We wanted to share a comprehensive update on the economic proposals discussed with Jefferson Healthcare management at our fourth and fifth bargaining sessions on October 25 and November 1. Here’s where we stand:
Read MoreBy day, Colleen works in the Lab at Tacoma General as a Med Tech. Outside of work, she conquers Ironman competitions.
Read MoreBargaining Team: Karen Hurley, Lynette Swezey, Belinda Denchfield
OUR WINS:
Across the board wage increases:
Effective November 1, 2024: 13% increase across the board
Effective November 1, 2025: 3.5% increase across the board
Effective November 1, 2026: 3.5% increase across the board
$5 NIGHT SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL
$3/hr Per diem RN premium
Longevity Steps reduced from 1872 to 1564 hours. Meaning nurses will move to the next step on the wage scale three hundred and eight (308) hours earlier.
Unscheduled Day of Work increased from time and one half to double time.
Among other increases in premiums.
"After being part of this process, I will never question the importance of being part of a Union or what our dues pay for. It was enlightening to see how valuable OUR UNION is."
— Karen Hurley, RN
To join our union contact Amy Radcliff (509) 340-7370 orjoin our union here >>
Our Bargaining Team is working hard to make sure that everyone has competitive wages and a fair and equitable place to work!
We have provided Summit with wage charts from many other area hospitals and clinics. We have discussed the cost of living and how competitive pay is for jobs in the area. Management has said they are listening and understand how recruitment and retention works. Our last bargaining session, management came to bargaining and told us why competitive wages are important to Summit's success.
WE AGREE! It's what we have been saying all along.
We all need to make enough money to pay bills and support our families.
Summit will be expanding soon and we know this means better service to our community. Management needs to understand that we are part of this community and we need to be paid fair wages.
OK Summit Management, it's time to put money in people's pockets.
Our next bargaining session is Friday, November 8.We hope that management will be ready for us.
Bargaining Team:Kimberly Starkweather, Allison Felder, Monica Ortiz, Barb Ford, Judea Prouty, Kurt Phillips.
To update your contact information:
Our Bargaining Team is excited to announce we have reached a tentative agreement with Three Rivers Hospital for the strongest contract we've ever had. The employer heard our team's requests regarding wages and staffing and made significant changes to our wages and premiums that we believe will improve retention and recruitment while boosting staff morale. We still have work to do and will continue the work through the next three years so that we can build on what we have worked so hard for.
We look forward to sharing all the details at our vote that is scheduled for Tuesday, November 5, 2024 from 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM in the McKinnely Conference room.
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Three Rivers Hospital
McKinnely Conference room
Complete documents will be available for review at the vote. You must be a member in good standing to vote. Please reach out to your Union representative Amy Radcliff at (509) 340-7370 or any member of the bargaining team with questions.
Bargaining Team: Karen Hurley, Lynette Jean Swezey, and Belinda Clare Denchfield
On October 24, 2024, we had our last bargaining session with Providence and have reached a tentative agreement. Our bargaining team is unanimously recommending a YES vote.
Read MoreOn October 21, we held our third bargaining session with Jefferson Healthcare.Although we had additional sessions planned earlier in the month, they were canceled due to the lack of coverage for the nurses on our bargaining team.
During this session, the Union presented several new proposals, including:
Health Benefits and Pension
Many nurses have expressed that the current health insurance costs are unaffordable. Right now, RNs pay 20% of the health insurance premium plus $1.722 per compensable hour (up to 173 hours per month).
We proposed a switch to a flat weekly rate for health insurance:
PPO: $9/week for employee-only coverage and $23/week for family coverage
HMO: $5/week for employee-only coverage and $19/week for family coverage
This would eliminate the $1.722 per hour contribution.
Additionally, we proposed increasing the Employer's pension contribution to 2.8% of each nurse’s gross salary. Under the current pension plan (Sound Retirement Trust/Sound Variable Annuity Pension Trust), RNs become vested after five years of service and receive monthly retirement benefits for life. This benefit extends to their spouse after their passing. Jefferson Healthcare’s combination of a pension plan (with employer-only contributions) and a 457b plan (with employee and employer contributions) sets us apart from many hospitals that offer only a 401k or 457b plan, helping nurses retire with dignity.
Recognition for Per Diem RNs and LPNs
There has been interest in extending the benefits and protections of our collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to per diem RNs and LPNs. Currently, Jefferson Healthcare offers them similar benefits to FTE RNs and LPNs, but these can be revoked at any time.
By adding per diem staff to the CBA, they would have the same protections, including access to the grievance process for any contract violations. While per diem staff would be represented by the Union, they could choose whether to become dues-paying members. We encourage everyone to join, as union dues fund critical resources like legal fees, wages for bargaining committee nurses, and arbitration costs. Without dues, we would lack the power to enforce the CBA and protect RNs and LPNs.
