With these priorities in mind, our team went to work—fighting to secure a strong, competitive contract for the Service, Office, and Technical workers at MultiCare Capital Medical Center. We believe the result is a contract that will stand the test of time and keep us competitive for years to come.
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At the end of our second session on the Friday, we’re feeling optimistic about the progress we’ve made so far. Up to this point, we’ve been exchanging Articles that do not include economics with the Employer (however, we do anticipate an economic response will be coming from them within our next few dates!) and we’ve already come to agreements on a few new Articles:
Read MoreWe have watched as union workers at MultiCare across Washington State spent the last nine months of this year achieving huge wins through determination and solidarity at the bargaining table, and we’re all eager to keep the wins coming in Olympia!
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We have a new historic agreement with a lot of great wins:
New wage scale that eliminates 5 ghost steps with each step either equal or above Providence St. Peters Hospital to help recruit and retain quality Nurses.
A committee to discuss call language and policies
Health and safety language
Increase premiums including float pay, excessive call pay, night shift and others.
Safe staffing language
And much more!
Scan the QR code to find the redline version of the contract OR go to: bit.ly/MHS-CMC-RN-Redline
Our Bargaining Team: Bonnie Velleren, Carol Cairone, Cindy Dixon, Dennis Velleren, Elisabeth Hilderbrand
After a successful action of a petition in support of a strong contract and after a long day of bargaining we are excited to announce that we have settled a historic agreement that we believe is strong and equitable for all!
What We Won:
Strong wages that can help recruit and retain qualified Nurses!
New wage scale that eliminates 5 ghost steps and put us equal or above Providence St. Peters Hospital
A committee to discuss Call language and policies
Health and Safety Language
Increase premiums including Float pay, excessive call pay, night shift and others.
Safe staffing language
And other great wins!
Keep an eye out for ratification vote meetings!
“We are proud of the work we did, not only is it a landmark agreement but we were able to settle before the contract expiration date.”
— Bonnie Verellen
“Management tried to take some things away but with the support of our coworkers we were able to fight back and win a strong contract.”
— Cindy Dixon
“Not only did we get wages that will help us recruit and retain good nurses, but we got a wage scale that matches Providence St. Peters and eliminates 5 ghost steps.”
— Dennis Velleren
“We fought for the majority and the minorities. We wanted to make sure that not only the big departments get their issues brought to the table but so were some of the smaller departments!”
— Elisabeth Hilderbrand
Please reach out to a bargaining team member or your Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or bzielinski@ufcw3000.org
Capital Medical Center
We had another bargaining session with management on September 22. Overall we have made great progress and feel like Management has come a long way. However, while a lot of things are promising there is still some work to be done before we can settle a contract that is equitable for everyone. Between the last two bargaining sessions we have discussed economics, staffing, safety, and made a lot headway on some of those issues but Management still needs some more nudging.
Join us in signing this petition and let Management know that we are united for a strong contract.
Our Bargaining Team:
Cindy Dixon (PACU), Carol Cairone (OR), Bonnie Verellen (Labor & Delivery), Dennis Verellen (ICU/PCU)
Not Pictured: Elisabeth Hildebrand (Cath Lab)
Although the burden of presenting responses & counter proposals rested on management yesterday, September 14, your UFCW bargaining team knew it was time to finalize and present our official contract language on safe staffing.
After receiving CMC’s proposals in the morning hours, we put our heads together to layout a very strong article which would aim to protect nurses & patients. This was presented it in the early afternoon, and Management expressed that they understand the need for staffing language, but appeared apathetic in it’s application.
This did not deter us.
We reworked our proposal, and when we met with management again, we lead our revisions with testimony from bargaining team members. This, paired with our revised language, made a proposal so compelling it pushed management into a discussion with us about the necessity of protections not only for ourselves, but for our patients.
Nurses are the most trusted profession in the United States, and when we stand together to demand basic protections, we expect management to listen.
Please reach out to your Union Rep or if you have any questions or concerns.
Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or BZielinski@ufcw3000.org
Capital Medical Center RN
BARGAINING FOR BETTER PAY, PTO, AND PATIENT SAFETY
On August 30, we met across the bargaining table from Capital Medical Center and proposed our economics. The market for Nurses in Washington state is evolving rapidly, and we’re holding it to Management to work with us to keep Capital Medical Center at the forefront of our needs.
Beyond the wage scale, we’ve continued to flesh out our counter proposals on PTO. Management initially brought us language to provide consistency between contracts, and we must ensure whichever plan we agree upon is equitable, and amends the ongoing concerns around benefits and accruals.
Lastly, our Bargaining Committee has been creative in our approaches to staffing and education. Although these conversations are still in their beginning stages, we know that our day-to-day lives as Nurses are about more than just pay and benefits: we must honor our safety as well as our patients!
Stay tuned for more information on joining the Contract Action Team (CAT)!
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns to Union Rep Brandan Zielinski @ 206-436-6603 or BZielinski@ufcw3000.org
Our Capital Medical Center Bargaining Team (L - R): Steven Toff (Chair 1 Bargainer for UFCW), Bonnie Verellen (Labor & Delivery), Dennis Verellen (ICU/PCU), Cindy Dixon (PACU). Not pictured: Carol Cairone (OR) & Elisabeth Hildebrand (Cath Lab)
We had two more bargaining sessions with Management where we got a few more tentative agreements. We spent a lot of time talking about PTO. Management wants to keep us in alignment with all of the other MultiCare facilities, which we are okay with but they also need to recognize we are our own bargaining unit with our own needs.
We, as a Bargaining Team, want to be sure that none of us are left behind. If Management wants to make changes and put us in alignment, we want to make sure that all our coworkers are coming out on top.
Photo Left to Right:
Dennis & Bonnie Verellen, Brandan Zielinski, Elisabeth Hildebrand, Steven Toff, Malando Redeemer, Carol Cairone
During our first virtual bargaining session with Capital Medical Center, we received management’s response to our initial proposals, and used the remaining time to dig deeper into the issues facing RNs at Capital Medical Center!
“We’re working hard to identify a better process for all of us to recognize issues with payroll and quickly fix them. Our payroll systems are just too difficult to read!”
— Bonnie Verellen
“It’s time to rectify the differences between Capital Medical Centers healthcare with the rest of MultiCare at large!”
— Elisabeth Hildebrand
As we continue our hybrid model of bargaining, we also want to continue to stress the importance of hearing your voices throughout this contract negotiation. Reach out to anyone of us on the bargaining team, or our union rep Brandan Zielinski at (206) 436-6603 or via email BZielinski@ufcw3000.org
Our Bargaining Team (Left to Right):
Dennis Verellen (ICU/PCU)
Elisabeth Hildebrand (Cath Lab)
Bonnie Verellen (Labor & Delivery)
Carol Cairone (OR)
Cindy Dixon (PACU)
We had our first bargaining session and led on our vision of what a great Capital Medical Center looks like. With your input we presented our priorities to MultiCare management and told them that our team is united for:
Competitive Wages that recruit and retain workers
Safe Staffing for us and our patients
Safe working conditions for all our coworkers
Raising standards to meet other MultiCare Units.
“As we began bargaining, we shared with management the important of raising us to the standards of other MultiCare units up north. Just because we are in Olympia doesn’t mean we deserve less than others. We deserve the same services, benefits and resources as others.”
— Dennis Verellen
“We had a successful start to our bargaining coming to some agreements right out the gate. With your support and involvement I believe we will have a successful bargain and win a strong contract.”
— Carol Cairone
Together we can win!
Many hands make light work! If you are interested in being involved and staying up-to-date please join the Contract Action Team (CAT). Reach out to anyone of us on the bargaining team or our union rep Brandan Zielinski at (206) 436-6603 or via email BZielinski@ufcw3000.org.
