at Northwest Center decided to form a union and contacted organizers at UFCW 3000. Northwest Center is a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance and support to people with disabilities or those who care for them. The Early Supports Services program offers services to children who have issues with their early development along with their families.

Bargaining team member Jennica Barrett said their team provides “speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and resource coordination. We’re kind of a holistic child-focused team.” Kimmy Burns, also on the bargaining committee, added that Early Supports is about “making sure these kids can excel” as well as educating parents and caregivers, and connecting them with the resources needed “to care for their children.”

These workers are professionally trained therapists who care very deeply about the families they serve. As the world moved away from pandemic restrictions being a part of daily life, they were seeing increasing problems with their working conditions and how it was impacting the quality of the care that they were able to give. The leadership of Northwest Center wasn’t seeing what they were seeing, so the Early Supports workers began meeting as a group to talk about solutions.

Often the professional care and support of children is work done by women. From daycare to primary education to healthcare, women overwhelmingly are the ones doing the work to care for our children, and unfortunately that can mean that this work is undervalued, underpaid, or made invisible. Caregivers can be expected to sacrifice fair pay, good working conditions, and a voice on the job, or made to feel guilty for being selfish when they try to change that.

The women at Northwest Center Early Supports knew that they did not have to accept this, and understood that advocating for better compensation and working conditions for themselves would help, not harm, the families they served. They concluded that they needed to organize a union to make sure that their voices were heard and that they could meet with management at the bargaining table as equals.

After they won their election they formed a bargaining committee (and added to it after a member left Early Supports), then got down to business at the bargaining table, where they continued to assert themselves as an independent voice speaking out on behalf of themselves and their client families. They started an Instagram page for their unit, including creating their own Early Supports Union Logo, and did not hold back in letting everyone know just how important their struggle was and how committed to it they were:

Early Supports Union’s First Graphic Post

To show union solidarity in the workplace they had stickers, static cling decals, and coffee mugs with the logo they made. Management was definitely hearing from members at the bargaining table and in their offices!

First contract bargains can take a long time to complete and are nearly always difficult because the Union is literally bargaining with the Employer over everything. But because of the strong solidarity of this bargaining unit and the strong women leaders who knew they were making history, the Early Supports Union reached a tentative agreement in late January 2024, and ratified their first contract in February.

In their contract they won:

• Wage scales with raises every year

• A caseload system to start to ensure that client families got the proper care they need

• Better break times

• Increased paid time off

• New wage recognition for education, degrees, previous job experience, and tenure

• Basic seniority rights and protection from unjust discipline

There were many other victories in their first contract, and so the group worked with their union rep to hold a meeting for everyone to learn about their new rights under the union contract and how to make sure the contract is enforced.

The women leaders of Northwest Center Early Supports did what they set out to do, made history, and laid a foundation for others, but they aren’t stopping now. They look forward to upcoming Labor Management Committee meetings, and the next bargain in 3 years!

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett - Next Steps for Inpatient Rehab

Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
Next Steps for Inpatient Rehab

On March 12 we met with Providence Everett (PRMCE) Management about the future of Inpatient Rehabilitation at the Pacific Campus. PRMCE told us they plan on moving Inpatient Rehabilitation to an offsite location near South Everett/Lynnwood which will be managed by LifePoint. The new site will have 40 beds and is expected to open sometime in the late summer.

PRMCE plans on closing inpatient rehab at the Pacific Campus once the new site can take patients but does not know the exact date of when this will occur.

Under our contracts and federal law, RN, Tech, and Professional caregivers have the right to bargain over the effects of a unit closure. Additionally, PRMCE must provide caregivers with a 14 to 30-day notice of layoffs and current employees can bump existing employees (please refer to the seniority article 7.1).

While we do not have a set date for when the closure will occur, we will be setting a bargaining date to negotiate over the impact of the closure.

Join the closure discussion and work on proposals!

Tuesday, March 19 @ 6pm
Contact your Union Rep for Zoom details

Questions? Please contact Union Rep Jack Crow (Pro and Tech) @ 206-436-6614 or Union Rep Anthony Cantu (RN) @ 206-436-6566.

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals - Show me the money!

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Professionals
Show me the money!

BARGAINING TEAM: Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacy; Ramona Strassburg, Psychiatry Adult; Marci Pindi, Social Work

Our Bargaining Team met with MultiCare on March 7 to continue negotiations on our first Union contract.