Resource RN and Low Census
Resource RNs have encountered issues volunteering for low census. We proposed allowing Resource RNs to volunteer for low census and increasing the Resource RN premium to $5/hour, which aligns with other hospitals in the area.
We reached agreements on several important issues, including:
Workplace equity language
A streamlined payroll error correction process
Expanded paid sick leave, allowing it to be used for illness, vacation, holidays, or other leaves of absence
The Employer presented counterproposals to our staffing committee language and edits to existing articles, including:
Bridging PTO benefits
Partner units
Seventh consecutive day pay
However, they rejected an alternative way to resolve staffing issues, stating that the staffing committee (composed of nursing staff and management) should be sufficient to address problems.We believe that solutions like incentive pay and retention bonuses should be on the table when creating solutions for staffing, and we will continue to push for binding mediation to resolve these issues.
Between now and our next bargaining session on November 4, we will focus on crafting our economic proposal.We are reviewing wages and benefits at other area hospitals to craft a competitive proposal that will help retain and recruit nurses and LPNs.
Our RN Bargaining Team: Robin Bridge, Michelle Grimmer, Chris Beatty, and Emily Bishop
We tried to explore with Management ideas for how to move forward but were unable to come to a resolution on this issue. They continued to propose this take-away repeatedly and we ended the day without persuading them to drop it. The Employer has so far failed to even propose anything on wages and health care, insisting instead that we agree to this takeaway before even discussing larger economic issues!
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We have reached an agreement with PRMCE regarding past experience recognition for Interventional Radiology Techs. All current employees will receive credit for their prior experience as Radiology Techs, effective the first full pay period following ratification of the Letter of Understanding and following the resume submission.
As this change affects the current Technical contract, it requires a vote. All Interventional Radiology Techs who are union members in good standing are eligible to vote online on:
October 29
Between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Eligible members will receive a voting link via email from SimplyVote at 8:00 AM on October 29.
We strongly recommend a "YES" vote!
We have reached an agreement with PRMCE regarding past experience recognition for Endoscopy Techs. All current employees will receive credit for their prior experience as Certified Medical Assistants effective the first full pay period following ratification of the Letter of Understanding and following the resume submission.
As this change affects the current Technical contract, it requires a vote. All Endoscopy Techs who are union members in good standing are eligible to vote online
October 30
Between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Eligible members will receive a voting link via email from SimplyVote at 8:00 AM on October 30.
We strongly recommend a "YES" vote!
On Wednesday, October 16 we met with Management and bargained over some remaining non-economic issues. We did reach a few Tentative Agreements on these items.
Read MoreAfter over 3 months of negotiations, our bargaining team has reached a recommended tentative agreement on a new contract.
Our Contract Ratification Vote will be held October 28, 2024, at the Hampton Inn, between 6:30 AM – 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
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Erika Bolser dressed for work urgent care work (and we see you Taylor Swift novelty name badge!)
Erika Bolser has worked as a medical assistant with Skagit Regional Health’s urgent care at station square for over 7 years and been involved as a shop steward since 2018. For Erika one of the most important things she does is to welcome new hires to the union and make sure they know their rights under the contract. That includes making sure people exercise their right to union representation in an investigatory meeting, which is one of the other shop steward duties that she takes very seriously.
As a steward Erika is able to provide representation to coworkers, as an equal to management, when they are being interviewed about anything that could possibly lead to disciplinary action. She also has been critical in her role of investigating when workers’ wages are being unfairly garnished at Skagit Regional Health.
Outside Erika works part-time as teaching at Skagit Valley College the CMA (AAMA) program, educating incoming Medical Assistants. She also spends a lot of time raising her teenager, and teaching them about the empowerment workers have with a union, and how shop stewards are the backbone of any union!
The practice of “rounding” an employee’s timecard is being eliminated, and instead CHI Franciscan are converting their timekeeping systems to an “actual timekeeping” calculation- where employees are paid to-the-minute, rather than having the daily totals of their hours-worked rounded up or down to the nearest quarter-hour, respectively.
Read MoreOur Bargaining Team had two full days of negotiations with the Employer on Thursday, October 3 and Friday, October 4. In response to management’s slow walking on wages so far, we delivered our petition for a fair contract, which was signed by nearly 85% of NWA bargaining unit members! This is a strong signal to management that NWA workers are willing to take collective action to win the wages and benefits we deserve.
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On Tuesday, October 1, your MultiCare Mary Bridge Registered Nurses and Diabetes Educator Nurses met management at the bargaining table to continue negotiations on our Collective Bargaining Agreement and to introduce the Diabetes Educators into our union.</strong> This is our third bargaining date with MultiCare since we began discussions in late August, and the progress we've made in such a short time is worth noting. Additionally, this session also marks the first time we’ve received responses from the Employer regarding the transition of the Diabetes Educator RNs into our union. While there’s still work to be done here, MultiCare appears aligned with our goal of accelerating their integration into our unit.
Read MoreWe are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