We’ve received your bargaining surveys, reviewed your priorities, and now we’re preparing to meet management at the table.
UFCW and Capital Medical Center are scheduled for Thursday, August 4 to begin negotiations around the RN Contract & your suggested improvements.
GET INVOLVED!
Please contact your rep Brandan Zielinski at (206) 436-6603 or via email at BZielinski@ufcw3000.org if you’d like to be on our Contract Action Team!
Please update your contact information to make sure you receive any future updates:
We are pleased to report that UFCW Local 21 members at Capital Medical Center overwhelmingly voted to ratify their new contract on February 25! As a reminder, your new contract includes:
An average 16.50% wage increase,
$1,750 ratification bonus, pro-rated by FTE,
Per Diem differential increased to 15%, resulting in an extra 3% wage increase for all per diems,
Increases to several differentials/premiums,
And so much more!
If you have any questions about your new contract, please reach out to a workplace steward or call Union Representative Ian Jacobson at (206) 436-6550.
Kronos Overpayment
It has been brought to the Union’s attention that MultiCare is demanding repayment from employees who were overpaid during the Kronos outage. The employer’s demands are placing extreme hardship on our members and, accordingly, the Union has demanded to bargain with the employer regarding their repayment program. We are also considering other actions that may help mitigate the effect of this issue on UFCW Local 21 members.
Stay tuned for updates as this issue continues to develop.
Thursday, February 24
9AM - 10AM
6PM - 7PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact the Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will also be emailed out.
Our Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with Management on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for the Service & Technical unit at Capital Medical Center! We are excited to announce that this tentative agreement includes:
Historic wage increases unlike we’ve ever seen at Capital, resulting in wage scales similar to Tacoma General Hospital,
$1,750 ratification bonus, pro-rated by FTE,
Per Diem differential increased to 15%, resulting in an extra 3% wage increase for all per diems,
Increases to several differentials/premiums,
Changes to Paid Time Off (PTO) that would result in higher accrual rates for most employees,
And so much more!
While we did agree to a lower Extended Illness Bank (EIB) accrual rate, we were able to push out that change until January 1, 2024. In exchange, we won other improvements to EIB & PTO such as removing the cap on EIB accruals (unlimited EIB bank), EIB cash out upon termination in good standing, donation of EIB to coworkers in need, ability to cash out twice as much PTO each year and, when cashing out PTO, employees will be paid 100% of it’s value instead of the current 90% rate.
It’s extremely important that members attend the Zoom meeting to get a full understanding of the Employer’s offer and have your questions answered. However, voting will not take place at this meeting.
We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Friday, February 25 from 6AM - 8PM. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.
In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, go to: ufcw21.org/update-your-information
If you do not receive an email to vote on Friday, February 25, then please reach out to Union Representative Ian Jacobson 206-436-6550 to provide an updated email address no later than 5PM on the day of the vote.
“We cannot have a deal unless the employer compensates us for the time worked without a raise since our contract was scheduled to expire in October.”
Bargaining Team: Adam Swigart, Julie Hinchcliff, and Maureen Ciglia
Your bargaining team met with management again on January 21 and 24 to continue negotiations for your successor contract.
We are disappointed to report that negotiations collapsed late into Monday night. While the union had made significant movement towards an agreement, the employer refused to make any meaningful changes to their proposal that would indicate that they were ready for a deal.
In fact, your bargaining team began our Monday bargaining session by informing the employer that we were ready to work into the night to reach an agreement. By mid-afternoon the employer stated that they didn’t feel that working into the night would be worth the effort, signaling that they did not care to reach a deal. Despite the management’s lack of enthusiasm, we continued discussions late into the evening.
The major problem remains their proposed reduction of our Extended Illness Bank accruals and the removal of the day after Thanksgiving as a holiday. The union made proposals to mitigate the effects of such changes, however, we made clear that retro-pay back to scheduled expiration is the key to reaching a settlement on these issues. The employer responded with an insulting $275 ratification bonus instead of retro. MultiCare made explicitly clear to your bargaining team that they have no interest in paying employees at Capital Medical Center retro pay, even though they offered it to UFCW members at Tacoma General and Auburn Medical Center last year.