While we did get responses back from MultiCare on some outstanding articles regarding our working conditions - like scheduling and FTE concerns, required health exams, and where members of our union can address staffing concerns, we received a similar response to MultiCare on our insurance benefits to what appears to be MultiCare’s current approach to insurance benefits - in short - rejecting the proposal almost in its entirety.

Furthermore, we are still awaiting a formal response to many of our other economic proposals: i.e; our wages!

We’re eager to see what MultiCare comes to the table with at our next bargaining session, which is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20.

“So many of my coworkers came to me with frustrations on our benefits… and MultiCare came back and just dismissed all of them.” —Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacy, Bargaining Team member

MultiCare Health Systems If these dozen voices aren’t heard —then our two thousand will be!

“MultiCare is holding hostage your present stability for the sake of future uncertainties”—Brian Dansereau, Pharmacy Technician 

Our union bargaining team met with MultiCare on Wednesday, March 6 to continue negotiations on our nine contracts. 
While responding to our proposals on topics such as concerns with our insurance benefits, or a guarantee that parking will remain free- Management’s unwillingness to agree to these proposals was chalked up to an uncertainty over what MultiCare might decide in the future, or sentiments that the insurance benefits are “system wide”- so we’re left to suspect that means it’s too difficult for them to amend? 

We feel it is too difficult to navigate the constant changes in health insurance for ourselves, our families, and our children; we feel it is too difficult to wait longer and longer to see our physicians; and we feel it’s too difficult to get the prescriptions those physicians have prescribed us when we have to navigate MultiCare’s narrowing in-network eligibility! 

If MultiCare can’t hear the demands of our bargaining team —they WILL hear the voices of over 2,000 MultiCare employees represented in these nine contracts: we’re here to bargain for our benefits and our working conditions! 

Sign the Unity Petition and stay up to date on all-things MultiCare bargaining ▸

Take action checklist:

• Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare

• Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Grievance Update

Providence St. Peter Hospital RN - Grievance Update

Being a union member at PSPH means that we have a stronger voice and the right to collectively bargain with our employer.

Through the bargaining process, our members have fought to improve our workplaces by bargaining for strong benefits, better pay, and robust safety procedures. We also have the right to make our voices heard and build power by organizing around workplace issues, organizing non-union workers into our union, and participating together in community and political actions, such as advocating for safer staffing through legislation and in our contract. Over the past several months, PSPH has allegedly violated our contract in a number of ways. Below is a summary of the grievances we have filed against these violations. If you have any additional questions or have been affected by one of these violations, contact the MRC at (866) 210-3000.

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PSPH RN et al. Work on Day Off Premiums

Filed November 9, 2023 Step 1 Meeting: March 21, 2024

In 2022, our union bargaining team negotiated improvements to the Incentive Shift Letter of Understanding (LOU) and moved that LOU into the body of the PSPH RN Contract as Article 9.16. Those improvements included immediate access to time and a half pay or double time, dependent on RN’s FTE, for picking up an extra shift. This change was implemented to further incentivize picking up extra shifts and protecting RNs from loss of all premium pay in the event the RN missed a shift due to illness.

This was a huge win.

Recently, members noticed that the new Work On Day Off language is being challenged both directly and through timekeeping errors. We have discovered that time and a half pay and double-time pay (OT/DT) are subject to additional approval by Kronos timekeepers and that this has led to multiple errors resulting in RNs getting paid less than the contractual rate. This includes the appropriate rate of pay based on FTE worked being erroneously denied due to illness and additional premiums such as Charge, Preceptor, Certification Pay, and Overtime or Double Time rates not being included as an RN’s regular rate of pay as established in the contract.

A group grievance has been filed on behalf of all PSPH RNs to ensure that Providence follows the contract and compensates RNs for any and all lost wages and premiums. We are currently working to set grievance meeting dates.

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PSPH RN et al Work on Day Off Shift Requests

Filed December 21, 2023 Step 1: TBD

When our union bargaining team negotiated changes to the Incentive Shift LOU in 2022, one of the most important changes was the removal of the bidding process. On the 21st day of the scheduling period, FTE RNs are able to select open shifts according to the language in the CBA. The goal was for us to remove the chaos of the “bidding” process that accompanied the original Incentive Shift LOU. We believe the new language changed that.

Nurses noticed that we were not being notified timely if approved for the extra shifts as selected. Instead, the Employer has reverted to the previous practice, and we believe they are “screening” shift selections for the “cheapest” RN requesting the shift. If this is true, it would be a violation of our union contract and in direct contradiction of the conversations the PSPH RN bargaining team had with management during contract negotiations in 2022.

