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SEIU Healthcare 1199NW workers at six hospitals ratify contracts!

      Swedish Medical Center, Highline Medical Center, St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Stevens Hospital in Edmonds, Valley General Hospital in Monroe, and Valley Medical Center in Renton have completed contract negotiations.  The six area hospitals represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW shared contract expiration dates of June 30, 2008.

      Overall, 15,000 SEIU Healthcare 1199NW nurses, techs, professionals and service workers from Tacoma to Spokane bargained this spring. Together we are setting out a new future for healthcare, with new standards for patient care and services, and respect for the work we do.

      Bargaining breakthroughs included a ‘training and upgrading fund’ between SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, Swedish Medical Center, Stevens Hospital, St. Clare Hospital, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Highline Medical Center, and Valley Medical Center - a first in the state of Washington for acute care hospitals. This fund will help address the shortage of healthcare staff by providing training and education opportunities to currently employed healthcare staff. Governor Gregoire and the legislature adopted a $1.5 million allocation in the 2008 supplemental budget to train healthcare workers for high vacancy jobs through programs such as these.

      Swedish Medical Center:

      • Job security measures including a ‘no subcontracting’ clause in Washington to ensure that jobs done by Swedish Medical Center employees will not be subcontracted out; a pledge not to manage hospital finances through cyclical layoffs; opportunity for creation of new union jobs in future expansions of Swedish Medical Center; and protection of charge nurses’ right to remain union members under the Supreme Court Kentucky River ruling.
      • Wage increases for Registered Nurses between 12% - 15% over the three year contract.
      • Wage increases for service and technical healthcare staff between 8% - 10.5% over the three year contract. Service and technical healthcare staff also benefited from a 3% wage increase on April 1 that was bargained as part of their previous contract.
      • Maintenance of full employer paid healthcare coverage for employees, with a modest increase in the employee share of dependent coverage beginning in 2010, and no other out-of-pocket increases for the three year contract.
        Incorporation of the new safe staffing law passed by the legislature, which requires collaboration between front line managers and nurses to develop and evaluate a publicly posted staffing plan. 


    Valley Medical Center:

    • Fair wages that recruit and retain healthcare workers. For the first time, Service workers will receive a 4% raise and our nurse wages will continue to keep us at or close to the highest in the area. Our premiums and differentials will either meet or exceed the standards in the area.
    • Training for All. A first for Washington state healthcare workers will be our new multi-employer training fund that will provide career counseling services, case management and tuition vouchers for workers to move up a career ladder into high demand healthcare careers.
    • Stronger Subcontracting protections.VMC currently has no plans to subcontract any of our work, however, if they were to consider such an option we would receive 180 days notice and meet to discuss reasonable alternatives and/or preferential hiring options with the new subcontractor.
    • Implementation of the new staffing law. Registered Nurses will now have a voice in creating the staffing plans for each unit in the hospital.
    • Organizing rights for non-members. If Valley Medical Center opens a new clinic or location, those workers will become SEIU members. This also allows our union to organize non-union workers without interference.
        • The use of break-relief nurses on med-surg units.
          • Stronger staffing language for service workers
          • Mandatory certifications for service workers will now be paid for by the employer.
          • A stronger voice for clinic workers to engage and problem solve workplace issues through labor-management committees.
          • New RN floating language that creates clinical groupings. When floated outside of the clinical grouping the nurse will receive a $2.50 float premium.


        St. Clare Hospital:

        Staffing Issues -A new process to address workload & staffing issues with written documentation and timelines

        Stronger job protections against subcontracting - At least 90 days advance written notice prior to any decision to subcontract. Meet with union to look at reasonable alternatives and union recognition

        Excessive call back - The ability for staff that take excessive call back to have relief on their next shift if they request it as soon as possible and not receive an occurrence

        No rotating of shifts unless mutually agreed upon. If needed due to staffing emergencies then volunteers will be sought first. If not enough volunteers are found then the least senior employee will be assigned for no longer than 90 days maximum.

        New Standby language Standby starts when a worker is released from duty.
        SEIU members working 16/hr shifts:
        6/hr employees are now considered full time for benefits and overtime

        Members vote against PTO In a separate vote held along with our contract ratification, nearly 60% of members voted against changing over our sick and vacation plans to management’s proposed PTO plan.


    Highline Medical Center
     
    Fair wages that recruit and retain healthcare workers. For the first time, service workers will receive a 4% raise and our nurse wages will continue to be close to the highest in the area. LPNs, CNAs and Unit Secretaries were considerably behind community standard wages. They will receive an additional increase to help bring them in line with other area hospitals.
     Training for all. Our new multi-employer training fund is a first for Washington State. This fund will provide career counseling services, tutoring and tuition vouchers for workers who want to move up the healthcare career ladder. RNs will be able to access this fund for certification exams, get their BSNs or Masters to teach nursing.
     Stronger subcontracting protections. It is essential we protect our jobs in these uncertain economic times. Although HLMC has no plans to subcontract any of our work at this time, our new language states management would have to give us at least 180 day written notice if they are considering outsourcing any of our work. This would give us the opportunity to meet and discuss reasonable alternatives and/or preferential hiring options with a new employer.
     Implementation of new staffing law. Nursing staff will now have a stronger voice in creating the staffing plans for each hospital.
     Improvements in working conditions for those having to work excessive on-call
     Even application of employer policies between units
     Improved timelines for vacation requests
     Expanding our RN float pool and creation of a CNA float pool to help reduce our dependence on agency staff and overtime for patient care needs.
     Service workers won wage increases of 4% for the first time. RN wages will continue to match Swedish nurse wages – among the highest in the area
     RNs will now have a new 30 year step
     LPNs, CNAs and Unit Secretaries will get an additional “bump” that will bring them closer to community standards for recruitment and retention
     No delays: our 2008 wage and premium increases will be retroactive to July 1 (our contract expired on June 30).

    Stevens Hospital

    Successorship language that protects our union contract if the hospital is sold

    Subcontracting protections to help keep our jobs here at Stevens

    Maintenance of benefits ensuring that there will be no increase in cost or loss of coverage in our medical plan

    4% raises for everyone in the first year

    A training fund created with four other hospitals to support those who want to build careers in healthcare

    Agreement to work with other hospitals to create a more secure and portable retirement plan

    The right to use meeting rooms at the hospital for union events

    Valley General Hospital
    By a vote of 99% Valley General members ratified our new contract. We moved management significantly higher than their initial wage proposals, and won important protections against subcontracting of our work.



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