A group of front-line health care workers are set to go on strike next week at a Parkland-area emergency medical facility, citing unfair labor practices and more amid stalled negotiations for their first contract.
MultiCare contends it is bargaining in good faith and, in an emailed statement to The News Tribune on Thursday, said, “We respect IAM Healthcare’s right to engage in this strike.”
Workers at MultiCare Emergency-Parkland represented by IAM District 160 are planning a five-day Unfair Labor Practice strike starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 30 at 14815 Pacific Ave. S. The strike is set to conclude at 11:59 p.m. July 4.
Ahead of the strike, the union said in a release this week, “MultiCare has committed at least 14 Unfair Labor Practices. These violations include withholding standard status quo raises given at other OCED (off-campus emergency department) facilities, denying union representatives workplace access, illegally interrogating workers, and bargaining in bad faith by refusing to negotiate multiple critical contract articles.”
The union added, “These actions by the company have contributed to significant staff attrition, dropping from 120 employees at certification to around 75 today.”
The health system said in response to the ULP allegations: “IAM Healthcare has filed unfair labor practices alleging certain violations during bargaining. These claims have not been proven. MultiCare is cooperating fully with the National Labor Relations Board during the ULP process. We remain committed to bargaining in good faith with IAM and all unions that represent our team members.”
Beth Bergeon, IAM Business representative, said in a statement that MultiCare must “bargain fairly.”
“This strike is about respect, safety, and dignity — not just for our workers, but for the community we serve.”
Michelle Zaun is an emergency-service technician at the site and is a member of the collective-bargaining team. She has worked at the site since 2022 and spoke to The News Tribune in a phone interview Thursday.
“We take care of some of the most horrendous things that come through that door,” she told The News Tribune. “We have traumas, we have security issues where we’re located, and we always handle it. ... We’re not in here demanding unreasonable things.”
Workers at the Parkland facility certified their union in May 2024.
MultiCare told The News Tribune on Thursday, “This first contract will cover 85 employees” at the site.
It also said in its email in response to questions that it “has been bargaining in good faith with IAM Healthcare for more than a year to reach a fair contract that supports a safe, equitable and economically sustainable workplace.”
The health system noted that the Parkland emergency department “will remain open during the strike. We don’t anticipate any disruption to patient care.”
Both Zaun and a negotiator with the union contended the health system’s main negotiator had consistently stalled/delayed progress.
“MultiCare has intentionally made negotiations difficult from day one, “ Brandon Hemming, IAM lead negotiator, said in the union’s release. “I’ve negotiated for over a decade, and I’ve never sat across the table from someone with such blatant disregard and a real aversion for reaching a fair agreement.”
“This is the first time I’ve sat on a negotiating committee, but I cannot imagine that they run like this, because there’s no way that anybody would ever get a contract,” Zaun said.
The health system stated Thursday that it looked “forward to reaching an agreement with IAM Healthcare that will position both our team members and our facility for success.”
Zaun said the workers also are committed to getting their first contract and making sure MultiCare knows where they stand.
“We do not have a strike fund, so we will have no pay,” she said. “I know that us as committee members have kind of passed the hat and put some money together. ... But that tells you how important it really is for these staff members.”
© 2025 The News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.). Visit www.TheNewsTribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