We have filed a grievance demanding that PSPH honor the language they agreed to in bargaining and immediately ensure that requesting or selecting extra shifts will be based on a first-come, first-serve basis as intended. Meeting dates have been requested, and we will report back with news and updates.

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PSPH RN et al Team Leader Pay

Filed November 2, 2023. Step 1 TBD

RNs in several units noticed they were being offered “Team Leader Pay” premiums for assuming partial Charge RN or precepting duties. This premium is not in the CBA and has not been negotiated with the Union.

Our Union filed a grievance not only to stop this practice and to ensure the Employer follows its own policies regarding appointed assignments. The Employer ceased the practice once the grievance was filed, but we have requested to meet in order to address concerns that Charge duties are being assigned piecemeal to multiple RNs to avoid paying Charge Premium. We are also exploring filing an Unfair Labor Practice charge for creating a new premium without first negotiating with us.

If you believe your unit is also being affected, please contact your union representative Madison Derksema or MRC directly with concerns. We are committed to holding the Employer accountable and ensuring RNs are paid the correct premium pay!

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PSPH RN West SADU Mandatory OT

Filed January 23, 2024 Step 1/Bargaining Date TBD

RNs working in Surgery West have been notified they will be “scheduled late” on a rotational basis in violation of the Washington State RCW regarding Mandatory Overtime.

Our Union filed a grievance on behalf of impacted RNs and have issued a demand to bargain over scheduling changes and implementing call in accordance with the CBA.

We have requested bargaining dates from the employer and will work to keep you all updated as we work through this process.

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As all of the grievances above progress updates will be sent including information on the grievance meetings, next steps, and any potential resolution. In the meantime, please contact your union representative Madison Derksema or MRC directly with issues or concerns.

Lourdes Medical Center - Tentative Agreement Reached at Lourdes Medical Center for Contract Extension and Wage Increases for All Represented Service & Maintenance Employees

To address the immediate retention and recruitment issues at Lourdes Medical Center, the bargaining team and Administration met to discuss the possibility of extending the current contract with increases to compensation and other changes. After two days of conversations, we were able to reach a tentative agreement that will close the gap in compensation with our geographic competitor. We believe the increases will help our hospital with retention and recruitment, which will lead to better patient outcomes.

“The bargaining team worked hard to make sure that there were substantial increases to the wage scale, increases to PTO accrual, and an additional step to the top of the scale. It was an intense bargaining session, but we finally met somewhere in the middle. Without a Union, we have no voice. Having a Union gives us a strong voice and makes it easier to stand up and fight back.”

— Our Bargaining Team, Left to right: Candie Gonzales, Rorie Lopez, Sam Zoller, Juanita Quezada Representative

Competitive wages are an absolute must to recruit and retain quality staff. We believe this proposal achieves that goal.

Drop-in Vote Meeting!

March 15, 2024,
3:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Carondolet Room

Please join your bargaining team in voting YES on March 15, 2024, anytime between 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM in the Carondolet room next to the cafeteria. A complete document of the contract and the new wage scale will be available at the vote along with your bargaining team to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have. You must be a UFCW 3000 member in good standing to vote. Please reach out to your Union Representative Juanita Quezada with any questions at (509) 340-7407.

Ashley House We have reached a tentative agreement on a new Union Contract

This contract is fully recommended by the Bargaining Team. Our Union Bargaining Team: (L-R) Cindy Jones LPN Browns Point, Emily Guffin RN Spokane, Donna Iverson CNA Olympia

Highlights include:

• 3% Wage Increase

• Effective January 2024

• Maintenance of Health Benefits

• Expiration Date of August 1, 2024

Contract Votes Scheduled!

Monday, March 18 from 4:30pm-7:00pm

Olympia: 1240 Smith Street SE. Olympia WA 98501

Shoreline: 18904 Burke Ave N. Shoreline WA 98133

Tuesday, March 19 from 4:30pm-7:00pm

Brown’s Point: 4411 Browns Point Blvd. NE. Tacoma WA 98422

Kent: 25120 43 Avenue S. Kent WA 98032

Wednesday March 20, 2024 from 4:30pm-7:00pm

Edgewood: 11306 8th Street E. Edgewood WA 98372

Auburn: 30313 118th Avenue SE. Auburn WA 98092

Spokane: 4118 S. Cook Street. Spokane WA 99223

UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend a meeting, ask questions, and vote. For additional information contact our Union Representative or a Bargaining Team member.

