On August 2, we met with Providence Centralia. As a team, we worked hard in the morning to analyze surrounding area hospital wages and determine if our wage proposal is reasonable. We determined that our proposed wage rates were slightly below other unionized hospitals, but above non-union hospitals. Given that, we did not change our wage scale, but made modifications in other parts of our proposal. 

We presented to Providence the following wage proposal: 

Year 1—Caregivers will be placed onto a 26 step wage scale based on their current hourly rate, with a guarantee that all caregivers would receive at least a 3.5% wage increase. Any caregiver whose years of service in their job classification at Providence does not correspond to their step placement will receive a two-step progression each year of the contract, until their years of service and step matches. 

Year 2 and 3—Caregivers would receive a 3% across-the-board increase and a 2% longevity step increase on their anniversary date. Any caregiver with 26 years of experience or more will receive a 3% across the board increase each year but will not receive a longevity step increase. 

Under Providence’s proposal, caregivers would receive a 1.5% increase in Year 1, an average of a 2% increase in Year 2, a 1.5% across-the-board increase and longevity step increase in Year 3, and a 1.5% across-the-board increase and longevity step increase in Year 4. Providence will also give two-step progression to caregivers whose years of service and step do not correspond starting in Year 2 of the contract. Also their wage scale stops at step 20 which means caregivers would top out faster under their wage scale. 

The difference between our proposal and Providence’s proposal is our wage table and annual wage increases. In most classifications, we are proposing base rates that are $2 to $5 more than their base rates. Additionally, their wage proposal is tied to accepting the elimination of EIB/reduction of PTO..

In order to move Providence to accepting our wage scale, we need to take action! We will be presenting strike pledge cards to Providence later in August to show them that we are willing to strike if they continue making the same PTO and wage proposal! 

Please sign a strike pledge card online and join us for an in-person meeting on August 9 from 6:30AM to 8:30AM and August 12 from 4PM to 6PM outside of the North Entrance at PCH near the physical therapy building to sign a strike pledge card and get a bargaining update! 

If you have any question please contact your union rep Erin McCoy. Our next bargaining session is on August 25. 

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Jen Mullins, Rad Tech; Verity Olsen, Pharmacy Tech; Kathleen Spencer, RT; Jen Frunz, Mammo Tech