Healthcare workers at MultiCare Auburn (Wash.) Medical Center, including physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists and social workers, have reached a tentative agreement with Tacoma, Wash.-based MultiCare Health System.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement that reflects the high value we place on our employees and allows us to provide exceptional care for our patients," a MultiCare spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker's.
Five things to know:
1. After more than a year of negotiations, workers reached the tentative deal Nov. 25, according to a Nov. 27 news release from UFCW 3000.
2. The contract includes minimums for hourly wages, specialty premiums and shift differentials, the union said.
3. The first contract vote is scheduled for Dec. 10.
4. The agreement includes an "experience audit" that ensures employees who complete the experience form are placed on a union pay scale, guaranteeing they will not face a pay cut as a result, according to the union.
5. Under the agreement, the hospital would not be allowed to discipline or terminate an employee without just cause, and employees would have access to a grievance process to ensure the contract is upheld, the union said.