Mason Health Diagnostic Imaging - Rad Tech Aide Position Changes Vote

Mason Health Diagnostic Imaging
Rad Tech Aide Position Changes Vote

Currently the Mason Health Diagnostic Imaging department utilizes the position of Rad Tech Aide to assist patients and technicians during appointments, as well as the scheduling of all imaging appointments.

Mason Health has proposed creating two different positions:

• D.I. Scheduling Specialist

• Radiology Assistant

A vote on this change to the contract will be held for effected employees

Friday March 15, 2024 @ 9am-10am
Mason Health—Pershing Room, 901 Mountain View Dr., Shelton WA 98584

For additional Information, contact Union Rep Naomi Oligario @ 360-662-1989.

Stay in the loop! Update you contact information to get the latest news at: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

Olympic Medical Center Support Services - Vote to Change Eligibility Time to Use Vacation Accruals

We have a tentative agreement with OMC to shorten the amount of time worked before employees are eligible to use accrued vacation. This is a change to the current Support Services Contract and will require a vote of Union Members.

Voting on this proposed change will be held:

Port Angeles

• Tuesday, March 12, 2024

• 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

• PFS Building, Basement Breakroom

• 519 S. Peabody St., Port Angeles, WA 98362

• Tuesday, March 12, 2024

• 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

• Olympic Medical Center, Linkletter Conference Room

• 939 Caroline Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362

Sequim

• Tuesday, March 12, 2024

• 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

• Medical Services Building (MSB), 2nd Floor Conference Room

• 840 N 5th Avenue, Sequim, WA 98382

UFCW 3000 members in good standing are encouraged to attend a meeting, ask questions, and vote.

Questions? Contact Union Representative Aimee Oien: (360) 662-1981

Providence Sacred Heart (Technical) - CONTRACT REJECTED, STRIKE AUTHORIZED

Providence Sacred Heart - Technical
CONTRACT REJECTED, STRIKE AUTHORIZED

On March 1, Providence Sacred Heart Technical UFCW 3000 union members voted unanimously to reject the Employer’s last contract proposal and authorize a ULP strike.

After many long bargaining sessions with Providence Sacred Heart, the Bargaining Team felt that it was time to take a stand and let Management know that we are all standing together for a fair contract that has no takeaways to our benefits and addresses the sub-par wage scale that prevents us from recruiting and retaining quality staff and gives us the ability to provide adequate patient care to our community.

A Federal Mediator will be joining our next bargaining session on March 18, and we are hoping that we can get Providence to acknowledge the importance of recognizing that we are the HEART at Sacred Heart.

It is an unfair labor practice for Management to coerce members, to interfere in Union activities or change any working conditions. Please continue to advise our Bargaining Team or Union Rep if you believe your Manager has engaged in any type of this behavior.

A vote to authorize a strike is a collective stand for our rights and the well-being of our coworkers and communities. The prospect of a strike may be a last resort, but it is a powerful tool that can motivate change. It forces the Employer to reconsider their stance at the bargaining table and acknowledge our hard work and our commitment to our patients. Withholding our labor is one of the ultimate actions we can take to demonstrate our power in the workplace, show the Employer we are UNITED, and achieve our goal of a FAIR CONTRACT when no other methods have worked.

“I voted to strike simply because I feel disrespected by Providence. Costs have risen much faster than pay and the proposed cost-of-living adjustment will not cover half of the monthly increases that I have seen over the past couple of years. I cannot continue to fall behind because Providence will not offer a reasonable increase. Sacred Heart offers services that no one else in the region offers, yet Providence does not seem to care about the skill set needed to provide those services. I have observed several coworkers leave for more money in the same or lower priced areas of the county and have indicated that they have a better work life balance. Providence does not seem to care about these things. Without these adjustments, recruiting to fill vacancies is difficult if not impossible.” —Mark Kehoe, Pediatric Sonographer

Join us at the Spokane St. Patrick’s Day parade!

We will be marching in the Spokane to show our presence and hand out leaflets to members of our community. Bring your family, friends, and wear UFCW yellow.

Saturday, March 16 @ 11am
Flour Mill, 621 W Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

Please reach out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Juanita Quezada @ 509- 340-7407 if you have questions or would like to get more involved in the fight for a fair contract.

MultiCare Health System Will MultiCare address our health insurance plan concerns?

