Welcoming summer with victories and contracts galore!

As summer approaches, we’re reflecting on all we’ve won in 2024 so far. Every day, our unity and persistence as union healthcare workers brings us closer to justice in the workplace and higher standards everywhere. Read on: 

In January, we welcomed over 1,000 new union siblings! Healthcare workers at Virginia Mason in Seattle voted #UnionYes to join 1199NW and stand together to fight for fair wages, a voice in hospital decisions, and to speak up for a need for quality care for our patients. 

 

And just like that, bargaining is underway. We’re union strong and excited about the changes our unity will bring to our workplace and to the Virginia Mason Franciscan system as a whole.  

Later on in January, we ratified a strong new contract at EvergreenHealth Monroe. After 16 months of bargaining, we came together and unanimously voted YES to ratify a great new contract that expands and preserves our union rights, brings our wages back up to market, and much more! We all have 8% wages to look forward to over the next two years. Because we stayed vigilant, and took swift action when management tried to delay our bonuses, we all received up to $1200 as a ratification bonus.  

Healthcare workers at MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital in Yakima stood strong and committed to winning a fair contract – even when it took over a year of unity, actions, and persistence to move management to do the right thing.  

We held MultiCare to their mission that “your communities are our communities” by making our voices heard for what we needed as Yakima healthcare workers. We won wage increases totaling 5%-21% for nurses and ~20% for service, plus retention bonuses and mid-contract raises this year and in 2025. We also secured increased premiums and differentials, a new way of doing PTO/sick leave that works for US, changes to low census and callback, and more! 

Our new contract is a testament to our dedication to our patients and Yakima Valley community. Having what we need in the workplace means we can deliver the best quality care possible.  

MultiCare Deaconess in Spokane and Valley Hospital in Spokane Valley faced the same issues with MultiCare being “out of town and out of touch,” but just like Yakima we held strong to move management to settle the contract we needed.  

We prepared to take the biggest action we could by voting to authorize an unfair labor practice strike. We engaged our friends, families, and neighbors to let them know our urgent need to address recruitment and retention issues at Deaconess and Valley in order to protect ourselves, our families, and our community.  

Our strike notice moved management to reach the agreement that we need, averting a strike! With wage increases totaling 13-25.5% (including the largest wage increase for Spokane service workers in history!), our new contract represents a meaningful step toward recruiting and retaining experienced healthcare workers in the Spokane area. We also won a minimum three hours’ pay for scheduled or unscheduled call-back, all members will receive time and a half pay on our entire second shift if we miss our guaranteed rest between shifts, and more.  

Most recently, behavioral health workers at Sound across Western Washington ratified our new contract after moving management by marching on the boss with our supermajority-signed petition. In addition to important wage increases up to a 24% increase, we secured organizational support from Sound to respect our union, respect and clarity in just cause and progressive discipline processes, improved vacation and sick time, health insurance improvements, and commitments to our rights and voice in the workplace. Every action we take to show management our unity matters. The more of us stand together, the more powerful we are!  

Reflecting on our wins keeps us energized to keep up our unity for bargaining at Kadlec in Richland, Compass Health across Western Washington, Virginia Mason in Seattle, St. Joe’s in Tacoma, and more. We’re looking ahead to our bright future with more wins and contracts that raise standards for us all.