We did have informal talks about a higher ratification bonus, but it was nothing close to what we are owed for all the hours we’ve worked since our contract was originally scheduled to expire in October.
To make matters worse, the employer surprised your Bargaining Team by LOWERING their proposed across the board increase in the first year. Management’s excuse was that they needed to make such an adjustment to pay for other “improvements” they were offering since they had already exceeded their authority on the cost of our contract.
Your bargaining team felt strongly that we cannot accept an offer that cut our EIB accruals, removed a paid holiday, included a first year across the board increase that was lower than our last session, and included an insulting ratification bonus.
We made clear to the employer that the Union’s movement towards the employer’s demands were not only contingent on retro-pay, but would also expire on Monday at 11:59PM. Since we failed to reach a deal, the union’s offer is now off the table and not available to the employer.
We are working to enlist the assistance of a federal mediator, at which point we will schedule additional bargaining dates with management.
Next Steps:
Stand up against MultiCare by reaching out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Representative to get “Keep your Hands off our PTO & EIB” stickers that you can wear in your workplace.
Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually February 2 @ 6:00PM
Capital Medical Center CAT Meeting
Wednesday, February 2 • 6:00PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.
Your Bargaining Team met with management again on January 10 to continue negotiations for your successor contract.
We are excited to report that we’ve made significant process in negotiations with management having a sudden change of heart. At the end of our last session, management surprised us by making an economic proposal that ceded to a significant portion of the Union’s economic demands, which would bring Capital Medical Center employees up to market competitive wages.
For the last few months your Bargaining Team has been showing MultiCare comprehensive data that shows that our wages are far behind what other hospitals are paying, justifying our proposals for large increases. Your Bargaining Team also expressed frustration that MultiCare has been willing to give employees at other facilities significant wage increases but not Capital Medical Center, as if we are not a priority to MultiCare. You also make this clear by wearing stickers in the workplace that informed patients that “MultiCare is Failing our community.”
They listened… but we’re not done yet.
While historic wage increases are on the table, MultiCare is still proposing to cut your Extended Illness Bank accruals by about 40%. We warned management that if they want a deal anytime soon, their proposal must be withdrawn, or we will be forced to take further action. We know the community will not stand for MultiCare’s attack on healthcare workers EIB, especially in the middle of a pandemic, no matter the wage increases being offered.
We will meet with the employer again on Friday, January 21 and it is possible that we’ll have an agreement. However, this will be contingent on MultiCare withdrawing their EIB proposal. In the meantime, please continue to wear your union stickers at work and tell your manager what you think about their EIB proposal.
“We’ve seen a breakthrough in negotiations, historic wage increases are suddenly on the table”
Bargaining Team: Adam Swigart, Julie Hinchcliff, and Maureen Ciglia
Next Steps:
Stand up against MultiCare by reaching out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Representative to get “Keep your Hands off our PTO & EIB” stickers that you can wear in your workplace.
Tell your manager what you think about MultiCare’s proposal to cut your EIB accruals by about 40%.
Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually January 19 @ 6:00PM
Capital Medical Center CAT Meeting
Wednesday, January 19 • 6:00PM
“Does MultiCare even Care?”
-Bargaining Team: Adam Swigart, Julie Hinchcliff, and Maureen Ciglia
Our Bargaining Team met with Management again on December 20.
MultiCare made another economic proposal, warning the Bargaining Team that they are “reaching their authority” on wage increases at Capital Medical Center.
MULTICARE’S CURRENT OFFER
Year 1: 5.75%
Year 2: 2.00%
Year 3: 2.00%
We are again disappointed with their offer that would fail to raise our wages to market standards, including MultiCare’s own neighboring facilities such as Tacoma General Hospital. Furthering our frustration is their continued insistence on radically changing our Paid Time Off (PTO) and Extended Illness Bank (EIB) program, still asking to cut our EIB accruals by about 40%.
