Workers at Columbia River Veterinary Specialists (CRVS) in Vancouver, Washington ratified their first union contract on August 12 by an overwhelming margin of 53-1. These workers have been bargaining a contract with CRVS management for over a year, after voting to join the ILWU Local 5 in February 2019.
The contract is the first-ever privatesector union contract in the veterinary industry. Veterinary service is a rapidly growing, lucrative industry where workers are often faced with challenging working conditions and pay that is not commensurate with the education and skill required for the profession. In recent years, there has been massive consolidation of the industry as large companies acquire locally owned hospitals, leading to a corporate-led environment where workers’ rights and sustainable jobs for local communities too often come second to profit.
Organizing the unorganized
“This is a historic agreement that will set a new standard for wages and conditions in the veterinary industry,” said ILWU International Vice President Bobby Olvera. “I am so proud of the workers at CRVS for their grit, determination and courage. I would also like to thank the staff of the Organizing Department for their work. Organizing workers in an industry with no history of unionization is a difficult task, but also a necessary one. As the seventh guiding principle of the ILWU states; ‘To organize the unorganized must be a cardinal principle of any union worth its salt; and to accomplish this is not merely in the interest of the unorganized; it is for the benefit of the organized as well.”
Vet Pet Care Pioneers: Pictured here are members of the Northwest Veterinary Specialists bargaining committee. NWVS workers were among the first veterinary workers who voted to unionize on the West Coast. Local 5 represents about one hundred veterinary workers at the Northwest Veterinary Services VCA, ranging from receptionists, kennel caretakers, to certified technicians.
Campaign goals
Like the vast majority of first contract campaigns, this one was long and hard fought. CRVS workers began the bargaining process in February 2019. The workers had several primary goals for their first contract:
or their first contract:
1. Enhance worker rights beyond minimum legal (federal/state/local) requirements;
. Raise wages and establish a fair and transparent wage structure;
3. Improve benefits;
4. Secure an environment where the union would remain established and be able to improve upon the provisions won in this contract in the future
By March 2020, like all bargaining tables, the CRVS/ILWU sessions were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, five months later, workers secured their contract.
A base to build on
The agreement was achieved through many collective actions, shows of solidarity, and productive and collaborative negotiations at the table. This is a first contract, and while not all goals were met, many were. The agreement is a marked improvement from the status quo and allows workers the opportunity to continue building the movement as they prepare for second contract negotiations in 2023.
The results of those combined efforts were:
More Workplace Rights:
• “Just Cause” and progressive discipline standards of treatment;
• Seniority based layoff and recall procedures;
• Improved hospital communications such as: required all-staff meetings and and establishing office hours for 1 on 1 meetings with administration to address workplace concerns;
• Grievance Procedure to ensure contractual obligations are adhered to; Increased Wages:
• Increased base rate of pay for all positions;
• Transparency on wages and wage rates;
• Defined Differentials for additional skills/duties;
• Yearly increases to the rates of pay for all positions; Better Benefits:
• Increased Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual and ability to cash out PTO upon resignation;
• Paid Jury Duty;
• Bereavement for loss of a pet;
• Improved Employee Assistance Program benefits;
• Expanded rollover options for Continuing Education Credits;
...and a union shop where all new applicants are informed there is a union contract in place before they apply, and a structure whereby the union is able to effectively administer the contract and support workers on the job.
Many workers whose wages have languished under corporatized veterinary medicine are now receiving their first increase in years under the agreement. Tracie Vestal, Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) stated:
“Since I had not received any meaningful wage increase from CRVS over my five years of employment, I had the lowest hourly wage of any technician with my experience, education, and skillset. This did not reflect the unique role I served in the hospital as the sole LVT expert in laboratory diagnostics. I had considered sub-standard pay par for the course as a veterinary technician and had been debating applying my skills to human medicine/public health sectors, in order to be more financially sound. This was an agonizing consideration given my deep and abiding love and dedication to the veterinary profession. This first contract with PetVet lays the groundwork for me and the countless others like me to truly make a financially stable career in the field we love. What’s more, the system of pay established in this contract will provide transparency and objectivity to wages at the hospital.
This equity in pay will set CRVS apart as being a leading employer in the local veterinary community.
“I am extremely hopeful that this inaugural contract with veterinary professionals will serve as a model for everyone in this country and prove that negotiating across the employer/ employee divide benefits everyone (most importantly the patients).”
But as all union members know, the struggle is never over. ILWU Local 5 administrators are already building for the next phase of these efforts to ensure that workers are prepared to defend their gains and organize for future negotiations.
Rally for fair contract: National Veterinary Professionals Union Vice President Tana Greatorex speaks at a rally for CRVS workers in February of this year. Other organizations at the rally included ILWU Locals 4 and 5, the Inlandboatmen’s Union and Jobs with Justice.
Katt Bennett, LVT, Veterinary Technician Specialist (Small Animal Internal Medicine) who was a member of the Member Action Team and instrumental in organizing every solidarity action, including picket lines and rallies, reflects on the struggle and looks to the future:
“It took CRVS over two years to accomplish this feat and this contract is only the first step toward making veterinary medicine a viable career during this time of corporate greed. It will provide veterinary workers with protections, wage equality, and establish a foothold for continued improvements in working conditions. Hopefully hospitals throughout the nation will follow suit, including veterinarians. This is a long journey, but we owe it to ourselves, our clients, and especially our patients to keep pushing for justice and fairness in our hospitals.”
Setting a new standard: ILWU International President Willie Adams posted a solidarity photo on social media in support of worksrs at CRVS. After the vote ratification, the ILWU Titled Officers wrote a letter to the employer, congratulating them on reaching a fair agreement. “The new wage structure put in place by the contract will provide workers with clear work classifications, inflationary increases in pay, and appropriate pay for the type of work performed. We believe this contract is a much-needed first step in bringing higher workplace standards in the veterinary industry,” the letter stated.