“They basically showed us that our priorities are not their concern. We feel that we put a lot of thoughtful proposals on the table, and they were just unceremoniously rejected.” —Gregg Barney, Press Operator

Our Union Bargaining Team met with MultiCare on Friday, March 1 to continue negotiations with management on the nine contracts we’re represented in.

When it was the Employer’s time to respond to our evaluations and proposals over necessary changes to our health insurance benefits, it became clear that they had something else in mind entirely —rejecting all initial proposals made on the plan.

Our Bargaining Team has heard on countless occasions, from our union Bargaining Surveys and stories told by our coworkers, that our insurance benefits are not only one of our highest priorities in this round of negotiations —but one of the most consistently challenging aspects of being a MultiCare employee.

We work tirelessly every day to provide health care to our patients, why should we have to work even harder to seek health care for ourselves? Especially while being employed at one of the largest health care systems in Washington State.

While we feel disappointed that this is the response from the Employer, we know that one of the only ways forward is to stick together, and fight for what we deserve out of this process!

Sign the Unity Petition and stay up to date on all-things MultiCare bargaining ▸

Take action checklist:

• Sign up for a Contract Action Team meeting on March 5 & April 8

• Sign and share the petition, We Stand United for a Fair Contract at MultiCare

• Join the Facebook Group, MultiCare Workers United for a Fair Contract

Kaiser Permanente - PSP Victory!

Kaiser Permanente
PSP Victory!

As an Alliance, we pushed Kaiser to give higher PSPs and when we fight, we win.

For the Washington region, a full-time employee (having worked 1,800 hours) will receive $2,000 in your Performance Sharing Plan (PSP) bonus this year!

In 2023, we crushed the Affordability and Safety goals, yet didn’t meet the Quality and Service goals. With these PSP results and our region not meeting the financial gate, KP was only contractually obligated to pay each full-time member ~$750.

Yet we all know the region’s finances are not the fault of UFCW3000 members. With our below market wages, putting more money into PSP bonuses is the least KP can do. And because of our Wage Up! Staff Up! Partner Up! Campaign alongside our Affordability savings, KP said they’d pay $1,500 in our PSP bonus.

We responded to their $1,500 and said that’s not enough, and because we stood united and were quick to mobilize, we won more.

Washington, Colorado, and Mid-Atlantic regions—all regions that did not meet the financial gate—will be receiving $2,000.00 per member* which is over $5 million moved from Kaiser’s pockets and into those of its workers!

*If not a full-time, employee this amount with be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked last year

What to expect:

• March 15 paycheck: $1500 check (minus taxes)

• March 29 paycheck: $500 check (minus taxes)

For now, we celebrate our work to hold Kaiser accountable in doing the right thing, yet we know this doesn’t do what is needed: fix understaffing or raise wages.

Take action! Follow the links in the text below to:

>> Push Management for wage increases by signing our demand letter. >>

>> Organize our workplaces by attending steward training. >>

QUESTIONS? Reach out to Union Rep Lauren VanWormer @ 206-436-6584.

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center - Next chapter of bargaining

MultiCare Auburn Medical Center
Next Chapter of Bargaining

Our Bargaining Team: Pharmacist Brent Kirshenbaum, Social Worker Marci Pindi (standing in), and Mental Health Technician Ramona Strassburg

"We are excited to enter the next chapter of bargaining, as we have proposed all contact articles to MultiCare Management.” —Brent Kirshenbaum, Pharmacy

Our Bargaining Team has proposed all articles of contract language to the Employer, with the most recent including:

• Improved healthcare benefits

• Maintaining salaried positions for Social Workers

We ended our last bargaining session in February early in the day, as we continue to wait for MultiCare’s response to our wage proposal.

Our Bargaining Team is working diligently on your behalf and will continue to focus on securing the best contact possible including economics. Other bargaining dates that have been confirmed include March 7, 20, April 4 and 20; we will be requesting additional future bargaining dates from the Employer if necessary.

Throughout this negotiation process, we are committed to keeping you informed and engaged. We will schedule regular bargaining update meetings.

Join our next meeting to fight for a strong contract!

Thursday, March 21 @ 11am—1pm
Cascade Training Room

Engagement and involvement in this process are vital. Stay informed and stand together as a union demonstrates our collective strength. Our unified efforts and voices have the power to shape the future of MultiCare Auburn Medical Center.

Questions? Contact Union Rep Ian Jacobson @ 360-409-0587.