How does MultiCare think it is acceptable to reduce the accrual rates of health care workers Extended Illness Bank in the middle of a pandemic! It’s INDEFENSIBLE to propose takeaways to the very system that would defend a healthcare worker in the unfortunate event they become ill while protecting our community from COVID-19, especially as Omicron cases overwhelm our hospitals.
We will be reaching out to community leaders in the coming weeks to inform them of MultiCare’s attack on healthcare workers at Capital Medical Center. Ensuring the community that MultiCare is failing healthcare workers and their community at their most vulnerable time.
We will be meeting with Management again on January 10, then again on January 21 and 24.
Next Steps:
Stand up against MultiCare by reaching out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep to get “MultiCare is failing our Community” stickers that you can wear in your workplace.
Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually, January 19 @ 6PM.
Join our online Contract Meeting and hear from the Bargaining Team!
Wednesday, January 19 @ 6 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for meeting details. Details will be emailed as well.
Your Bargaining Team met with Management again on November 17 and December 8 to continue negotiations for your successor contract.
After much delay, the Employer finally provided an economic counteroffer that included increases to wages and various differentials. It was not worth the wait. Management’s proposal not only fails to bring our wages to market standards, but it also fails to consider today’s historic inflation rate that has caused the price of everything from groceries to gasoline to skyrocket.
MULTICARE’S CURRENT OFFER
Year 1 - 5.25%
Year 2 - 1.50%
Year 3 - 1.50%
MultiCare acknowledged in our meeting that LifePoint (your previous Employer) had a very different style of management that focused on depressing workers’ wages, which resulting in today’s uncompetitive wage scales. However, in the same breath, Management stated that they do not plan on fixing the problem with this contract, willing to maintain the status quo of low wages at Capital Medical Center for the next three years.
Your Bargaining Team challenged them by pointing out that we are in a staffing crisis that is in most part caused by wages. We also reminded them that we’re currently going through what is now being called the “Great Resignation,” with employees easily finding new jobs with significantly higher pay and oftentimes a hefty signing bonus. Failure to raise our wages to market competitive rates will likely lead to many employees looking for positions elsewhere.
To make matters worse, MultiCare has also maintained their demands for contractual takeaways. They continue to demand that we cut your Extended Illness Bank (EIB) accruals by about 40%, adopt a new PTO system that would negatively impact nearly 50 employees, and remove the day after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday.
MultiCare cannot place the blame on LifePoint when MultiCare is the one refusing to offer fair wage increases, when MultiCare is proposing benefit takeaways, and when MultiCare is refusing to invest in Capital Medical Center. So long as they continue this behavior, MultiCare will continue to fail our community.
We will meet with the employer again on December 20 and are working to schedule additional dates into the new year.
Next Steps:
Stand up against MultiCare by reaching out to a Bargaining Team member or Union Representative to get “MultiCare is failing our Community” stickers that you can wear in your workplace.
Sign the online petition demanding a fair contract! https://bit.ly/CMC-Petition
Attend regular Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings to hear the latest updates regarding negotiations, plan actions to pressure management, and learn how to get your co-workers involved. Our next meeting is being held virtually TONIGHT, December 15 @ 6 PM.
CMC Contract Action Team Meeting
Wednesday, December 15 @ 6 PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for Zoom details. Details will be emailed out.
We are pleased to report that members at Capital Medical Center unanimously voted to approve the proposed changes to our healthcare plans!
Members at Capital Medical Center will now pay what other MultiCare employees pay for healthcare, saving many families hundreds of dollars each month on premiums costs. Most importantly, these savings were achieved without removing or reducing other plan benefits such as deductibles, co-pays, network coverage, and out of pocket maximums.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact Union Representative Ian Jacobson at (206) 436-6550.
We 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.
