MultiCare Indigo workers headed toward strike at 20 sites over working conditions
A union representing physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work at MultiCare Indigo Urgent Care facilities has announced a strike scheduled Nov. 23-24 affecting 20 clinics in the Puget Sound region.
Affected clinics on those dates include Federal Way, Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and three in Pierce County: 15125 Meridian E. Suite 102 Puyallup, and the James Center and Point Ruston clinics in Tacoma.
The action comes as negotiations appear to have made little progress between the Tacoma-based healthcare provider and the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.
“Since July of 2018, members of (UAPD) have been seeking better work and safety conditions at 20 Indigo Urgent Care facilities located in the greater Puget Sound area,” the union said Friday in a news release announcing the impending strike.
Indigo healthcare providers in early October held an informational picket to highlight workplace issues, including pressure from MultiCare to see a high volume of patients, maintain extended clinic hours and inadequate PPE amid the pandemic and onsite COVID-19 testing.
MultiCare has repeatedly rejected the union’s characterizations.
The health system, in a statement Friday, told The News Tribune that it was “disappointed that UAPD decided to strike during a pandemic, a time when our patients need our care more than ever.”
“This potentially affects 20 of Indigo’s 34 clinics,” the health system said Friday in an emailed statement. “All MultiCare primary and specialty care clinics as well as our hospitals and emergency departments will be open for people who need health care services. We will communicate with patients and the communities affected by this strike if it takes place.”
The union contends the health system has had plenty of time to confront the issues facing the providers it represents.
“For too long these providers have been subjected to irresponsible and unsafe policies including working 12+ hour shifts, sometimes seeing over 70 patients in one day without breaks. Not only has MultiCare put patients at risk through these assembly line conditions, but since the COVID-19 outbreak, MultiCare refuses to allow providers to wear N95 masks, even if they purchase our own,” said Dr. Stuart Bussey, president of UAPD and former urgent care physician, in Friday’s announcement.
“MultiCare again refused the providers N95s just before the strike announcement … . These practices are not only exhausting for providers, but more importantly, they are extremely risky for our patients who deserve the best possible care. It is no exaggeration to state this is a matter of life and death.”
The union also contends that the health system has targeted certain union members and “failed to provide information relevant to collective bargaining in an effort to bust the union.”
The union points to the recently reported COVID-19 outbreak among staff and patients at MultiCare’s Auburn Medical Center as more proof of the safety issues they’ve raised at the Indigo clinics.
“Out of concern for patients, doctors will strike and we are calling upon the public to stand with healthcare providers who are working the frontlines of a pandemic,” Bussey said Friday.
The union has set up an online petition drive seeking support from the public at unitedforpatients.com.
A union representative told The News Tribune Friday via email that the last round of talks were held Thursday via Zoom, with another bargaining session set for Nov. 20.
“We have offered to bargain every day leading up to the action but MultiCare stated they prefer not to meet with us without the federal mediator present,” said Marissa Powell, labor representative with UAPD.
MultiCare, in its statement Friday, said: “Our top priority in our negotiations with UAPD has always been a fair contract that supports staff and patient safety and the communities we serve.”
It added that “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to reach an agreement over wages and a few other issues. We met with UAPD on Thursday to continue our conversations. We recently asked the Federal Mediation and Conciliatory Services to assist in a mediation process. We have a session set with a federal mediator next week.”
The health system noted it was “committed to the negotiation process and are working hard to negotiate a fair labor contract.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 1:01 PM.
